Dragon fruit beet chia smoothie or pudding

This is our first summer in Alabama this year and it feels very HOT! We are not use to the hot & humid summers. It gets very difficult to get outside when its close to 100 degrees outside. I have been creating lots of new drinks recipes to keep cool in this hot humid weather. Last week I was in grocery store and they were organizing dragon fruits. The bright purple color caught my eye. I have had dragon fruit drinks outside but never had experimented anything at home. I originally brought it for pancakes but ended up making smoothie/pudding today.

I am not much of a breakfast person, but I try to at least get something in the system to get the metabolism moving. Drinking protein shakes gets boring everyday, hence this is another yummy option which is low carb and delicious! This smoothie is perfect for breakfast, post workout or as a snack when you’re feeling drenched from the day and its not even bedtime yet. But you know the hard part of the day (especially if you have kids) ain’t over yet. This is when you reach for that pick-me-up snack. I want you to add one more healthy, easy and filling snack to that line-up: chia smoothing or pudding! Most of the time I make my chia pudding with only 3 ingredients: chia seeds, yogurt or milk and a sweetener of choice. When it settles in the fridge, it has a pudding texture, amazing flavor and lends itself to endless topping possibilities. It’s a snack will leave you feeling satisfied, satiated and so energized for your day!

Today I wanted to incorporate dragon fruit in my smoothie. I realized that dragon fruit is very bland, hence it would take up any flavors that you would add to your smoothie/pudding. I got this amazing organic beet powder from Costco, which I have been adding daily to my protein shakes, so I thought let me experiment today 😉

Nutritional Info

Serving size [1] [Calories 220, Fats 11g, Carbs 22g, Fiber 13g, Protein 6g]

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Ingredients:

1/2 dragon fruit

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk (whatever is available)

2 tbsp chia seeds

2 small packets of pyure or 1-2tbsp of honey

1 scoops of organic beet powder

1/2 tsp of cocoa powder for garnishing

Ice cubs

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Method:

Smoothie: Add all the ingredients in blender and blend until its uniform. I have added pyure stevia to mine to make it low carb/low glycemic index, however if you are not adapting to any specific diet than add honey instead. You can add the ice first or later, your preference. I like to add mine later 😉 Serve it cold.

Pudding: Add dragon fruit, coconut milk, honey, beets powder in blender and blend until its uniform. Take it out in a mason jar or any container. Add chia seeds and ice cubes. Close the jar or container and mix until all the chia seeds are incorporated into the milk. If you have to close the jar and shake it well. You have to make sure there aren’t any clumps. Drizzle cocoa powder on top. Place it overnight or for 2-3 hours for the chia seeds to absorb all the milk and become pudding consistency.