There are not many days when chia and hemp seeds are not a part of my diet. Whether it’s in a smoothie, energy bar, in my water, in a casserole, on veggies….these guys are part of my routine!

While I won’t be abandoning my chia and hemp, I do think it’s a good idea to have some variety in your diet. There are countless “nutrient dense” options out there and you really don’t need to limit yourself. Much like I have a tendency to mix up Sun Salutations just enough to keep them fresh, I, too, like to mix up my smoothies to keep them fresh and expose myself to a variety of nutrient profiles.

Enter the exotic Baobab. The pulp of the baobab fruit has a very high content of bioavailable calcium (twice as much as milk). As much as possible, I feel it is important to get our nutrients in a whole food form. As it relates to calcium in particular, there is growing evidence that taking this nutrient in an isolated pill/tablet form may do more harm than good. Food source first is my mantra.

Baobab is also rich in vitamins C, B1, B2, B3, and B6. Baobab has 6x more potassium than bananas. Amino acids (building blocks of protein), manganese, iron and magnesium round out the nutrients.

Baobab has yet another health advantage. Baobab is a high quality prebiotic. Prebiotics enhance bacterial flora in the intestine….essentially “feeding the good guys.”

Powdered baobab fruit has a pleasant, sweet taste and lends itself well to smoothies. It can also be added to kefir, yogurt, cereals, juices, baking….

I decided to experiment with a rich, filling smoothie. My first batch was delicious, but was better consumed with a spoon, so the following recipe will make two satisfying smoothies that will keep you feeling nourished for quite some time with the addition of creamy avocado and Sun Warrior protein.

Baobab Raspberry Avocado Smoothie

2 cups water (if you would like to eat this with a spoon, 3-4 cups if you would like to use a straw)
1/2 lemon – peeled
1/2 lime – peeled
1/2 good-sized avocado
2 cups frozen raspberries
Generous fist of spinach or kale
2 T Baobab powder
1 T chia seeds
1 T hemp seeds
1 teaspoon bee pollen (I used Dickey Bee)
2 T raw honey (I used Dickey Bee)
1/2 – full scoop vanilla Sun Warrior protein powder

Combine above in high powdered blender. Using 4 cups of water, this filled two 1 L Mason jars.