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Blueberry Chia Creamsicle Smoothie

The one thing I strive to do is make my voice heard with my purchases by supporting local companies; by supporting fair-trade; by supporting companies that believe in using sustainable practices; and supporting companies that align with my beliefs. This isn’t always an easy task. Lots of research, and patience is required on my part, but to me it is worth the time for my health, my families health and the health of the workers and, of course the environment.

One company that I feel deserves some “green” attention is PRANA. They are a local company based in Montreal, Quebec that offers organic, nuts, dried fruit, and super-foods. Of course, the majority of their products are not local to Montreal, but the company takes pride in knowing their suppliers support organic agriculture practices. Prana strongly believes by “choosing to buy organic, you are helping to preserve biodiversity by respecting Mother Nature and encouraging everyone to make a difference in their home, their community and on a global level as well.”

How could you not love this company? One of my favorite things about PRANA is they offer their customers to purchase in bulk, which means less packaging and cheaper prices. I have been a PRANA customer since the beginning of June, and couldn’t be happier with their products and customer service. They have the plumpest dates, and crunchiest nuts. And oh- their dried pineapple is so sweet, and tastes like candy.

However, if you are not interested in buying 30 lbs of dates like I did, they do offer smaller bags in grocery stores, restaurants and online. They have different sizes to meet your needs. I choose to buy in bulk to try and reduce my plastic bag impact as much as possible, and we tend to eat lots of nuts and dried fruit that this is a great way for us to save some money.

On my last visit to the PRANA head office they offered me a few samples of their products that I had not yet tried- dried mango, lumuca powder, and chia seeds. I was especially excited about the lumuca powder because I had read so many great things about this sweet super-food. I used the lucuma powder in different smoothies, and various recipes that called for some added sweetness. The chia seeds were a great addition to my morning smoothie, as well as for making some chia pudding. I personally am not a mango fan, but decided to give it a go. I am still not a mango fan even after munching on the dried mango, but little E loved it almost as much as the dried pineapple. I can’t express in words how tasty their dried pineapple is.

With all that PRANA stands for, and how they conduct their business, they are most definitely changing the face of organic food- one nut and date at a time.

I highlighted their lumuca powder and chia seeds in this delicious smoothie. Why not give it a spin in your blender?

Blueberry Chia Creamsicle Smoothie

Yields: 1 pint

Ingredients

2 cups of frozen blueberries
1/2 cup of cashews, soaked 2-4 hours (optional)
1 cup of water or coconut milk, for a creamier taste
1 Tbsp of chia seed
1 Tbsp of lumuca powder
1 tsp of vanilla flavor
pinch of salt

Method

Place the chia seeds in your high powered blender and blend into a meal.
Add the cashews, lumuca powder and water to the chia meal and puree until smooth.
Add the frozen blueberries, vanilla extract and pinch of salt to the cashew mixture.
Blend all the ingredients until creamy.

Enjoy this creamy and rich drink when you want a little sweet treat.

For other healthy treats, check out:

There are affiliate links in this post. Any purchases made will put a few pennies in my pocket and support the continued content in this blog. Thank you!

Would you like to give their dried pineapple and lumuca powder a try? All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Open to Canadian residents only. Please read the terms and conditions below. Good luck.

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Reply Charise @ I Thought I Knew Mama says:

September 27, 2012 at 1:32 pm

My favorite nut is almond!

September 27, 2012 at 1:33 pm

Oops – I just realized this is for Canadian residents only. Sorry, Stephanie!

Reply Dani says:

September 27, 2012 at 1:45 pm

I would have to say my favorite nuts are almonds as well! I love the versatility of it- I have made my own almond milk, used almond meal in salad dressings or dehydrated it as a replacement for flour in baking! (Although a close second is cashews for all the amazing things you can do with it in the faux-cheese department)

Reply katherine d says:

September 27, 2012 at 2:58 pm

almonds!

Reply Colleen says:

September 27, 2012 at 3:00 pm

I love Cashews!

Reply kris johnston says:

September 27, 2012 at 5:03 pm

I love almonds…

Reply Kathy says:

September 27, 2012 at 11:01 pm

I’ve tried a lot of their products this year, they are great and they have packages that are a few pounds, more economical than the small bags in the stores. Shipping is easy and fast. Love the dried mango!