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Drinks

Beet Cocoa Smoothie with Spinach and Pomegranate

One cooked beet, a handful of baby spinach, 100% pomegranate juice and natural cocoa, blended with a frozen banana. Two glasses, five minutes, no added sugar.

By Wes Hadley · · Updated

On the line, the drinks we made for ourselves were whatever we could build in the time it took a ticket to print. This one comes from that habit. It makes exactly two glasses, it takes five minutes if the beet is already cooked, and the only cleanup is one blender jar.

It tastes like a thick chocolate drink with an earthy edge. The banana does most of the work of covering the beet, and the pomegranate juice keeps it from tasting flat. My partner, who does not like beets, drinks the whole glass.

I picked these four foods on purpose. Beets, leafy greens like spinach, pomegranate and cocoa have each been studied in human trials for how they support healthy blood flow. That is the reason they are in the same glass. I am a cook, not a researcher, so I wrote up what those trials actually found, and how one home glass compares to the doses they used, on a separate page: beets and cocoa, claims checked.

Labeled diagram of the four foods for two glasses: a cooked beet, a handful of baby spinach, a glass of pomegranate juice and a spoonful of natural cocoa powder.
Four foods from the grocery store. No protein powder, no syrup.

What you need

How to make it

  1. Pour the pomegranate juice and the cold water into the blender jar first.
  2. Add the cooked beet, cut in quarters, and the rinsed baby spinach.
  3. Add the cocoa powder and the frozen banana pieces.
  4. Blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds, until no flecks of spinach are left.
  5. Add the ice, pulse a few times, and pour into two glasses right away.

Cook’s notes

Natural cocoa, not Dutch-processed

Read the ingredient line on the tin. Natural cocoa lists only cocoa. Dutch-processed cocoa says "processed with alkali" or "alkalized," and it is usually darker and milder. The alkali step strips out much of what the studies looked at, so for this glass, buy the plain one.

Cook the beets ahead

I roast or steam a few small beets on Sunday, peel them, and keep them in a covered container in the fridge for the week. That is what makes this a five-minute drink. I go through the prep in more detail in building the smoothie.

Swaps

Arugula works in place of spinach. It gives the glass a peppery edge that I like with the cocoa, but start with one handful if you are not sure.

Drink it soon

The banana and cocoa keep thickening as it sits. After 20 minutes it is closer to pudding. If you have to hold it, stir in a splash of cold water before you drink it.

Questions

Can I use a raw beet?

You can, but grate it first, use half, and expect a stronger, earthier taste and a grittier texture. Most home blenders do better with a cooked beet.

Can I skip the banana?

Yes. Use half a cup of frozen mango or a quarter of an avocado for body. Without the banana the beet comes forward more, so add a little more pomegranate juice if you want it sweeter.

Why is my urine pink afterward?

That is beeturia, and it is harmless. Beet pigment passes through some people and colors urine or stool pink or red for a day or so.

Is this a health drink?

The honest answer: it is a drink made of four foods that have been studied for how they support healthy blood flow, usually at bigger doses than one glass. It is not a treatment for anything. The details of what the trials found are on the claims page, and the broader background is in food and blood flow. If you take blood pressure or heart medicine, ask your doctor before making it a daily habit.

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