Try this Energizing Raspberry and Goji Healthy Smoothie Recipe Today!
It’s important when you’re dedicating yourself to improving your fitness to not just focus on the exercise side of the equation. While it’s still very important to come and workout regularly at your favorite Giant Fitness location, half the battle for your optimal fitness is in the kitchen. If you work out everyday but then go each fast food junk afterwards, your results will be less than they could have been if you were eating right! This raspberry and Goji smoothie recipe is loaded with flavor, antioxidants, and protein! It’s an excellent way kick start your morning. Try this delicious recipe for a pick me up during the day or for a great breakfast!
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup frozen raspberries
- 1.4 cup soaked Goji berries
- ½ cup nonfat yogurt
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
Directions:
- Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth texture is reached.
RASPBERRY NUTRITIONAL FACTS
Why is the raspberry so great? It starts with the phytochemicals present in this delicious fruit, which are responsible for the dark color in raspberries. These phytochemicals provide useful phytonutrients that make raspberry nutrition so beneficial. Take a look at just how beneficial these wonderful berries can be.
Raspberry Nutrition Facts
Raspberries run a pretty close race with blueberries as nutrient-dense and high-antioxidant powerhouses!
One cup of raw raspberries contains about:
- 64 calories
- 14.7 grams carbohydrates
- 1.5 grams protein
- 0.8 gram fat
- 8 grams fiber
- 32.2 milligrams vitamin C (54 percent DV)
- 0.8 milligram manganese (41 percent DV)
- 9.6 micrograms vitamin K (12 percent DV)
- 27.1 milligrams magnesium (7 percent DV)
- 25.8 micrograms folate (6 percent DV)
- 0.1 milligram copper (6 percent DV)
- 1.1 milligrams vitamin E (5 percent DV)
- 0.8 milligram iron (5 percent DV)
- 186 milligrams potassium (5 percent DV)
- 0.7 milligram niacin (4 percent DV)
- 0.4 milligram pantothenic acid (4 percent DV)
- 35.7 milligrams phosphorus (4 percent DV)
Goji Berry Nutrition Facts
As a surprisingly high-protein snack, dried goji berry benefits also offer a good dose of fiber, over 20 different vitamins and minerals, and, of course, a wealth of antioxidants.
Nutrition facts for goji berries can vary widely depending on the exact type of berry, how fresh they are, and how they’re preserved. Different sources claim that goji berry benefits include varying degrees of nutrients, but below is a range of the vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals present in goji berries.
Here are goji berry nutrition facts for 28 grams of dried goji berries (5 tablespoons), according to the USDA:
- About 100 calories
- 0 grams fat
- 3 grams fiber
- 13 grams sugar
- 4 grams protein
- 7510 IU vitamin A (about 134 percent DV)
- 14 milligrams of vitamin C (about 25 percent DV)
- 12 milligrams iron (about 10 percent DV)
- 18 amino acids (11 of which are essential)
- 5 sources of healthy, unsaturated fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid
- Phytochemicals, including beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lycopene, cryptoxanthin, lutein and polysaccharides
How does goji berry nutrition compare to some other popular fruits?
A small serving of dried goji berries has an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) score — which measures the antioxidant value of various foods — of 4,310. By comparison, an apple has an ORAC score of 2,568; raisins a score of 3,406; blueberries a score of 4,633; and pomegranate seeds a score of 4,479.
All are good sources of various antioxidants, but what makes goji berries stand apart is their amino acids (protein), fatty acids and specific antioxidants. It’s rare for a fruit to provide amino acids, especially 11 types that are considered “essential” because the body can’t make them on its own.
Meanwhile, when you compare goji berries and oranges weight for weight as vitamin C foods, goji berries provide up to 500 times more vitamin C!
We hope you enjoy this recipe and make it regularly to boost your morning routine!