RECIPE:Brazil Nut Mylk and MSG

I made a huge batch of nut mylk–huge–and ever since I made it I had been craving this smoothie, below. I love the simple pairing of greens, nut mylk, and banana. It’s creamy, it’s light, and it has a healthy amount of leafy greens hidden in it. Also, there was no need to add a sweetener as the bananas were sweet enough. Win!

I like to pair nut mylk with my greens because it increased the nutrient bioavailability for the greens. Greens contain a lot of calcium and magnesium but are often times lost in the process of digestion. The nuts help release these nutrients so our bodies have an easier time picking them up. By pairing nut mylk with the greens (instead of whole nuts) you also eliminate a large part of the nut, which is a good thing in many cases since raw food tends to be calorie-dense with all the nut-based dishes.

I don’t use nut mylk often mainly because I favor coconut water or plain water in smoothies and puddings because of the lower calorie count. I also rarely buy prepared nut milks because it’s loaded with so many unnecessary ingredients and preservatives making it no more healthy than regular milk!! (okay, it is still a better option than regular milk but definitely not a “natural” version) 

Here is just an example of the ingredients listed for commercial Almond Milk. There are a lot of different goodies in there that are mostly questionable. The one that makes me cringe is “natural flavors” because this could be essentially anything! There is a certain threshold that the FDA has created where if an ingredient in an item is not a main ingredient, and sits below this arbitrary threshold set by the FDA, then it is legally satisfying to name it “natural flavors”. This can include bugs that fall into the food item, various spices, flavor enhancers, etc. The biggest offender in this case is usually MSG. Now, I’m not a fan of conspiracy theories so let’s not get too into that. But what I am aware of is that MSG is dangerous and MSG is legally allowed in packaged foods under the identity of “natural flavors”. There are many other terms that can be legally used to identify MSG, such as: natural flavor, natural flavorings, natural beef flavor, natural chicken flavor, malt flavoring, chicken flavoring, seasoning, spices, enzymes and simply “flavoring.”

Brazil nuts are incredible powerhouses when it comes to nutrition and it just take two of these guys to get your daily recommended amount of Selenium. Selenium is a crucial mineral that is found in soil and then absorbed by the plants that are grown in mineral rich soil. It is helpful in combating hormone related cancers–like breast, female organs, and prostate cancers–as well as balancing thyroid function.

Ingredients

• 2 cups brazil nuts
• 32 oz coconut water*
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2-4 dates (optional)

And now, onto the smoothie …

Creamy Dreamy Green Smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 frozen bananas
• 2 cups homemade nut mylk
• 3-4 large leafs of kale
• 2-3 cups spinach
• 1 T maca powder (optional)
• 1 t chlorella (optional)