Minty-Chia Green Smoothie

It’s no secret that I’m a smoothie aficionado.
There’s something about sipping liquid food that just does it for me.
Not that I disdain chewing.
To the contrary, I for one think that jaw activity is totally underrated.
Chewing thoroughly pre-digests food, helps you eat less, and - more importantly - makes you really savor all the flavors your food has to offer.
“Chew-chew-chew, for it’s the thing to do!” the crowd screams.
There are times however when contracting the jaw muscles feels like a chore.
Say you go for a 13.1-mile run, come home starving, barely make it to shower, stomach seized up; munching is not an option.
That’s when food in liquid form (aka smoothie) saves the day.
The blender will “gnaw” the food for you and ease the burden on your mouth and digestive system.
All you’re left to do is “Sip-sip-sip!”

Talking about smoothies; I’ve stumbled upon this turbo-recipe while flipping through the pages of Lava magazine *Ironman Triathlon nerd alert*
It caught my eye because it was labeled “The Nutrient-Dense Smoothie”. No more, no less.
You might now know this but “nutrient” and “dense” are among my favorite words.
You want to draw my attention? Say “nutrient dense” and I’m hooked.

Besides being nutrient dense, this smoothie also happens to be delicious.
It’s made with ever-so-healthy greens, one Granny Smith apple to make it less threatening and a good amount of fresh mint to enhance the yumminess factor.
There are also chia seeds — rich in protein and a valuable source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
These little wonder seeds have also hydrophilic properties, meaning that they can absorb more than 12 times their weight in water. Because of this, Chia seeds can prolong hydration, helping retain moisture and regulate more efficiently the body’s absorption of nutrients and body fluids.

Perfect as a snack or as a power-breakfast, this Minty-Chia Green Smoothie will supply the right fuel and plenty of precious nutrients you'll need to make it through the day.

Minty-Chia Green Smoothie                                                                                  Print this recipe! 
Adapted from Lava Magazine

Ingredients 
Serves 1

1 teaspoon chia seeds
4 teaspoons water
1 green apple (I used Granny Smith), cored and chopped
10 fresh mint leaves
A large handful of kale leaves (stems removed) or baby spinach, roughly chopped
½ cup / 125ml apple juice

Directions

In a small bowl combine chia seeds and water and let soak for at least 15 minutes. You can do this in advance in a bigger batch and use 1 tablespoon of the gelatinized mix.
In a blender combine chia seeds, apple, mint, kale (or spinach) and apple juice. Blend until smooth and creamy
Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 218 calories, 2 grams of fat, 54 grams of carbs and 4 grams of protein.