Green Smoothies & Vegan Banana Ice Cream

We all know that fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, but many of us struggle to get the recommended amounts each day. Smoothies are a great way for people who don't want a vegetable flavor to still get the nutrients from consuming them. Recently in NYC I have noticed more and more smoothie carts that blend fresh fruit at your request. I love it. I myself have been blending with my Ninja blender for almost four years now. Through trial and error I've learned a few tricks and come up with a few recipes I love.

Tips:

- You need a good blender. I have never had a problem with my ninja. I have struggled trying to use other blenders that only had blades at the bottom.

- Pineapple and Banana are sweet enough to over power any vegetable flavor. Banana can also be frozen for a creamier smoothie.

Recipes:

-Banana Ice Cream (Vegan)
1.Cut up bananas into slices or small chunks
2. Freeze (3-4 hours)
3. Blend until smooth
Optional: Add frozen berries or small pieces of chocolate to the blender to add extra flavor

Nutrition Facts for Banana:

1. Calories 105 (Per Banana)

2. % Daily Value*
   Total Fat 0.4 g	0%
   Potassium 422 mg	12%
   Total Carbohydrate 27 g	9%
   Dietary fiber 3.1 g	12%
   Sugar 14 g
   Protein 1.3 g	2%

   Vitamin A	1%	Vitamin C	17%
   Calcium	0%	Iron	1%
   Vitamin D	0%	Vitamin B-6	20%
   Vitamin B-12	0%	Magnesium	8%

-Green Smoothie (serves 2 adults)
   2 cups greens (kale or spinach)
   1 cup pineapple or banana
   3/4 cup berries, peaches or other fruit
   1/2-1 cup almond milk (you could also use regular milk or ice)
Blend fruits and vegetables, adding almond milk gradually until desired texture is reached.

   Mint, Pineapple & Kale                                           Orange, Pineapple & Kale















Strawberry, Banana & Spinach

NYC locations, places to grab a delicious smoothie on the go:

 Liquiteria has multiple locations in NYC

 

                                 E11th st

Juice Generation is another great place with multiple locations in Manhattan 

NYC Vegan Shop-Up Market

Sunday May 3rd my boyfriend Hayden and I ventured out to the spreadhouse coffee shop on Suffolk street for the Vegan pop up market. I had seen pictures of past pop up events on instagram but never had the opportunity to go. These events are a great way to sample vegan foods and goods from a variety of vendors all in one place.

Some of the vendors we saw today were the Freakin Vegans with their vegan empanadas. We got a 4 pack so we could try the different flavors. I really enjoyed the spinach and ricotta flavor. The philly cheese and breakfast empanadas would have fooled any non-vegan. Hayden preferred the cheddar broccoli flavor.

We also tried a strawberry-chocolate fritter from the Cake Thieves who are regularly located at the spreadhouse coffee shop. The cake thieves tagline is "We make vegan things that don't taste vegan...cause that would be gross." And they don't lie. Their doughnuts are delicious.






My personal favorite today was something I had seen only in pictures. Sweet Maresa makes artisan vegan french macaroons using ingredients from local farmers markets. The chocolate macaroon was so soft and delicious. Hayden tried a chocolaty smores cookie. My favorite was the Smacaroon, smores flavored macaroon.

The sunny weather made today the perfect setting for a pop up market. We enjoyed everything we tried and will most likely attend another vegan pop up event. There were a few vendors I saw but didn't get to try today, like Cheeze Hound nut based cheeses, 3 little birds vegan ice cream, and The Fanciful Fox natural soaps and body products. All of these vendors & their products are vegan. I feel good supporting small businesses local to the NYC area. I love being able to sample all these vendors in one place.