Parsley in a smoothie at first sight made me shiver- that couldn’t be good, right? Its not good…its great! I’m shocked and excited to say that the first smoothie I’ve made from Victoria Boutenko’s green smoothie bible Green For Life  is astonishingly good.  Not too sweet, not too herbal, but yet sweet, tart and herbal, this is a smoothie perfect for a brunch or mid-afternoon snack.  And, its dymanically packed with nutrients you won’t find almost anywhere else.

Who knew parsley was a nutritional powerhouse? Full of antioxidants, essential volatile oils that may regulate blood sugar, flavanoids, and even iron, this is a wonder of an herb.  Also, according to Nutrition & You:

• The herb contains no cholesterol; however, it is rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber, which help control blood-cholesterol, prevents constipation, protects the human body from free radicals mediated injury and from cancers.

• The herb is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. 100 g fresh herb provides 554 mg or 12% of daily-required levels of potassium. Potassium is the chief component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure by countering the effects of sodium. Iron is essential for the production of heme, which is an important oxygen-carrying component inside the red blood cells. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.

• Additionally, the herb is also rich in many antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin-A, beta-carotene,vitamin-C, vitamin-E, zea-xanthin, lutein, and cryptoxanthin. The herb is an excellent source of vitamin-K and folates. Zea-xanthin helps prevent age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) in the retina of the eye in the old age population through its anti-oxidant and ultra-violet light filtering functions.

• It is perhaps the richest of the entire herb source for vitamin K; provide 1640 µg or 1366% of recommended daily intake. Vitamin K has been found to have the potential role in bone health by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bones. It has also established role in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the brain.

That’s pretty major for a table and dish decoration!   To make it even better, the addition of mangos packed with vitamin C and a hefty dose of vitamin A really turn a simple smoothie into a nutrient flood for your cells that is much better than your average multivitamin!

I used frozen mango today and do it sometimes because its less of a mess and it is still nutritious; the result is awesome.  It is off-the-charts when made with fresh mango, if you have the patients to peel and chop juicy and ripe ones!

Mango Parsley Brunch Smoothie (from Victoria Boutenko’s  Green For Life) 

• 1 big punch of parsley, rinsed and de-stemmed ( I take off thre very hard stems as the stems never blend well. you can throw them in veggie stock)
• 2-3 big peeled mangoes or 1-2 cups of frozen cubed mango.  (you can add less, blend and toss more in to taste, depending on how sweet yours are!)
• and one to two cups room temperature, pure water

Blend up in a high speed blender, or a stury enough blender to liquefy the parsley (its not too hard to do in astandard blender) and add extra water to get it to a smoothie consistency.  Note: if you use fresh mango, add a few cubes of ice with your water to create a refreshing smoothie!

Enjoy! xxoo Dana