Everyone knows that drinking smoothies is a great way to start your day, and if you can manage to sub out your usual breakfast of donuts, muffins, or a breakfast sandwich from your local fast food place for a smoothie, you’ll be on the track to a much healthier you.
One of the things that stops people from having a smoothie every day is they simply don’t understand the health benefits. Maybe, during the 3 pm slump, they’re craving something that will fill them up fast and give them a boost of sugar-fueled energy instead of thinking about how they’ll feel after an hour of treating their body to something healthy.
But there are smoothies that will fill you up, give you a boost of energy, and they taste so good they’ll hit all every single one of your taste buds. So grab your favourite blender, because these are the smoothies you’ll want to start your day with and drink more than once when you need an extra boost:
Green Tea Smoothie
When you need a boost at 3 pm, you need to think green. Leafy greens like spinach whip up well in a smoothie, and in the Green Tea Smoothie you get an added addition of grapes gives you a boost of natural sugars and avocado as a healthy fat addition that will fill you up.
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Ingredients: 3 cup(s) frozen white grapes 2 baby spinach 1 1/2 cup(s) strong brewed green tea (see Tip), cooled 1 medium ripe avocado Optional: You can add 2 teaspoon(s) organic honey for extra sweetness Blend and enjoy |
Carrot Cruncher
Who knew carrots could boost your energy and taste great in a smoothie? This smoothie is more of a meal replacement, and during your mid-day slump it will feel you up and give you a boost of energy to get through the day. Photo and recipe from http://www.loveahappyending.com.
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Ingredients: 4 small carrots, peeled and chopped 1 apple, peeled and cut in quarters 1 kiwi fruit, peeled and cut in half Handful of fresh basil 2 dessert spoons of natural yogurt 3 or four chunks of ice Wild garlic leaves (optional) 1 cup natural apple juice. Blend and enjoy |
Berry Protein Smoothie
Berries like raspberries and strawberries are healthy on their own, but in a smoothie they are pure magic. When you add a scoop of protein powder to your smoothie, you get a delicious breakfast or snack that’s packed with antioxidants, fills you up, and is sweet without added sugar. Recipe and photo from joybauer.com .
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Ingredients: ½ cup skim milk or soy milk 6-ounce container nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt ¾ cup fresh or frozen berries Few ice cubes Scoop of protein powder
Blend and enjoy |
Coffee Banana Smoothie
This one mixes your morning coffee with a filling, energy boosting banana. It sounds like a strange mix, but trust me, it’s delicious.Recipe and photo from health.com.
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Ingredients: Place 1 sliced peeled banana 1 cup 1% low-fat milk 1/2 cup cold black coffee 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 cup ice in a blender. Blend and enjoy |
Green Goddess Smoothie
Orange juice, spinach, and kiwi – the Green Goddess Smoothie is a big energy booster and a great way to start your day. The mint leaves add a touch of zing to this smoothie, but the best part about adding mint is that the scent really wakes you up too. Recipe and photo from womanshealthmag.com.
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Ingredients: 1 C baby spinach 1/2 avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled 1 C cucumber chunks 1 lg kiwifruit, peeled and chopped 1/2 C low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt 1/2 C fresh orange or tangerine juice 1/4 C mint leaves |
The next time you’re tempted by a chocolate bar in the afternoon, try a smoothie instead. You can make them ahead of time and take them to work so you can have a quick and easy snack. Try it for one week – I guarantee you’ll have more energy and feel great. If you need a blender or kitchen gear to get you started, here are a few of my favourites:
 A great smoothie starts with a great blender |
Protein powder makes every smoothie extra filling |
 A kitchen scale can help you weight fruit and vegetables for any type of smoothie |
