Ask A Boston Chef: Best Healthy Smoothie Recipe

Legal Seafoods is one of Boston's well-known and beloved restaurants. What was originally a small seafood spot for locals has become a chain of high quality restaurants spanning the east coast. Fish is one of the healthiest and most sustainable protein options on the market. Legal Seafoods' executive chef has also been working to further this mission of health and sustainability within all of their restaurant locations. Rich Vellante, executive chef for all Legal Sea Foods brands, is extremely health conscious and fit, which is why he makes smoothies daily. He consistently runs marathons and has made a real effort to put more health-conscious items on the menus at Legal Seafoods locations across the board.

Legal Seafoods is a Boston legend, but most people don't know the people behind this iconic brand. Rich Vallante joined the Legal Seafoods team as their executive chef in 1998 and has continued to bring the restaurant chain to new levels of quality, sustainability and innovation in their dishes. Vallante has earned many awards in his field, but is also a multidisciplinary talent - he graduated from a liberal arts college before attending culinary school and also completed an executive education program at Harvard Business School - so he knows his stuff. Plus, he is very into his health, which is why he is sharing his favorite healthy smoothie recipes today.

Green juices and smoothies are all the rage right now, and for good reason. They are a great way to deliciously increase your intake of fruits and veggies and are easy to take on the go, or to freeze and drink later. Smoothies are a great breakfast or mid-afternoon snack because they provide some natural sugars and also some slow releasing proteins that help give you an immediate energy boost that can be sustained for the rest of the day. Rich shares two of his favorite smoothie recipes.

Ingredients:

• 2 apples
• 1 knob of ginger
• 1 whole organic lemon
• 2 cups kale

Directions:

• Chop apples and ginger knob
• Put apples, ginger, and kale into blender
• Squeeze juice from the lemon into the blender
• Blend until smooth
• Serve, and enjoy immediately

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen blackberries
• 1/2 cup tart cherry or pomegranate juice
• 1 tsp. ground flaxseed
• 1 scoop whey protein
• 1 cup of almond milk
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tsp. honey or agave
• 6 cubes of ice

Directions

• Blend until smooth
• Serve, and enjoy immediately

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