Oh Snap!

Here's another one.  This smoothie tastes exactly like a ginger snap!  Where my Carrot Cake-, and Snickerdoodle Smoothies have tastes reminiscent of those popular sweets, this one is an exact match, while still providing a nutritional punch.  Seriously -- no hyperbole.  When I talk about a ginger snap, I mean the kind with the spicy, natural ginger and the deep malty base from molasses.  The kind of cookie that leaves a little warmth on your tongue after you've swallowed it.  That's what this smoothie delivers.

I normally eschew sugar in all its forms, but a little organic molasses is key to achieving the right flavor here.  It's important to remember that molasses has a much lower glycemic load than other sugars, and studies have shown that its sugars are delivered more slowly through digestion.  Also keep in mind that the whole raw vegetables, and addition of MCT oil and other healthy fats in this recipe further slow the delivery of sugars.  Obviously individual health concerns such as diabetes or cancer warrant consultation with a doctor before adding sugar of any kind, if you avoid it for health reasons.  I also won't vouch for the ketogenic effect of this smoothie, since I'm not a doctor, so measure your ketones if you track that sort of thing, but the benefits of a tablespoon of molasses may outweigh some of the detriments.  In addition to the better glycemic delivery of molasses, it provides many crucial nutrients such as potassium, copper, B vitamins (particularly B6), selenium, magnesium, calcium and iron.  Many spoonies suffer from anemia in addition to their other chronic illnesses.  Some of us don't adequately absorb B vitamins and iron, which are crucial for building red blood cells.  Molasses may help with that.  As you Wahls Warriors already know, nutrients from whole, organic foods are assimilated much more efficiently than from supplements.  This is now, officially, my favorite smoothie of all time!  Here's the recipe:

Ginger Snap Smoothie

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 granny smith apple
2 large carrots
1 Tbsp organic molasses
1 tsp MCT oil
1-2 Tbsp almond butter
black pepper 1 grind
cinnamon 1 shake
nutmeg 1 shake
dry ginger 1 shake
ice
2 cups water
Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix.
Makes about 3 cups, and counts as 2 Wahls' veggie portions.

As with all smoothies, the amounts of these ingredients are customizable.  You could use less of the fresh and dry gingers if you're not a rabid fan of the spice the way I am, but I do think that including both types of ginger, at least a little of each, is important for the depth of flavor.  With the sweetness of the carrots, I intuitively knew that this would be sweeter than my usual smoothies once I added the molasses.  It was exactly to my taste.  If you want a sweeter smoothie, the addition of one pitted date would be lovely.  I hope you enjoy this smoothie as much as I did!