Us gals over at Little Box of Rocks love our smoothies, so we connected with Natalie Jasinski, the founder of The More You Merlot, to share her go to Good Vibes Smoothie Recipe, which is packed with nutrients to supercharge our energy throughout the day.

Meet Natalie

Here it is! My favorite good vibes smoothie to jump start my day. A lot of times I find myself struggling to get out of bed because, let’s face it… who likes to get out of the comfort of their bed? One of my goals for 2017 was to become as healthy and proactive as I could, without losing sight of what I love to eat and what I love to do. I discovered this delicious smoothie that I can’t wait to share with everyone! It’s packed with tons of vitamins and energy to help you get off to the start you need.

Let me break down the importance of this smoothie for ya.

Spinach: packed with things like vitamin K, vitamin A, manganese, iron, calcium… and the list goes on. It’s amazing for you and a great way to make any smoothie “green”.

Kale: high in vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin K and manganese. It is also high in digestive-aiding iron.

Mint: helps to keep your belly de-bloated throughout the day. It also adds the perfect amount of freshness and sweetness to your smoothie.

Avocado: an amazing source of healthy fats. It also contains vitamins like vitamin E, vitamin C and potassium.

Apple: filled with an amazing amount of energy boosting antioxidants. The sweetness from the apple leaves no-need for added sugars.

            TIP: I pealed mine for an easier blend.

Matcha Powder: Matcha is the only form of caffeine that actually helps me get through a groggy day. It also helps boost your metabolism and is packed with antioxidants. It is also known to calm the mind and relax your body (instead of a caffeine like black coffee that –personally- makes me quite jittery).

Chia Seeds: An excellent source of fatty acids. Chia seeds help to protect the heart and are also rich in tons of antioxidants. They are filled with things like iron, calcium and fiber to help keep you regular.

            TIP: you can soak the chia seeds in coconut milk the night before so they create a “pudding”. This is a less-harsh version to add to your drink or just to snack on.

Coconut Water/Milk: Rich in things like manganese, magnesium and calcium. It is also a healthy fat and good to add as a liquid to any smoothie!

The Recipe

Dry Ingredients:

½ avocado (you can substitute the avocado for another creamy option, like a banana or ½ cup frozen mango)

½ apple

4-5 mint leaves

1 handful of spinach

1 handful of kale

1 TBSP of matcha powder

1 TBSP of chia seeds

Wet Ingredients:

½ cup of coconut water or milk

½ cup water

Directions:

• Cut the avocado, apple, mint leaves, spinach and kale into small little chunks.
• Cut the steam off from the kale to avoid difficulty blending
• Add the coconut water / milk and start to blend.
• Blend to the consistency desired. I like my smoothies to be a little more chunky (as the last picture shows) but you can also add more liquid to create a smoother consistency (like the first picture of the smoothie bowl).
• Enjoy!

For more Natalie, head over to The More You Merlot