Hidden Liver Smoothie
Wait what!? Beef liver wasn’t something that was even on my radar until about 6 months ago when I started to see it pop up all over my social media. After nursing my son for almost 2 years I was feeling super depleted and fatigued, so I figured I would give it a try. I had “heard” that beef liver was a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals so I went for it…now we all eat it, even my 2-year-old. This raw liver smoothie is so creamy and I promise you can’t even taste the raw beef liver.
Benefits of Beef Liver
Beef liver is not only a good source of protein but it is full of vitamins, especially ones that are hard to come by in our current standard American diet. It has been called nature’s multivitamin and it is highly concentrated in vitamin A, contains all of the B vitamins, and is especially high in folate. It is high in easily absorbable iron and it contains the trace elements copper, zinc, and chromium and is a source of CoQ10. It has been prized by many for its ability to combat fatigue. Just to pinpoint one of its nutrients, folate, is needed before and during pregnancy to help ensure a healthy baby. It supports the development of the nervous system in the baby and forms red blood cells and deficiencies in folate during pregnancy have led to congenital neurological defects in babies.
Beef Liver for Pregnancy
Lily Nichols in her book Real Food for Pregnancy describes liver and all of its health benefits for pregnancy. She states that it is the only major dietary source of choline and the single richest source of iron. Low iron in pregnancy can lead to preeclampsia, hypothyroidism and preterm labor and in the baby is associated with impaired brain development and stunted growth. As mentioned above it is one of the highest food sources of folate which is needed for maintaining red blood cells and a healthy brain. It is rich in B12 and contains up to 200x more vitamin B12 than muscle meats. B12 is needed during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects and even miscarriage. It is also high in the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
How to Prepare Beef Liver
There are several different ways you can prepare beef liver but for this recipe, it is frozen. I buy beef liver, from a trusted source, thaw it, and then cut it into 1x1 inch pieces. I’ve found that kitchen shears work well for this. I then place each piece into a small piece of parchment paper and place it back into the freezer. I typically stack mine in a freezer bag. You freeze the liver for a minimum of 14 days because this ensures any pathogens are killed and it is safe to be consumed.
If you are still a little weary, that’s ok. Liver is not something that is consumed regularly anymore, at least not where I live, but if you are interested in adding more vitamins and minerals to your diet through food I would encourage you to do some research. The Westin A. Price foundation is a great resource and I will link others on social media.
Hidden Liver Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 heaping cup frozen organic mango chunks
- 1 organic banana
- 1/2 teaspoon bee pollen, if tolerated
- 1 inch chunk frozen grass-fed beef liver
- 1/4 cup grass-fed organic kefir
- 1/2 cup grass-fed raw milk
- 1/8 teaspoon organic cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth.
- Enjoy!
Notes
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics it is not recommended to feed babies solid foods before 6 months of age.
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