You’ll be shocked at how healthy this smoothie is when you taste how delicious it is!  It is rich and chocolaty with a cherry tang that is positively addictive!  Kale is the most nutrient-dense vegetable (it’s full of calcium and folate!) and cherries, chocolate and pomegranate are all rich in antioxidants.  Ground flax seeds provide omega-3 fatty acids, essential for brain health.  Put all these super-foods together into one smoothie and you have a powerful disease-fighting combination.  It’s a deliciously decadent, yet guilt-free way to start your day!

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 cup gently packed chopped green kale

1 ½ cups frozen cherries

1 ripe banana

2 medjool dates, pitted

½ cup organic vanilla plant milk (soy, almond, rice or hemp)

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1 cup ice

Directions

Place all ingredients in order, except ice, in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Add ice and blend again until extra cold and frosty.

Note: Adding the fluffy kale first helps prevent the blender blades from getting stuck on the frozen fruit.

Recipe by Emily Webber, 2010.