Health & Fitness

Quick and Easy Morning Smoothies

June 9, 2020 / No Comments

I don’t know about you, but breakfast needs to be a quick and on the go one, otherwise I can easily turn it into a two hour event lol. I don’t typically eat a large breakfast since I don’t have a huge appetite when I wake up. However, I do know that my body still needs nutrition to really begin the day. So I love having quick and easy to make smoothies packed with tons of nutrition!

When you look for smoothie recipes, it doesn’t have to be an overboard of ingredients. Just a few grocery items will do the trick. & just as a rule of thumb; a well-rounded smoothie should include one fruit, a vegetable or two, one protein source, and a healthy fat. Below, I’ve listed my favorite morning smoothies and please keep in mind that I’m a huge fan of coconut water so many of my smoothies include this base instead of milk. I guess it just depends on the day ya know lol.

Peanut Butter Banana
Oatmeal Smoothie

Photographed by Oksana Mizina
  • Ingredients:
    • 8-10 ounces of milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk 
    • 1 frozen banana
    • ½ cup (4 ounces) plain Greek yogurt
    • ⅓ cup rolled oats (raw)
    • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
    • ⅓ tsp ground cinnamon

If I’m craving anything in the morning, it’s usually something sweet. Sweet like peanut butter 😀 or almond butter, I know that’s a trend these days and the healthier option. However, if you can find a peanut butter with only two ingredients (peanuts and salt) then we’re in the clear my fellow health fanatics. Bananas pair well with peanut butter which is why you see it in the ingredients most of the time when ordering any kind of peanut butter smoothie. I like to make this smoothie a meal replacement so adding in the the raw oats will help to create a thicker texture. This is what will give you the feeling of fullness.
I also like to throw in one scoop of vanilla protein powder to all of my smoothies, but that’s just me. I need to build muscle so the more protein the better.
A little tip that I would like to mention of which I’ve read from Alissa Rumsey’s wellness blog, is that when freezing bananas: wait until they are ripe and then peel, cut into chunks, and double wrap in plastic, then in the freezer it goes. This is great for overripe bananas and it helps with the banana lasting longer. They’ll stay good for a few months.

Green Pineapple Smoothie

Photographed by Brent Hofacker
  • Ingredients:
    • 8-10 ounces of coconut water
    • 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
    • 1 cup kale or spinach
    • 1 cup avocado chunks
    • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
    • ⅓ tsp chia seeds

The mean greens! The smoothie that most people like to avoid because of the color haha. Well don’t let that scare you away! The taste of greens can easily be masked by the other ingredients you include like pineapple. Pineapple is my favorite fruit to use with my green smoothie! It just blends so well with sour greens like Kale or Arugula.
Now, I don’t eat enough greens in my meals for the day so consuming a green smoothie is a great way to substitute. You can even freeze the greens the same way you freeze the fruit for smoothies. This way you don’t have to worry about how fast your greens could go bad. Cause we all know it’s hard to keep the greens in the refrigerator good for even a week!
What’s awesome about consuming green smoothies is its anti-inflammatories, giving you a flatter tummy. Greens are the best way to lose the lower belly fat so keep that in mind when considering losing weight.

Mixed Berries Smoothie

Photographed by Marcin Jucha
  • Ingredients:
    • ½ cup blueberries
    • ½ cup sliced strawberries
    • ½ cup blackberries
    • ½ cup raspberries
    • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk or coconut water
    • ½ cup plain greek yogurt

I love my berries which is why I can’t just go with one of them. I need them all! lol. This smoothie is packed with the perfect mixture of a sweet and sour flavor! Berries are the staple of most smoothies and usually in every household making it a very convenient smoothie to make.

Kiwi Spinach Smoothie

Photographed by Ekaterina Kondratova
  • Ingredients:
    • 2 kiwis
    • 1 cup spinach
    • 1 frozen banana
    • 1 cup fresh orange juice
    • 1 cup plain greek yogurt
    • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
    • ⅓ tsp chia seeds or flax seeds

What Your Pantry Should Include for These Smoothies:
> Bananas
> Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, Raspberries
> Kiwi
> Pineapple
> Oats
> Avocado
> Spinach
> Kale
> Greek Yogurt
> Vanilla Protein Powder
> Ground Seed (Chia Seeds or Flaxseeds)
> Coconut Water or Almond Milk
> Peanut Butter or Almond Butter
> Fresh Orange Juice
> Ground Cinnamon

Resources:
https://alissarumsey.com/recipes/peanut-butter-banana-oatmeal-smoothie/