By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the Wild Blueberry Association of North America and I am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

This cold-fighting wild blueberry smoothie is packed with immune-boosting ingredients!

Fend off those nasty winter colds with this immune-boosting wild blueberry smoothie made with fresh ginger, green tea matcha powder, cinnamon, wild blueberries, and a frozen banana.

I like to give my smoothies a protein bump with vanilla protein powder, but feel free to omit the powder and use some local honey instead for an added sweetness.

Immune-boosting smoothie ingredients

Blueberries:

While we normally think of oranges or other citrus fruits when talking about vitamin C, blueberries are also a great source with about 20% of your daily vitamin C needs in 1 cup.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps fight infection by stimulating the production of antibodies, which are your body’s main defense against illnesses.

I’m sure most of you are familiar with blueberries (hello blueberry pancakes and blueberry muffins), but did you know there are two types of blueberries you can buy? There is are standard cultivated blueberries and then there are Wild Blueberries.

Here’s why you’ll love blueberries:

• Individually quick-frozen after being picked. This locks in all their nutritional benefits.
• Tart yet sweet.
• More genetically diverse than cultivated blueberries = more intense flavor.
• Twice the antioxidant capacity of larger, cultivated blueberries.

This last pint is key as antioxidants are important not just for immune health but also for boosting brain and gut health and prevent diabetes and some forms of cancer.

Ginger:

Ginger honestly deserves a post all to itself in order to cover all of its health benefits, but today we’re just going to focus on its role in helping fight off illnesses.

The main bioactive compound in ginger is called gingerol. This is what gives ginger its distinctive taste and smell as well as is responsible for many of ginger’s health benefits:

• Stops the growth of bacteria, which lowers your risk of infection.
• Soothes upset stomach (especially helpful if you have post-nasal drip!)

Matcha Powder:

Matcha is a powdered, high quality type of green tea that is grown a little differently than regular green tea resulting in higher levels of antioxidants and caffeine.

It’s also been found to be more effective than regular green tea when it comes to inhibiting growth of bacteria and viruses.

Cinnamon:

In addition to also being an antioxidant-powerhouse, cinnamon’s main active component called cinnamaldehyde has been shown to help fight viral infections and inhibit growth of certain bacteria.

Additionally cinnamon oil specifically may help treat respiratory tract infections caused by fungi.

Bananas:

In order to keep your immune system running at full strength, it needs an adequate amount of protein, essential fatty acids, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.

Five of these vitamins and minerals – vitamin B-6, copper, vitamin C, and folate are found in bananas.

Plus, frozen bananas are the key to deliciously creamy smoothies 😉

Protein:

Not just for muscle building, protein is essential for immune system health as antibodies are made of protein.  

Phew, that’s a lot of nutrition-talk! But I’m always in awe at the power of food in keeping our bodies healthy and in cold-fighting shape.

So here’s a toast to a delicious way to stay healthy this winter!

Print Recipe

Cold-Busting Wild Blueberry Smoothie

Fend off those nasty winter colds with this immune-boosting wild blueberry smoothie made with fresh ginger, green tea matcha powder, cinnamon, wild blueberries, and a frozen banana.

Total Time5 mins

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Blueberries, Healthy, Smoothie

Servings: 2

Author: The Healthy Toast

Ingredients

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup wild frozen blueberries
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1.5 tsp matcha powder culinary grade
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• Optional: 2 tsp local honey I highly recommend if you don’t end up using protein powder

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in blender and blend on high until smooth. Taste and adjust ingredients as desired. Pour into two glasses and drink up!