Recipe: 3-Minute Banana-Berry Green Smoothie

Am I the only one who finds it harder to eat my leafy greens in the middle of winter? Cold weather just has me craving warm comfort foods!

This smoothie, however, makes it easy. It packs the healthy green taste of summer with the addition of berries, spinach, and avocado. The spinach contains loads of vitamin K and A, as well as iron, and the inflammation-fighting avocado… hello, healthy fats and potassium! It also helps give the smoothie its creamy texture. And as an added bonus: Ground flax boasts heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber!

I enjoy this smoothie for breakfast because it comes together quickly – and, if you’re anything like me, quick is key when you’re in a rush to get out the door in the morning. Enjoy!

Banana-Berry Green Smoothie

Makes 2 small or 1 large smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 ripe avocado

One small banana, frozen

One cup fresh or frozen blueberries and strawberries

Two handfuls fresh spinach

One cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 tbsp ground flax (optional)

Directions

Add all ingredients into a blender, and blend on high until smooth. Pour into your favorite glass, and enjoy!

What’s your favorite smoothie to make?

How To Make The Healthy Breakfast Smoothie Bowl Of Your Dreams

When you discover a good thing, it can be hard not to dive in headfirst! Tell everyone you know, and eat, eat, eat. I fell into this trap when I discovered an irresistible smoothie bowl. You may have seen them on your Instagram feeds in all their fruity, colorful glory.

The obvious hurdle is that buying smoothie bowls regularly isn’t sustainable, especially if you’re tight on time, money, or calories. So, what do you do? Find a way to mimic the goodness!

Smoothie Bowl Steps

Make your base.

Smoothie bowls are very similar to smoothies, they’re just consumed in a different way (spoon, not straw), and include additional toppings and texture. So, start with your favorite smoothie recipe, blending fruit, some greens (spinach, kale), ice, milk (soy, almond), juice (orange, pomegranate, carrot) or yogurt (greek), and a little healthy sweetener (agave syrup, maple syrup, honey). Have fun with it and try your favorite flavors. You can even make two different smoothies to combine in the same bowl for more interesting bites. Keep thickness in mind overall, as you won’t want it too soupy.

Choose colorful fruit toppings.

The trick is in the toppings. Consider your base and then add complimentary (but not necessarily identical) fruit like blueberries, strawberries, bananas, passion fruit, and raspberries. This is your chance to try something new or uncommon. When’s the last time you had a kiwi? Try a little on top.

Add some crunch.

Texture is key. You don’t want everything to be smooth, so add some healthy seeds (chia, sunflower, hemp, etc.), grains (granola, oats), and/or nuts (walnut, pumpkin, almond). A little unsweetened coconut flakes sprinkled on top is a nice finishing touch.

Watch the sweetness.

Beware of sweetened yogurt, high-calorie granola, and other unnatural, processed ingredients. Stay as fresh as possible, and know that you’ll get a lot of sweetness from the smoothie and additional fruit toppings. You may even find you want a dollop of crème fraîche or plain greek yogurt on top to tame things!

Have fun with the design.

Just like the “recipe,” which can be varied in a million ways, have fun with the assembly. Pro tip: It usually looks nicer if toppings are added in chunks, in their own space; and it’s best if the heaviest items go last. You can always mix it and lose the pretty when eating!

Admire your creation. Then dig in!

That’s it. Whether or not your final bowl is Instagram-worthy, you can pat yourself on the back for starting the day with a healthy breakfast. Way to go!

Recipe: Double Chocolate Chunk Protein Shake

As a little kid, my mom would hide pureed greens, carrots, and zucchini in our pasta sauce to ensure we were getting our servings of vegetables. I find it peculiar because I do the same exact thing today, but with my smoothies! I’ll throw in anything from dark leafy greens to pureed veggies to nuts and seeds, just so that I can reap the benefits of the earth’s most nutritious super foods, but still get that yummy, sweet, smoothie flavor.

The recipe I’m sharing today features pureed beets and you’d never even know it was in the recipe! I like to buy my beets already steamed and vacuum-sealed, so that I can easily puree them without the hassle of peeling and steaming. To puree your steamed beets, all you have to do is place them in a magic bullet, blender, or food processor with about a tablespoon or so of water, and puree away! Place in a tupperware and store in your refrigerator for a couple of days.

So, grab your blender and chocolate protein powder  because we’re making a smoothie you and your family are going to love!

Double Chocolate Chunk Protein Shake

Makes 1 smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 large banana, frozen

1/3 cup frozen raspberries

2 – 3 tablespoons pureed beets

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons chocolate protein powder

1 + 1 tablespoons chocolate chip (1T for topping)

1 cup milk, your choice

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender or magic bullet. Blend until smooth. Top with an additional 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips.

Protein Packed Pina Kale-Ada Smoothie Recipe

 

Nutrition Facts (1 serving): 395 Calories, 14g Total Fat (2g Sat Fat), 54g Carbohydrate (12g Fiber, 25g Sugar), 1300 mg PotassiumCreating a healthy and energy-sustaining smoothie is all about pumping up the protein and fat. This means turning to some ingredients that aren’t solely fruit, liquid, and ice. Don’t get me wrong, I love fruit. I could eat fruit all day. But the energy you get from just fruit isn’t going to last you all day–it’s mostly sugar, with a side of fiber. So consider incorporating protein in the form of powders or nut butters into your smoothie, this will help build, repair, and maintain muscle. Then add some healthy fats for the ultimate satiating smoothie!

Take this Protein Packed Pina Kale-ada Smoothie  for instance. You’re likely intrigued by the name already. It’s winter for most of us, but we’ll be drinking healthy protein smoothies like we’re in the tropics. This smoothie has many things going for it:

Kale. We’ve talked about this being a superfood. So why not incorporate it into everything?

Avocado. Healthy fats. Adds a creaminess factor to the smoothie. Win-win.

Pineapple. A tropical fruit and excellent source of manganese and vitamin C.

Protein Powder. Gives this smoothie a protein packed punch!

Protein Packed Pina Kale-ada Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup milk (cow’s, almond, coconut, your choice)

2 handfuls kale (~1 cup)

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1 frozen banana

1/2 ripe avocado

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

Optional Add-Ins

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp flaxseeds

1 tbsp coconut oil

Method

Combine ingredients in blender and puree until smooth. Add additional milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.

Nutrition Facts (1 serving): 395 Calories, 14g Total Fat (2g Sat Fat), 54g Carbohydrate (12g Fiber, 25g Sugar), 1300 mg Potassium

5 Smoothie Recipes To Keep Your Cool This Summer

As summertime heats up, the need to cool down is more powerful than ever! We want you to be prepared, and the best way to beat the heat is a nutrient-packed smoothie that will help you cool off and keep you on track with your health and fitness goals. Whether you prefer a protein-heavy smoothie or like to load up on fruit, we’ve got a smoothie that will be perfect for you.

Check out the recipes, grab some frozen fruit and get blending!

Matcha Mango Protein Smoothie

Makes 1 smoothie

Ingredients

1 ripe mango, cubed
1/2 ripe banana, peeled
1/2 cup milk of choice (cow’s, almond, soy, etc.)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons unsweetened matcha powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
0-2 teaspoons honey (depending on taste preference)
Handful of ice cubes
Directions

Blend all ingredients together in a high-powered blender until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
Nutrition Per Smoothie: 333 calories, 3.2g fat, 65.4g carbs, 11.7g protein