Smoothies by season

Spring smoothies

Spring is the hardest season for Danish produce. In March and April there is hardly any Danish fruit, but rhubarb arrives in April, and spinach, cucumber and parsley in April and May. Stored Danish carrots are available all spring.

The recipes are our own. They are written for Probiotikaguiden and not copied from other sites.

The green smoothie is not for children under 3, because leafy greens and herbs contain a lot of nitrate.

Drink the smoothie straight away, or keep it in the fridge at no more than 5 degrees and drink it within a couple of days. That is the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's advice.

Watercolour drawing of three glasses of smoothie in pink, green and orange next to rhubarb stalks, a cucumber and carrots, while small, round bacteria peek over the rims of the glasses.

Everyday recipe

Rhubarb & vanilla with skyr

A tangy, pink smoothie with cooked rhubarb, skyr and oats. The compote can be made the day before.

Our own recipe, written for Probiotikaguiden. Not copied from other sites.

Preparation: 20 min
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2 glasses

About the ingredients

Danish rhubarb is in season from April to July
Skyr is soured milk, fermented with lactic acid bacteria
Oats contain beta-glucans, a type of dietary fibre

Ingredients

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250 g Rhubarb stalks (in 2 cm pieces)
2 tbsp Sugar
50 ml Water
200 g Plain skyr
30 g Rolled oats
1 tsp Vanilla sugar
100 ml Cold water or milk

Method

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Cook the rhubarb
Rinse the rhubarb stalks and cut them into pieces. Simmer the rhubarb, sugar and water with a lid on for 5 to 8 minutes, until the rhubarb is completely soft. Let the compote cool, then put it in the fridge.
Tip: Use only the stalks, never the leaves or flowers, and cook them. The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration advises against the leaves and flowers and reports poisonings in children who ate large amounts of raw stalks.
Blend
Blend the cold compote with the skyr, oats, vanilla sugar and water or milk until smooth.

Everyday recipe

Green smoothie with cucumber, spinach & kefir

A fresh, green smoothie with Danish cucumber, spinach and parsley from April and May.

Our own recipe, written for Probiotikaguiden. Not copied from other sites.

Preparation: 5 min
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2 glasses

About the ingredients

Danish spinach and parsley are in season from April, cucumber from March
Kefir is milk fermented with a mix of lactic acid bacteria and yeast
Oats contain beta-glucans, a type of dietary fibre

Ingredients

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0.5 Cucumber (roughly chopped)
40 g Fresh spinach (rinsed)
1 handful Parsley
300 ml Kefir
30 g Rolled oats
1 tbsp Lemon juice

Method

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Rinse the vegetables
Rinse the cucumber, spinach and parsley well, and cut the cucumber into rough pieces.
Blend
Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. If it is too thick, add a little water.
Tip: Not for children under 3, because leafy greens and herbs contain a lot of nitrate.

Everyday recipe

Carrot & ginger with kefir

An orange smoothie with stored Danish carrots, fresh ginger and cinnamon.

Our own recipe, written for Probiotikaguiden. Not copied from other sites.

Preparation: 10 min
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2 glasses

About the ingredients

Stored Danish carrots are available all spring
Kefir is milk fermented with a mix of lactic acid bacteria and yeast
Oats contain beta-glucans, a type of dietary fibre

Ingredients

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200 g Carrots (finely grated)
10 g Fresh ginger (finely grated)
300 ml Kefir
30 g Rolled oats
0.5 tsp Ceylon cinnamon (true cinnamon)

Method

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Grate the carrots
Rinse and peel the carrots and ginger, and grate them finely. That way the smoothie turns out smooth, even in an ordinary blender.
Blend
Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. If it is too thick, add a little water.
Tip: If the smoothie is for children under 3, use true (Ceylon) cinnamon. Of ordinary (cassia) cinnamon they should have no more than 0.3 g a day. That is the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's advice.

Lactic acid bacteria in the smoothie

All the smoothies here are made with kefir, skyr or yoghurt, which are fermented with lactic acid bacteria. Use products from the chilled section. Some fermented dairy products sold unchilled are heat-treated.

Lactic acid bacteria do not survive high heat. So let boiled berries, rhubarb compote and roasted squash cool completely in the fridge before you blend them with kefir, skyr or yoghurt.

If you already take a lactic acid bacteria supplement as a powder, you can stir your daily dose into your own glass once the smoothie is poured, and drink it straight away. Follow the instructions on the pack, and do not put it in the whole jug if you are sharing the smoothie. Some powders say that pregnant and breastfeeding women and children should only use them after talking to a doctor or health visitor.

Whether the bacteria do better in a smoothie than in a glass of water has not been studied. Read what the research says about timing and food in the article When and for how long should you take probiotics?.