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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2013
There is very little about this superfood book that isn't super. I've never felt compelled to rate a cookbook before, but I just had to rave about this one. Full disclosure - I am a Paleo Diet eater and own a lot of cookbooks. I love smoothies, and have gagged down some less-than-yummy stuff because it was good for me. However, my family does not have the same sentiments as I do, so it can be a challenge to get the healthy stuff in them. I was hoping that Superfood Smoothies would be a good solution. The appeal of superfoods is that they are foods that concentrate a large amount of nutrition into a small amount of ingredient. Therefore, I theorized, they were not likely to be noticed and get the "Ewww - what's in this?" response I have gotten previously from trying to sneak kale, spinach, etc. in to my concoctions. As I'd hoped, this book has done exactly that, by having recipes that taste extremely naughty but are nutritionally very nice. They are the first "healthy" smoothies that everyone in my family will accept. They really taste more like something you would get at an ice cream parlor. A great example is the cookie dough smoothie recipe. I was a huge skeptic when I saw the list of ingredients: pecans, chopped pear and maca superfood powder, for starters. How was any of this going to taste even remotely like cookie dough? Amazingly, when I made this recipe, that is exactly what it tasted like, though I still can't figure out how. Ms. Morris seems gifted in the art of smoothie alchemy; combining superfoods with fruit, veggies, and nuts to produce a great-tasting smoothie. She has the book divided into sections in order to please lovers of fruity smoothies, creamy smoothies, hidden veggie smoothies, and even extra-super superfood smoothies that combine multiple superfoods. Also, most of the recipes contain an option for an additional "superfood boost" in the sidebar, which allows you to choose the "budget-friendly version" of the recipe, or bump it up with added superfood(s) if you decide to. Ms. Morris also has a great section describing the various superfoods and their nutritional properties, who makes them and where to get them, and how to substitute (or in some cases if it is okay to leave out) a certain superfood if you don't want to buy it, or don't have it on hand. The book is also beautifully photographed.
Any criticisms I have of the book are minor, and can easily be overcome. The first is that when I use the amount of ice that Ms. Morris recommends, the smoothies come out much thinner than I like them. I generally cut the amount of ice she recommends in half, and I get a very thick smoothie. The second is that she has a "hidden veggie" section, which includes recipes for smoothies that contain ingredients like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. I tried one of the broccoli recipes, and while I was able to finish it, I would definitely not offer that one to my family. I must add that it was the only recipe in the book that I have tried that was not totally delectable, although still quite palatable. Probably my biggest problem with the book is that the recipes are just so good, I want to make them every day, especially the Chai smoothie - YUMMMM! However, as I mentioned, though a little goes as long way with superfoods, using them every day could still get expensive, especially if you are on a tight budget. Also, the recipes do not have a nutritional breakdown, for those concerned about fats and sugars. In fact, the recipes use quite a bit of natural sweeteners like dates and coconut water, which although not refined, are sugars nonetheless. To mitigate the sugar levels, I use unsweetened coconut and almond milks, and have started using liquid stevia in place of the dates. I suppose you could also reduce sugars by using plain water in place of the coconut water, although there would be a minor difference in nutrition and flavor. My overall approach to the small drawbacks I mentioned is to consider these a non-everyday treat that is free from refined sugar and highly nutritious, and a great way to painlessly sneak concentrated nutrition into my kids. That having been said, I think the contents of this book are a super-win for everyone.
Any criticisms I have of the book are minor, and can easily be overcome. The first is that when I use the amount of ice that Ms. Morris recommends, the smoothies come out much thinner than I like them. I generally cut the amount of ice she recommends in half, and I get a very thick smoothie. The second is that she has a "hidden veggie" section, which includes recipes for smoothies that contain ingredients like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. I tried one of the broccoli recipes, and while I was able to finish it, I would definitely not offer that one to my family. I must add that it was the only recipe in the book that I have tried that was not totally delectable, although still quite palatable. Probably my biggest problem with the book is that the recipes are just so good, I want to make them every day, especially the Chai smoothie - YUMMMM! However, as I mentioned, though a little goes as long way with superfoods, using them every day could still get expensive, especially if you are on a tight budget. Also, the recipes do not have a nutritional breakdown, for those concerned about fats and sugars. In fact, the recipes use quite a bit of natural sweeteners like dates and coconut water, which although not refined, are sugars nonetheless. To mitigate the sugar levels, I use unsweetened coconut and almond milks, and have started using liquid stevia in place of the dates. I suppose you could also reduce sugars by using plain water in place of the coconut water, although there would be a minor difference in nutrition and flavor. My overall approach to the small drawbacks I mentioned is to consider these a non-everyday treat that is free from refined sugar and highly nutritious, and a great way to painlessly sneak concentrated nutrition into my kids. That having been said, I think the contents of this book are a super-win for everyone.
