Fancy a plum smoothie that is something else than the usual banana+plum or apple+plum combo? Today, I did, so I decided to add an orange to the mix to freshen things up.
I often talk to my husband about food: mostly on health-related topics, since I have arthritis and search for foods that are good for me. Long story short, yesterday we discussed the health benefits of oranges and how a study showed that the impact of the Vitamin C in oranges is far more powerful than Vitamin C supplements (see the “Why my Plum, Banana and Orange Smoothie is good for you” for more detail). Anyway, that’s why I today chose to add some powerful “orange” antioxidants to my daily smoothie. And I am glad I did, the light citrus hint just made the smoothie better.
Plum, Banana and Orange Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup plums
- 1 banana
- 1 orange (large)
- 1 tbsp honey (liquid)
Instructions
- Wash and pit the plums. Cut them in halves or smaller pieces. Peel the orange and the banana and slice them into little pieces.
- Place the fruits into the blender.
- Add the honey. If you are allergic or you just do not like honey, then replace it with another product: agave syrup or Jerusalem artichoke, maple syrup or stevia.
- Process until no chunks remain, especially if you want to drink the smoothie using a straw.
- Serve immediately. If desired, add ice cubes.
Notes
If you are looking for other smoothies with plums, visit my plum smoothie recipes.
Why my Plum, Banana and Orange Smoothie is good for you:
- Plums are a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, copper, fiber and potassium. They also contain phenols, which are known for their antioxidant properties that help the body fight free radicals. The soluble fibers found in plums help normalize our blood sugar levels and makes us feel satisfied for a longer time after we’ve had a meal.
- Oranges are an terrific source of Vitamin C. A medical study in Italy showed that drinking a glass of orange juice helped reduce free radical DNA damage, while drinking water fortified with Vitamin C lacked this effect. This suggests that eating oranges (or drinking their juice) is significantly better than taking Vitamin C supplements.
- Bananas contain a fair amount of fiber. It is rich in potassium and contains Vitamin C and B6, C. Bananas are also a source of magnesium, copper and manganese.
Pros and cons of this smoothie
Pros:
- Great source of Vitamin C
- Very good source of Vitamin A
- Practically no fat (less than 1 gram per serving)
Cons:
- Contains quite much sugar (52 grams in a 291 gram serving)
