So I’m starting a new feature on the blog and instagram today, YA Treats. You can follow my instagram (@melliesimps) or the YA Treats instagram (@yatreats) that I just made as well as the tags, #YATreats and #TheYAVegan to keep track of all of this on Insta.

YA Treats is a feature in which I mash up diverse young adult (YA) books and healthy, vegan treats. Book recommendations are welcome; keep in mind recs must be of diverse YA titles (fiction or nonfiction).

First up…

The THUG Smoothie!

I am currently reading the young adult contemporary novel, The Hate U Give by #1 NYT Bestselling Debut Author, Angie Thomas (Add it to Goodreads). The novel is also known as THUG so THUG Smoothie seems fitting for the name of the smoothie. THUG released on February 28, 2017 from by Balzer + Bray and it has been sitting comfortably on the NYT Bestsellers List every week since. Congrats, Angie! What a way to debut!

Book Synopsis

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does or does not say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

For more information on Angie Thomas, visit her official website.

The Smoothie

Pinterest led me to a red smoothie recipe over at the blog, Tia’s Kitchen. The recipe calls for 1 cup of beets, 2 large carrots (chopped), 1 inch of ginger (I didn’t use that much, ginger is strong), 1½ cups of strawberries (I used frozen strawberries), 1 tbs of chia seeds, 1 red apple (cored & chopped), and 1½ cups of water (I always use cold water). I blended the smoothie, poured some of the smoothie in a mason jar, poured in a container of dairy free yogurt (I use Silk and So Delicious brands which I can find at my local Shop Rite, Acme, and Whole Foods stores), swirled that around, added more of the smoothie, and topped the smoothie off with fresh strawberries, blackberries, and a few raspberries.

This was the second time that I made a smoothie with beets and this time was significantly better due to the addition of the yogurt, which I think offsets the beets perfectly. I’m definitely making this again.

So, that’s it! If you decide to make this smoothie and/or read this book, be sure to let me know what you think!

What would you like to see featured on YA Treats?