Vegan Pomegranate Smoothies

Vegan pomegranate smoothies are my new favorite concoctions to make. Some of the pomegranate smoothies I make are not of a ruby hue, but that is because I often add other fruits, such as bananas and apples. In 2014 I went vegan for health and ethical reasons, and I have never looked back. During my twenties, I had started eating more meat, although I never ate red meat, and pizza became one of my favorite foods. I still enjoy making pizza, but these days I prefer making the vegan kind. In my late twenties and early thirties, I put on weight, and even though I was active and ate relatively healthy, I could just never lose the pounds. I would embark on a more intensive fitness plan than ever, and my weight would just not budge. I am not one of these people who like to eat little birdy meals, so deciding to be a full vegan was the thing for me. Finally, I can eat large portions, and never feel deprived. Every time some restrictive diet ads, I just kind of chuckle because extreme diets suck. It is good to eat healthily and be active, but you have to decide what works best for your body. I discovered being vegan is the way for me, and creating delicious smoothies cuts the cravings for always wanting deserts. Occasionally I will bake, but these days I am far less inclined to do so when I can whip up amazing smoothies in just a few seconds.

The smoothie in the first picture contained pomegranate, banana, orange juice, almond milk, and chia seeds. It made a large patch of smoothies that I was able to enjoy for the rest of the night, and was far more satisfying than just eating a sugary and processed dessert. So when you have a craving for sweets and do not want something overly sweet, I highly suggest making smoothies because they you can have a large portion unlike a tiny brownie that has little fiber. Also, even if you drink several smoothies, it never will make you feel overly sugared out like a candy bar or a few cookies might.

With juice dripping out of the this beautiful pomegranate, which caught the reflection of the light, how could you not love this inviting fruit? So rich and simple all at once.

Honestly, the spoon method I used for scooping out the arils was quite messy. Red juice splattered everywhere, and I had to spend a bit of time scrubbing the floor and counter. Some red juice even ended up on the walls, so after this I did some Googling and found out cutting the skin of the pomegranate and pealing it off in sections causing less of a splattering effect. You could definitely do some abstract art with pomegranate splatters. Just get a large piece and put on the floor, and allow the flying pomegranate juice draw the picture.

I topped my smoothie with a few pomegranates arils I had saved for presentation purposes.

This smoothie has a bit of a retro 1950's soda fountain look to it. Instagram can be a great source for inspiration, and I decided to start creating smoothies that look a bit like something you would get at a malt shop. The plus side is these vegan smoothies do not taste sugar laden because fruit is the main ingredient, which includes fiber and makes it easier to digest. Fruit sugars are different than candy and ice cream sugars because there is soluble fiber that prevents that sugar spikes a person experiences when eating a candy bar or ice cream. If you want to lower the sugar content you do not have to add orange juice like I did, but I simply used that for pureeing purposes as my blender is not very high powered. Sometimes I also add a cup of spinach, which helps to throw a serving of greens. Smoothies are sweet treats that can be meal replacements. I added peanut butter, almond milk, pomegranates, and apples to this smoothie, which was a little less sweet than the first one I made. Both were good in their own ways.

Even if you are not a vegan, there are many health benefits to consuming pomegranate since these are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. I just prefer putting pomegranate arils in smoothies because this crushes up the seeds, which are edible. I do not enjoy chew on the hard bits, and I do not want to waste the pulp by simply juicing the pomegranate. Someone gave me these beautiful pomegranates, so I wanted to get as much fruit as I could out of each one.

This smoothie has pomegranates, bananas, chia seeds, apples, and almond milk. It was a delectable combination, as showcased in the video below.

I put the chia seeds in before adding the pomegranate seeds to the very top of the almost overflowing blender. I like to make large batches of smooties so these will last me a day or two. First, I pulse the ingredients to start pureeing, and then I hit liquefy on my Oster blender. You can make smoothies in smaller batches, but I just like to make a large amount if I am going to lug this blender out. The Oster blender has held up quite well for a year and a half of making several large batches of smoothies per week. I could not say the same about the Magic Bullet Blender I had awhile back.