Tonight I am sipping on this lil’ Brazil Nut + Almond Milk Minty Chip Smoothie. It is like the ultimate shake too, packed full of goodness, yet super simple!

Brazil Nuts are little powerhouses, I think of them like multi-vitamins in nut form, as they are loaded with selenium, copper, zinc, and other important minerals (see more data here) They say you should eat 1 or 2 a day, and that will do ya, where some who have over indulged have reported ill effects of ingesting too much selenium. On occasion, I love to toss a few Brazil nuts into a batch of almond milk I am making, to up the nutrients and add in some variety. I like to blend 1/4 cup of Brazil nuts with 3/4 cup almonds with 4 cups water. Blend on high and strain through one of my nut milk bags. The recipe below calls for one cup of this milk, though you can use any nut or seed milk you have on hand!

Another component of this minty milk shake is baby spinach. I consider spinach to be one of my BFF’s. My favorite type being the sweeter tasting baby spinach which is another powerhouse of goodness and full of vitamin C, vitamin K, and folates (more data here.) I love to add baby spinach to my morning smoothies as it is virtually tasteless but it totally feeds my body full of good plant energy. I feel a void when I go without my baby spinach for a few days, I start to seriously crave it!!

And peppermint extract – one of my must have pantry items. I personally really like this alcohol free brand here. It is just peppermint oil in sunflower oil. Peppermint has been reported to be helpful in calming down an upset stomach, providing relief from depression, and acting as a muscle relaxant. And if you have access to fresh mint leaves, feel free to add those in, instead, or in addition to the peppermint extract! And I love the way Brazil nuts pair with mint, something about the two together makes for a great friendship.

I could also rave about the health bennies that go along with almonds, raw cacao nibs, honey (or other natural vegan sweeteners) and avocado, but I will save that for another post!

Recipe:

• 1 cup nut milk (I used a Brazil-Almond Milk blend described above)
• 1 large handful baby spinach
• 1/3 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons sweetener (honey, maple syrup or coconut nectar) or a few drops stevia
• optional for extra creaminess: 1/4 avocado
  

• 3 large ice cubes

• 1 Tablespoon cacao nibs

Blend nut milk, spinach, peppermint, sweetener, avocado on high. Once well blended, add in ice cubes, blend again. Then toss in cacao nibs and just barely blend so they are incorporated.

Serve, relax & enjoy!