Hello, everybody! This week, I’ve been experimenting with cactus smoothies. Though it may sound strange, the nopal cactus is a very nutritious and healthy veggie. In fact, it’s also a very powerful weight loss aid. Curious? Keep reading!
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I had been meaning to try a nopal cactus smoothie because I’ve heard that it’s really healthy and helps with weight loss. However, I confess the thought of drinking raw cactus was a bit of a turn off. I’m sure you understand!
Surprisingly, it turns out that a nopal cactus smoothie has a refresing, zesty flavor. It’s also full of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins, so it’s a healthy and nutritious power drink. And yes, it helps you lose weight too.

Nopal cactus for weight loss
The nopal cactus is a plant native to Mexico. I admit it looks intimidating, but it’s a common ingredient in Mexican food. And it’s also a superfood.
The nopal cactus contains large amounts of fiber, so it will keep you full for hours and you won’t feel like snacking all the time. It also helps maintain your glucose levels, which means it will keep those sugar cravings at bay.

The nopal cactus has other amazing properties- it boosts the immune system, gets rid of excess water and bloating, and helps lower your cholesterol levels, and it’s low-cal! Amazing, right?
In Mexico, people eat nopal cactus cooked or roasted, in salads and stews, but cactus smoothies are also popular. I played around with several recipes until I came up with one that I really liked.
Powerful Cactus Smoothie That Will Make You Healthier
Ingredients
- 1 cup of diced, clean and tender nopal cactus
- 1 cup of diced pineapple
- 3/4 cup of coconut water or almond milk
- 1/4 cup of greek or plain yogurt
Directions
Throw everything in the blender, but make sure to put the cactus in first, and blend for at least a minute. It’s even better if you have a Nutribullet. Serve and drink immediately.
Results
This smoothie tastes great, it’s very refreshing. The taste of the nopal cactus and pineapple make the perfect combination.
I used the yogurt as a source of protein for this smoothie so I could have it for breakfast or lunch. The nopal cactus and pineapple are so rich in fiber that you won’t feel hungry for hours. It also helped me reduce my belly bloat. This is a super powerful healthy drink!
When you drink this smoothie, you will feel a little bit of the nopal cactus fiber in it. Many people find this uncomfortable, so you can run it through a sieve. You shouldn’t do that if you want to get the full benefits of the drink, but you can do it anyway if you prefer. I’ve had this smoothie with and without the fibers, and I still felt full and energized for hours, so it seems I did get the full benefits after all.
Reblogged this on My Heart of Mexico and commented:
I love smoothies, and I absolutely love nopal cactus. It’s my favorite veggie! I would like to share this very healthy and Mexican recipe with you. Would you like to try it?
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I would love to try this smoothie and without sieving.
Thanks for sharing it- the combination of cactus and pineapple seems intriguing.
Susie
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I think you would love it 🙂 Do you have a favorite smoothie combination?
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I love anything with avocado in it and perhaps almond milk- I think I am more of a juice person, though.
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I’m definitely a smoothie person. I love a smoothie with spinach, avocado, almond milk, and banana. It’s delicious!
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Whoa! Sounds interesting. I think you had me at “can help you lose weight.” I think if I could get someone to make it for me then I will try it.
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The trick is to find the nopal cactus. It’s rare outside of Mexico, but you can find it at major cities. If you find it, you don’t need anyone to make it for you. When you buy nopal cactus, it no longer has any thorns.
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I’ve never heard of this. Definitely wanna try it
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The hard part is finding the nopal cactus. Unfortunately, it’s rare outside of Mexico, but I believe you would be able to find it at most major cities. I hope you do get to try it!
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Cactus smoothie sounds different and yum! I am seriously gonna try this ..:)
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I hope you do 🙂 You’ll love it
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I am going to try this Fabi! I have a lot of cacti at home and the first thing I thought of when I saw the post title was of the splinters on the cactus going down my throat! 🙂 Thank you for sharing the recipe. Another thing learned today. Will let you know how it tastes. xoxo
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Just remember it doesn’t work with just any cactus. Make sure you find NOPAL cactus. It’s a little rare outside of Mexico, but I’m pretty sure you can find it at major cities.
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hahahahahaha Fabi! Imagine I just take all the cacti I have at home and throw them all in the blender and drink 🙂 then you would see my story on the news. Happy Sunday
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lol 😀
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Thanks for following my blog! I’m so curious to try nopal! Gotta make this smoothie with some cultured coconut milk in place of the yogurt 😉
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I’ve tried it with coconut milk and it’s amazing 🙂
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This smoothie sounds delicious! I also had no idea that it was possible to eat cacti, so I learned something new.
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yay! Just remember only the nopal cactus is edible. It’s widely available in Mexico. I wonder there was any at the markets in Yucatan.
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Good to know! It was probably in the Yucatan, but I never took the time to notice. There were so many interesting and exotic fruits and veggies at the markets there. I will be sure to check next time I find myself in the region!
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This sounds so interesting, I really want to give it a try. But I don’t know if I can find that type of cactus here in the Norwegian stores. Any other types that might work?
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That’s a good question. The nopal cactus, the kind I show in this post, is the only cactus that has edible pads, but I don’t know where you can get it in Europe. Unfortunately, this kind of Mexican vegetable is still very unknown outside of Mexico. You should come to Mexico one day and try it 🙂
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