I’ve been meaning to write this review for a LONG time. I’m a big fan of smoothies and I make all mine almost exclusively from one book. On a side note, smoothies is a really funny word.
I have a secret to confess. I actually didn’t buy this book. My boyfriend came home with it one day. He was smitten with Julie, who’s the gorgeously radiant and talented author. Who would have known that this would be the best purchase he’s ever made.
So what’s the book?
Superfood Smoothies by Julie Morris.
About Julie: She’s the executive chef and tester for a superfood company called Navitas Naturals. If you regularly consume stuff like camu berry powder, raw cacao nibs, and maqui berry, you may have heard of the company. If not, this will all be new to you.
In my opinion, this book is so great because Julie gets paid to sit in a test kitchen and concoct the most incredible smoothies ever using the superfoods her company produces. Not a bad gig. But it’s important that she’s also a trained chef and has worked in the natural foods industry for a decade.
Why is this book better than all the rest?
Well, first, I’ll be honest and let you know that I don’t own another smoothie recipe book other than the nice little guy that came with my Vitamix. (Word on the street is you have to buy the Vitamix from the manufacturer to get the awesome cookbook that comes along with it, otherwise you get a wimpy version that is not nearly as great).
With that said, I’ve tried a lot of smoothie recipes in my days from all my cleanse experiences and from reading health-related blogs online. They’re never as good.
These smoothies are better because Julie has this expert way of knowing exactly how much of what to put in each smoothie so you get a rich, creamy texture. And, her smoothies aren’t the kind you have to choke down while convincing yourself it’s good simply because it’s supposed to be good for your health.
Her smoothies are absolutely delicious – I’ve even got fighter pilots hooked on em’
Her recipes have the perfect ingredient pairings so you’re not trying to dump in sweeteners at the end to mask the taste of too much kale. The flavor profiles are seriously close to perfect.
I have personally recommended this book to so many of my close friends and family, and honestly, almost everyone has bought the book after I rave about it.
I even started my own ranking system in the book to remind me which smoothies are my favorite. I get made fun of all the time when I share my book with others because the ranking system isn’t exactly scientific. I’d call it more “intuitive.”
So far, here’s how my ranking system nets out:
Of the 100 smoothie recipes in the book, I’ve tried 44 of them.
- eh – 1
- Ok – 6
- Decent – 1
- Alright – 1
- Refreshing – 1
- Good – 6
- Pretty Good – 7
- Very Good – 6
- Really Good – 2
- Yummy – 3
- Delish – 9
- Amazing – 1
- Interesting (but good) – 1
Our favorites:
- Mulberry Plum
- Mint Chocolate Chip
- Chai
- Cookie Dough
Remember, there’s no bad stuff in here – just fruit, vegetables, and superfoods. And the cookie dough one doesn’t just kind of taste like cookie dough. It tastes JUST LIKE cookie dough, AND it’s healthy.
What’s Wrong with the Book?
It wouldn’t be an honest review if I didn’t also highlight what’s wrong with it. In my mind the biggest issue is that the ingredients for these smoothies aren’t things you normally have laying around your fridge. You really have to be a planner if you’re going to enjoy these smoothies. Pick three or four to enjoy in a week and then make up a grocery list and make sure you get the right ingredients. It’d be super helpful if the recipes were organized in a glossary by ingredient at the back of the book so you could choose your smoothies easier and save some money, but we can’t have it all.
Also, superfoods are expensive. Expect to make an initial investment up front to stock up on superfoods. We spent around $200 in the beginning. It’s totally worth it though – I still have some of the powders I bought 9 months ago. Start with a few and work your way up from there. The nice thing about the book is that a lot of times the superfoods are listed as optional “boosters” so the smoothie will taste the same (about) if you exclude the superfood, but you obviously won’t be getting all the same superfood benefits.
I bought all my ingredients from Swanson’s Vitamins. It’s a good option for getting discount prices.
And finally, I’d actually like more green smoothie recipes, although most people would probably be content with what’s there. These smoothies heavily favor fruit and not as many vegetables, but that also could be me trying the fruit ones first 🙂
What’s the Deal with Superfoods?
The fun thing about superfoods is that you’re probably trying a lot of new stuff. My favorite new superfood find was mulberries. When you add mulberry to any smoothie, it becomes absolutely decadent.
Julie defines superfoods on her website this way:
“…the most nutrient-dense, benefit-rich foods found in nature … foods that have the most amount of micronutrients per calorie. I’m not interested in semantics, and see “superfoods” as a general philosophy of eating: an ongoing adventure to acquire the very best foods available (and transform them into delicious cuisine).”
Drinking superfood smoothies is a great, healthy way to get tons of vitamins and minerals that you otherwise wouldn’t be getting, plus it’s a often a light-on-calories, yet still filling snack option or (sometimes) meal replacement. And it’s definitely the healthiest dessert around.
I’ve come to love making my superfood smoothies and in a perfect world, I’d drink one once a day. This is saying a lot since I normally don’t enjoy cooking or preparing food at all. There’s something about working with the superfoods that makes the whole process seem elegantly ritualistic.
The ones I’m eager to try, but haven’t gotten around to yet include:
- Mango Chili
- Citrus Aloe
- Mulberry Lavender
- Chocolate Hazelnut
- Red Velvet Cake
- Strawberry Basil
- Banana Nutmeg
Click on the image below to grab the book now and start enjoying your smoothies!
**Affiliate disclaimer: the links in this post to Amazon are affiliate links, which means if you buy through them, I’ll get a small commission. Rest assured, this isn’t taking any money away from Julie. Please know that I only recommend products and services I truly believe in and have used my self. I don’t recommend stuff just to make money, because that doesn’t align with my number one value: honesty. I hope you found this review helpful in your quest to live a healthier life!**
