I know this happens with every season, but I seriously feel like this summer has flown by and I don’t know how it happened! I have barely taken advantage of all the delicious summertime fruit at the farmer’s markets (time to get over there!) But, I did get some in with this strawberry smoothie with figs.

While figs are definitely sweet, they also have some good nutrition going for them (not quite in Fig Newtons, though…)! Figs are a good source of fiber and have some vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K. Figs also have antioxidant value, anti-cancer properties, and antibacterial effects.

healthy smoothie tips

I’ve talked a lot about my tips for making a healthy smoothie (read up here and here).

My main pointers for a healthy smoothie is to limit the sugar, always add a vegetable, and use healthy fats and proteins.

In this smoothie, I limit the sugar by cutting the banana in half and adding riced cauliflower as the vegetable. Cauliflower is a great substitute for banana (zucchini works, too). I can’t taste the cauliflower at all! Using frozen riced cauliflower is great because the “rice” works as little ice chips. However, I have also used steamed-then-refrigerated cauliflower florets as well (this will create a creamy texture).

Healthy fats for smoothies can be coconut oil, nut butter, or avocado. Adding fats to smoothies helps to keep you full for longer and also slows down the glycemic response (i.e. how quick sugar gets into your blood: the slower, the better).

Lastly, the protein! While nut butter and avocado do have some protein, I like to add additional protein to make sure I stay full for at least 4 hours from a smoothie. I typically use Further Food collagen powder, because it doesn’t have any extra ingredients. However, if you want a little bit of flavor, you can use a vanilla protein powder that is made out of peas or hempseed, like Sunwarrior or Nuzest.

*NOTE: You can use the code “VEGGIES10” for the Further Food link, meaning I would get an affiliate commission if you use that code.

strawberry smoothie with figs recipe