Is this recipe vegan?

Yes it is, as no dairy or even milk alternatives are used. Orange juice is the liquid to allow everything to blend and a date is used as a natural sweetener.

Do I need a high-powered blender?

In order for the spinach to fully blend into the smoothie, I find a high-powered blender fairly necessary. You can always try blending the spinach into the juice before adding the other ingredients to see if that works for you in a regular blender.

What are other iron-rich foods?

Animal foods generally have the most iron and are the best absorbed. That said, there are lots of plant foods that also have high iron content. Legumes, some nuts and seeds, and leafy greens can all help improve your iron intake. Just be sure to also consume vitamin C-rich foods like citrus or red bell peppers to help with the absorption of iron.

How much iron does this smoothie have?

As written, it has about 4 grams of non-heme iron from plant sources. To make it even richer in iron, consider adding a beef-based protein powder or frozen beef liver chunks.

Iron Rich Smoothie for Anemia (Plant-Based)

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup orange juice
1 ripe kiwi, cut in half (peeled or unpeeled)
1 frozen banana, broken into chunks
1 pitted date or prune
2 handfuls baby spinach
2 tablespoons unsalted raw pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons cacao powder or cocoa powder
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses

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Instructions

In the base of a high-speed blender, combine the orange juice, kiwi, banana, date, spinach, pumpkin seeds, cocoa powder, and molasses.
Lock on the lid and blend for 30-45 seconds, or until the mixture is fully combined and creamy.
Serve immediately.

Notes

If you want a thicker smoothie, feel free to add a handful of ice cubes before blending.
If you want to increase the protein content of this smoothie, feel free to add 1-2 scoops of your favorite unsweetened protein powder. I recommend using a beef protein powder or cricket protein powder to add even more heme (bioavailable) iron to this smoothie.
This recipe can easily be doubled if you want more servings.

Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Smoothie
Method: Blender
Cuisine: Healthy
Diet: Vegan

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
Calories: 293
Sugar: 44 g
Sodium: 35.8 mg
Fat: 6.2 g
Saturated Fat: 1.4 g
Carbohydrates: 60.6 g
Fiber: 6.5 g
Protein: 6.9 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg