3 Problems Smoothies Solve! --> Plus: Jeweled Caribbean-ish Smoothie (Raw, Vegan Recipe)

Hhmmm YUMMMY! I made another neat, unique, and awesome smoothie. It's filled with mostly Caribbean flavors (how fun is that!). It was easy. It was delicious. And, I'm on fire with energy because of the nutrition it's fueling into my cells. Uumm... I loved the color of it, too. It was pretty with lovely speckles of the colors red, green, and brown (I'm such a girl!). BUT! Before I dive into sharing this scrumptious recipe with you... let me share a few words on why smoothies and shakes friggin' rock the house of diet and healthy eating goodness!

As you can see from the many smoothie and shake recipes I share on my blog, I'm obviously a raving fan of them. That's mainly because...

Smoothies and shakes solve a few big problems that people encounter 

when dieting or trying to eat healthier: 

Lack of time

Lack of nutrition

Lack of diversity / excitement

No more excuses though! Smoothies to the rescue!

Lack of time in your life? No problem!
A fabulous, high energy, and mega nutritious and delicious smoothie (or shake) can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes. (That can include clean up time!) And, you can make enough to enjoy it as a whole meal or make extra to save for a later meal or snack. Smoothies offer a 5-minute meal. Awesome!

Lack of nutrition in your life? No problem!
Fresh smoothies and shakes can be filled with the healthiest nutrition on the planet (all plant-powered, of course!)... from nutrient dense organic ingredients to alkalizing greens to high energy fruits to superhero superfoods to body building proteins. Plus - smoothies are blended which means your giving your body something that is easy to digest. That's a great thing! Smoothies offer phenomenal nutrition and energy. Whoo hoo!

Bored with dieting or healthy eating? Lacking diversity? No problem!
The variations you can make with smoothies and shakes are literally endless. The flavor combos based on your cravings while you're shopping, or simply what you have on hand in your kitchen, can vary with every single smoothie - making it an entirely different flavor explosion in your mouth with each creation. That's exciting! Take the recipe I'm going to share with you below, for example. I thought up the flavors while falling asleep based on what I had in my cupboard and refrigerator. I knew I wanted to use my pineapple and bananas before they went bad... I had a bottle of raw coconut water thawing... I wanted alkalizing greens in it and I had romaine lettuce on hand... I've been on a ginger kick lately... goji berries are reputed for supporting healthy eyes... I love the pure raw vanilla powder I've been playing with (I bought it Whole Foods Market)... etc... and voila - I enjoyed an awesome smoothie full of unique and fun flavors! Smoothies offer massive variety so it's impossible to get bored. Booyah!

Jeweled Caribbean-ish Smoothie
Recipe by Kristen Suzanne of KristensRaw.com
Yield 1 quart

1 cup young Thai coconut water
2 bananas, peeled
2 cups pineapple, diced (I include the core)
2 handfuls romaine lettuce
2 heaping tablespoons hemp protein powder
2 tablespoons goji berries
knob of ginger
1/4 teaspoon pure raw vanilla powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Blend all of the ingredients and enjoy!