If someone would’ve told me two summers ago that one day I’d top my homemade vegan smoothie with freshly sourced bee pollen for breakfast…. I would’ve exploded into violent, uncontrollable (scary-sounding) fits of laughter. The type of giggles that make your stomach hurt. Smoothies for breakfast? And wait- did you just say, bee pollen!? Um, you’ve got the wrong person. Totally. Quite conclusively.

The closest I probably ever got to a smoothie was iced frappes. Or maybe Italian sodas… Aren’t they fruit-flavored, anyways? I was always making poor food choices based on poor nutritional insight. Counting calories all the time (yes), but getting my calories from all the wrong places. Because when calories come from white flour and white refined sugar- your body quickly turns them into fat. Always remember: Not All Calories Are Created Equal. 250 calories of a large Hass avocado is better for you than 150 calories of a low fat white sugar, white flour laden pastry. One will help you burn fat- despite it’s high caloric content. The latter will help you store fat and make you crave something sweet 2 hours later.

As to bee pollen- it’s not witchcraft. I promise. It’s one of the most nutritionally dense foods you will ever find in nature. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals, a ton of protein and amino acids. It helps with psoriasis, eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions. It’s wonderful to boost your immune- I am seriously going to put it to the test come flu season this fall ( with a 2 year-old & 4 year-old around the house assisting in germ proliferation, it can’t hurt-right?). All you need is 1 tablespoon a day sprinkled over fruits or with your favorite smoothie. It’s reasonably priced, $6.49 Canadian dollars for a 150 gram “Purely Bulk” brand container that will probably last me a good month purchased and was purchased at my local health store. I’ve seen some premium ones selling for $15 dollars. But hey, isn’t bee pollen/bee pollen? You can’t have a pseudo product or replace the content with generics- otherwise it wouldn’t be called “bee pollen”.

But please note- if you’re on any prescription medication, have serious food allergies, are pregnant or breastfeeding- bee pollen is not advised unless you consult first with your family physician.

You Will Need: Makes 1 Smoothie:

• 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup of ripe strawberries
• 1/2 cup of vanilla flavored coconut yogurt
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk (or almond milk) * carrageenan free
• 1/3 cup of old-fashioned thick rolled oats (GF)
• 1 tablespoon of raw honey or agave for added sweetness (if berries are fresh and ripe + the vanilla in the coconut yogurt, you won’t need it!)
• 1 tablespoon of bee honey sprinkled on top!

This smoothie is incredibly dense & creamy thanks to the oats and the coconut yogurt. Yet the recipe doesn’t call for a banana, isn’t that an exciting first?  Blend on high until desired consistency is obtained. Happy Drinking!