By Matt Sedlacek of PerfectSmoothie.com
April is National Garlic Month and National Soy Foods Month. To celebrate, we’ve created an amazingly delicious juice with both of these healthful ingredients.
Garlic has been studied extensively and shown to protect the heart and blood vessels by playing a role in blood pressure control and blood lipid balance. This is due to compounds within garlic that have strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress properties.
Soy has also been extensively studied, and the evidence is clear that diets that include moderate amounts of soy products may help prevent cancer. Research shows that replacing meat and dairy products with soy results in a significant increase in daily consumption of folate, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and iron, plus 4 extra grams of fiber per day. Soybeans also contain protein that is equal in quality to that of eggs or cow’s milk. This juice provides 4 whole servings of vegetables, one serving of protein, and half a serving of healthy fats. It is an excellent source of manganese, which helps support healthy skin and bones. It is also a great source of vitamin A, which can improve night vision and fosters a healthy immune system.
Copycat V8 Juice
Ingredients
2 oz soft tofu
1 tomato
1 carrot
½ cucumber
1 clove garlic
1 basil leaf
½ cup ice cubes
Directions
- Peel and chop the cucumber and carrot.
- Chop the tomato.
- Place tofu, tomato, and cucumber in your Blendtec.
- Smash and peel the garlic, place in blender.
- Add the carrot and basil. More basil may be added to taste.
- Add the ice cubes.
- Secure the lid and press the Smoothie button. If your Blendtec doesn't have a Smoothie button, blend on a Low speed for 10 seconds, then a Medium to Medium-Low speed for 10 seconds, then Medium to Medium-High speed for 40 seconds.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts: This recipe yields one 12 oz serving. Each serving contains 98 calories, 6 grams of protein, 15.9 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of healthy fats, and 3.2 grams of dietary fiber.
About the Author
Matt is the founder of PerfectSmoothie.com, one of the most popular web sites about learning how to make a smoothie, with over 2 million readers to date. PerfectSmoothie.com teaches that the most time- and cost-efficient ways to make smoothies and boasts a unique nutrition-focused methodology in their best smoothie blender ratings criteria.