Free from: gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, yeast and sulfites
Smoothie, schmoozie you say. Well when you can’t eat eggs and you’ve given up refined carbs (temporarily) that doesn’t leave much for breakfast, so I’m eating smoothies a lot. Mostly I use frozen organic berries.
This morning however there were no frozen berries in the freezer and a pitiful sampling of fresh fruit. Scouring the kitchen for something to put in a smoothie I opened a cabinet and out tumbled a cheery package of Urban Fruit pineapple and right behind it one of cherries.
These aren’t actually dried, they are “gently baked” which keeps them moist. They also don’t contain additives in case you’re on the lookout for sulfur dioxide or sulfites which are commonly used to preserve the color and flavor of dried fruit but have also been linked to allergic reactions in people with asthma in particular.
More on Sulfites
Years ago when salad bars became the rage sulfites that were used to preserve the freshness of lettuce, tomatoes, melons and more at the salad bars and grocery stores eventually were banned in 1986 by the Food and Drug Administration for allergic reactions in some. Thirteen deaths were linked to sulfites prior to the ban. The ban did not eliminate all sulfites and they are still commonly used as a preservative for packaged foods, like dried fruit and wine and certain packaged baked goods. The legislation also required companies to declare sulfites on packaging if they contained more than 10 parts per million. That means sulfites can still be in foods and not called out on the label.
Smoothie Preparation:
This is not an exact recipe. Play with the amount of fruits you use to your taste. I took some of each of the pineapple and cherries (combined about a half cup) and covered them with hot water to soften. I chopped up the one, about-to-shrivel apple and threw it in the blender, added the Urban Fruit with the liquid, some ice cubes, a scoop of Jarrow Formula Brown Rice Protein, Vanilla flavored powder and more water. Whirl until smooth and enjoy. I’ve since tried adding ground cardamom which gives the smoothie an exotic flair and in the future I’ll add ground flax seeds for the Omega-3’s. Can’t wait to try dried mango and strawberries.
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