Spring Smoothies
With the weather warming up, I have smoothies and summer on my mind. Here are 2 refreshing recipes to kick off your smoothies season!
Smoothies are such an easy way to add some nutrients to your diet. Combinations are endless between veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, protein, herbs and superfoods! Where does one even start?!
I’ll give you 2 recipes, but I’d really like for you to be able to create a delicious, nutrient dense smoothie, on your own!
With that said, follow these steps to create a balanced smoothie on your own with all your favorite flavors.
Let’s break it down:
Choose your fruit
Choose your protein
Choose your fat
Add in some greens and/or fiber rich veggies
Milk or Water
Optional Superfoods
Optional protein powder
Optional herbs
Choosing Fruit:
The fun part! The uber healthy often have us even worried to eat fruit- let that go! Fruit in moderation, just like anything, is good for you. Fruits have been a main staple of healthy diets since the beginning of time. Enjoy them!
If you have glucose tolerance issues or if you’re trying to lose weight become familiar with the glycemic index and, more importantly, the glycemic load of the fruits you’re choosing.
Low glycemic load fruits - berries, cherries, peaches, honeydew, oranges, grapefruit, apples, and kiwis - to give you some options.
Protein:
Adding protein makes your smoothie not only a more complete option, but it also helps to balance out glucose spikes and sustain your hunger longer. I like adding things like:
peas - about 10g of protein per cup
protein powders - look for the cleanest ingredients. Many have added sugar that isn’t necessary. If you’re choosing a plant based option, be sure that it has a all the essential aminos acids, that’s really important. I like Sunwarrior.
collagen - I like to use my collagen powder, helps to add more protein with zero flavor. My favorite is Great Lakes. This is also a great option when you don’t want the flavor of your smoothie to be impacted.
yogurt - yogurt is a great option, especially if you tolerate dairy well. If you have trouble with dairy, try sheep’s milk or goat milk as an alternative.
cottage cheese - another alternative to yogurt
Fat:
This is a very important step that you don’t want to skip! Fat helps to balance out the smoothie so that you can avoid glucose spikes. Fats are easy to add and often double as proteins.
avocado - my fave
walnuts, cashews, almonds
nut butters
hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, ground flaxseeds
non dairy coconut yogurt
Greens and/or fiber rich veggies:
You can add in your fiber raw, but for some, like the cauliflower and the yams/sweet potatoes, it’s best to cook them before. Cooked fiber is easier to digest than raw.
spinach, kale, chard are some of my go-to options for greens
cauliflower - raw or cooked
jicama - so rich in fiber
carrots
yams or sweet potatoes
pumpkin
Milk or water:
I often use water, but any milk will work. If you are sensitive to dairy, try alternative milks… I would stay away from oat, however, especially if you have more fruits in your smoothie. Water is honestly the best. I would avoid fruit juice as the liquid if you can, too much sugar there too, and the fiber has been stripped.
Optional things:
These things can be added for a little “extra” nutrients and flavor. And I do love to add protein powders, but not always. Sometimes I like my smoothies to have a specific flavor- not the protein powder flavor- so I don’t add the powder. If you’re worried about a glucose spike and not enough protein, be sure you add the fat and then go for a walk after your smoothie. Any type of movement will help to put that extra glucose to good use in your body. Here are some of my go-to “extras”…
basil, mint, cilantro are my faves
fresh ginger, turmeric, or burdock root
spirulina powder
matcha - this has caffeine, so be mindful of when you add it in
maca
ashwagandha
cacao powder
protein powder - be mindful when selecting, here are some tips:
try to avoid “natural flavors” and any added sweeteners
try to avoid fillers and gums
if it’s plant based, be sure it has a complete amino acid profile.
There are nine essential amino acids, which you must get through your diet — histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. You want to try and have all of these in equalish amounts in your powder if it doesn’t use animal products.
be mindful of metals. Some companies offer their lab results and share on their website how they source their ingredients as well as test the. This is SO important. Here are 2 brands I like and often use:
you can also use collagen powder instead. Especially when you don’t want the added flavor of your protein powder.
Let’s get to the recipes now!
I don’t want to write “organic” on all my ingredients, you can assume they all are. Another note… you’ll notice these smoothies aren’t as sweet as you might be used too- that’s by design. Give it time, you’ll get used to it. AND, you can always toss a nice sweet smoothie in from time to time- it won’t kill you ; ) … just remember to use all that energy afterwards!
Tropical Feels
1/2 banana
1 slice of a pineapple 🍍
2 jicama strips - think pre-cut carrot stick size
a few coconut chunks
2 pieces of cauliflower
1 serving flax seed powder - 2 tbsp
1 serving hemp seeds - 3 tbsp
1 big spoonful of coconut yogurt
1 serving collagen - don’t stress if you don’t have this, your hemp seeds add about 10 grams of protein to your smoothie
water
for extra sweetness you can add a date
Cucumber Refresher
10 cucumber slices
1 small lemon, peeled
2 strips jicama
3 strawberries
1/2 small avocado OR 1/3-1/4 of a larger one - too much avo can make your smoothie a little too creamy and fluffy.
1-2 thumbs ginger
1 serving ground flax seeds - 2 tbsp
1 serving hemp seeds - 3 tbsp
water
again, add the date for a little more sweetness if you prefer
I hope you find some time to create your own unique and delicious smoothies! If you do, please be sure to share in the comments. I love to be inspired by you all as well!
XO - Vas