Are you looking for new, superfood ingredients to add to your protein shake or an anti-inflammatory smoothie that does NOT entail your average fruit, yogurt, and ice cubes? Looking for some high-powered, antioxidant, energy-boosting, pain-reducing superfoods? Maybe a super-awesome adaptogen to easily sprinkle in your smoothie?
Welcome friend, you’ve come to the right place!
The way you construct your daily shake or smoothie makes all the difference in the world. The ingredients chosen can inflame the body and contribute to weight gain, or fight inflammation and assist with providing relief to life’s most annoying symptoms such as joint pain and low energy.
Yes, you heard it right. There is such a thing as anti inflammatory smoothies for inflammation and pain.
Let’s dive deeper into some of the best, yet unconventional anti-inflammatory ingredients to add to shakes and smoothies.
Smoothies 101
Your biology is so profoundly unique. The same should be said for your smoothie, and overall nutrition in general.
It secretly pains me to read food journal after food journal only to see…
Morning smoothie: cup of yogurt, multiple pieces of fruit, milk, ice cubes.
Or
Frozen banana + sweetener + water (maybe a little protein powder on a good day)
A for effort but in the end, these smoothies are not very nutrient-dense or satisfying.
Downing a smoothie like these that are so low in protein, fat, and fiber will leave you feeling starved shortly after consumption with a big energy crash to boot. If you keep this habit up over a long period of time, don’t be surprised if your blood sugar starts to go haywire and belly fat gradually makes an appearance.
Remember, liquid is generally easier to digest than solid food, even if the macronutrients are the same. The blender does most of the work in advance for your gut, therefore, it is even more important that you choose the right blend and dose of ingredients when it comes to your smoothie, AKA liquid meal or snack.
If you’re new to the smoothie game and would like to learn more about constructing a perfectly balanced smoothie, check out our article where we teach you how to make shakes and smoothies the right way. For those who consider themselves a seasoned pro already and want to dive into more of the complex anti inflammatory foods to add to a shake or smoothie, this article is your next step.
Alright, now for the good stuff. Are you ready to whip up a few anti inflammatory smoothies?
7 Best Anti Inflammatory Smoothie Ingredients
1. Baobab
Baobab fruit (powder) comes from the Baobab tree. Baobab is found in warmer regions such as Africa and Arabia. This magical fruit is heavily touted for its high vitamin C content in addition to high antioxidant and polyphenol content- essential for fight inflammation in the body.
Another bonus? Baobab contains 9g of fiber in 2 TBSP- that’s roughly one-third of your daily total and you didn’t have to choke down loads of vegetables to get there! But, we don’t recommend using that much at one time as the taste may be a bit strange.
Friendly reminder, higher doses of fiber greatly curb cravings, stabilize blood sugar and help to keep you fuller for longer. This is especially helpful when drinking a smoothie.
2. Amla Berry
Amla, otherwise known as Indian Gooseberry is one of the least known superfoods. One serving of this powerful fruit provides 300mg of vitamin C—double the daily requirement for the average adult! Amla berry also has naturally occurring antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Lastly, similar to Baobab, Amla is loaded with polyphenols, alkaloids, and flavonoids, each a critical component when working to keep the immune system steady and strong.
Pro Tip: Amla Berry powder is a bit bitter and often pairs well with sweeter foods like honey or banana.
3. Dragon Fruit
Have those gorgeously vibrant magenta smoothies caught your eye on social media? Dragon Fruit is to blame!
While dragon fruit is an excellent source of fiber and phytonutrients similar to the other ingredients mentioned, the biggest differential attribute of dragon fruit is the fact that it is a prebiotic-rich food. Prebiotics provide premium fuel to probiotics and help foster a better balance of bacteria in our gut.
4. Raw Cacao
This little Amazonian gem is one of the most powerful antioxidants on the planet. In fact, the level of antioxidants and nutrients in raw cacao pales in comparison to that of chocolate and even cocoa powder.
Why? Well, raw cacao is essentially the unprocessed, untreated form of chocolate, very close to the way it can originally be found in nature.
Need any more reasons to eat one of nature’s best treats? Well, raw cacao has 40x the amount of antioxidants as blueberries. It is also an excellent plant-based source of iron and magnesium. 1-2 teaspoons of raw cacao is perfect to add to a smoothie when you’d like a little boost of chocolate.
We love adding it to our peanut butter banana smoothies as well as our raspberry and cherry smoothies.
5. Maca Powder
Maca powder is an all-time favorite of the FWDfuel team. Native to the mountains of Peru, maca root is a natural energy booster and aphrodisiac.
Maca root isn’t actually a root at all, but instead is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family. This means that maca contains something called glucosinolates. When broken down, glucosinolates have the ability to support detoxification. More efficient detoxification = less risk for pain and disease as we age.
Maca is an adaptogen with promising potential as a nutraceutical in the prevention of several diseases. Current research shows Maca may positively affect sexual behavior, fertility, mood, memory, osteoporosis, metabolism, and the treatment of some tumor entities.[1]
Have we peaked your interest? Check out our article on the 4 Unbelievable Benefits of Maca Root to learn more.
6. Tahini
Bet you didn’t expect to see roasted then ground sesame seeds on the anti inflammatory smoothie list.
We love tahini for its light and nutty flavor. Tahini is an excellent add-in for a nutrient-packed smoothie as it contains a nice little boost of phosphorus, B vitamins and manganese.
Incorporating 1-2 TBSP of fat into your morning smoothie is critical for blood sugar stabilization and satiety. The reason we might suggest tahini over let’s say your average peanut butter is because a) it tends to pour easier and have a smoother texture. (An easily pourable/blendable fat source can be very beneficial when you are scrambling in the morning.) And b) The flavor of tahini works in just about any smoothie you can concoct.
New to tahini? Check out this article to expand your knowledge.
7. Manuka Honey
Native to New Zealand, Manuka honey is one of the absolute best anti-inflammatory smoothie add-ins. Manuka honey contains Methylglyoxal, the active ingredient responsible for Manuka’s antibacterial properties, something you will not find in your average honey at the grocery store.
Manuka is incredibly healing. Research over the years has proven Manuka honey to be beneficial for the healing of tooth decay, wounds and sores, ulcers and sore throat.
Try incorporating 1-2 teaspoons a day and see what you think!
The Best Place to Buy Anti Inflammatory Smoothie Ingredients
Are you struggling to find a place to get clean, anti-inflammatory smoothie ingredients all in one place and shipped right to your front door?
If so, try where we buy all our smoothie ingredients, Thrive Market. It is without a doubt, the best place to buy all your anti-inflammatory foods, spices, and snacks.
After all, who doesn’t love fairly-priced all-natural food delivered to your door within 3-5 days!?
We’ve been using Thrive Market for years now and have saved a ton of money by doing so. We love ordering specialized groceries like nut butter, toxin-free cleaning products and soap, clean protein bars and snacks, and even our children’s diapers (they’re the best we’ve found!).
Plus, if you do not order enough throughout the year to make your membership fee worthwhile, Thrive Market will actually credit you back what you did not use as a bonus for the following year.
Sign up using our link to 👉choose a FREE gift, up to $24 value, when you purchase a Thrive Market membership now!👈
The Best Anti Inflammatory Smoothie on the Planet
Looking for the best recipes for anti inflammatory smoothies for inflammation and pain or just a recipe to help reach your optimal health? THIS RECIPE IS IT!
Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
Ingredients
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder Be sure to read the label as some brands have a serving as 1 scoop while other suggest 2.
- 2 tsp maca powder
- 1/2 TBSP chia seeds
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 small frozen banana
- 1 TBSP cacao nibs or cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon of manuka honey
- 1 TBSP tahini
- 10-12 oz nut or seed milk Vanilla flavored is always great!
Instructions
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Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Adjust liquid according to your desired thickness.
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Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
This shake is best used as a meal replacement or post workout recovery shake! Many choose this for an energizing breakfast on the go.
We’ll leave you with one last thought for today…
If you are on the hunt for anti inflammatory smoothies to better fuel yourself or your family, that is awesome.
On the other hand, if you find that you are resorting to smoothies as a result of gut troubles or health issues in general, it may be time to start analyzing your diet to see what might be the trigger. Sometimes a brief elimination diet can provide relief of chronic symptoms.
Interested in learning more about reducing inflammation? Check out our posts on The 7 Best Anti-Inflammatory Supplements,
The 10 Strongest Anti Inflammatory Foods on Earth, and Anti-Inflammatory Kitchen Staples. Be sure to check our Anti Inflammatory Kitchen Staples post for the free anti inflammatory foods list pdf.
Cheers and happy sipping!
Reference
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3184420/
