Rich, creamy and sustaining, this is almost a meal in itself! Avocados are often misconstrued as being high in harmful fats and a food to avoid, but they are brimming with beneficial nutrients and the fat they contain is monounsaturated, which is believed to speed up the metabolic rate.
300 ml/1¼ cups almond milk (see page 22), or milk of choice
3 handfuls of spinach, tough stalks discarded, shredded
1 small avocado, peeled, stoned and chopped
6 ready-to-eat dried dates, halved
2 teaspoons tahini paste
1–2 teaspoons barleygrass (see page 14)
SERVES 2
Put the almond milk, spinach, avocado, dates, tahini and barleygrass in a blender with 75 ml/scant ⅓ cup pure or filtered water and blend until smooth. Add more water if too thick.
almonds In addition to B vitamins, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and potassium, almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the type that has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease. B vitamins play an important role in energy production and may help prevent memory loss in later life.