Start Your New Year Off Right with this Energizing Dairy Free Wild Blueberry Creamsicle Smoothie

I’m a believer in New Year’s resolutions. Although most of us are unable to stick to them long term, they can help you kick-start better eating and other healthy habits. Over the years, like many of you, I’ve learned to keep my proclamations a little more realistic and specific. Rather than saying, “I’m going to eat healthier every day,” I’ve written down  “add 5 new healthy foods to my regular weekly diet” and “swap my daily afternoon treat for a smoothie.” These new dietary goals should help me with my late afternoon workouts and that lull in energy I often feel later in the day. So as you make your resolutions for the New Year try being more detailed. You’ll find them more doable and easier to track.

In the spirit of meeting those goals, I’ve come up with an indulgent but energizing smoothie recipe that will help me stay the course. I recently tried a blend of Wild Blueberries with orange and the combination was magical. The zesty orange and deliciously sweet-tart Wild Blueberries made my beverage come alive without the need for a long list of ingredients. Because I like my smoothies a little rich and fulfilling, I went the creamsicle route with a touch of coconut cream and vanilla. Overall, it’s a nourishing and rewarding blend.

For the best-tasting and most nutritious results, be sure to use frozen Wild Blueberries and freshly squeezed (not from concentrate) orange juice. Frozen Wild Blueberries guarantee far more flavor than the blander conventional blueberries you find in the produce section and they have twice the antioxidants too! Wild Blueberries have so much going for them. They occur and spread naturally on a wild landscape called the Barrens; they are never planted and haven’t been modified by humans in any way. The Wild Blueberries we buy today are basically the same as the ones that existed 10,000 years ago! You can’t say that about many foods.

Wild Blueberries are flash frozen at harvest to lock in all of their goodness and they are available year round. I usually buy them in the freezer section at Trader Joe’s or I pick up the Wyman’s brand at stores like Smart & Final or Whole Foods.

Here’s my New Year’s dairy-free indulgent and energizing smoothie.