Three-Ingredient Beauty Smoothie

Poor little bunch of organic romaine lettuce, almost wilting up in my fridge.

Before they go bad, the best and easiest way to use up produce (and get your daily fruits and vegetables) is to blend them all up into a delicious, nutritious smoothie.
Thankfully, I found a simple green smoothie recipe that calls for the use of romaine lettuce.

I used romaine lettuce in a smoothie before but unfortunately the outcome was not my favorite. However, I chose to try using the lettuce again and this smoothie appealed to my taste much better.
My advice is to blend one romaine lettuce leaf at a time and then taste test the smoothie. You don't want to overdo it, especially if this is your first green smoothie and the taste of romaine can get quite overpowering. Personally, I used about five leaves and I thought it came out great!

So why do I call this a beauty smoothie? Read on:

Apples are considered a super food (just buy organic and leave the skin on!). They contain the antioxidant vitamin C which is great for maintaining healthy collagen in your skin and fighting off free radicals. Apples are also a great source of the flavanoid called quercetin; it helps fight inflammation in the body, especially allergies.

Romaine lettuce is low in calories, and is a good source of vitamin A (good for the eyes, skin, hair, and teeth), B vitamins (aids in macronutrient metabolism), vitamin C, vitamin K, copper, folate, potassium, and manganese. The lettuce also has a high water content and, well, we all need more water! Water is essential for just about every metabolic process in our bodies, including brain function and enzymatic activity.

Peeled, raw lemons are another great source of vitamin C. They also contain vitamin B6, iron, and potassium.

In a nutshell, all of these ingredients work synergistically to help us stay beautiful both on the outside and on the inside!

Nutrition Fact
(assuming you leave apple skins on)

Calories: 166
Fat: 0.6g
Carbs: 44.4g
Protein: 1.3g
Fiber: 8.3g

Pretty great!
Of course, almost all smoothies are considered to maintain good looks and great health, since the majority of fruits and/or vegetables used in smoothies are blended raw and in their simplest form, but this particular smoothie brims with nutrients for only 166 calories! The high carbohydrate content makes this drink a good choice for breakfast, especially before a sweaty workout.

Cheers to delicious food that keeps us looking and feeling our best!