6 minute read

Healthy Breakfast Smoothies

from Les Nouvelles Esthetiques Spa Magazine #85

by Les Nouvelles & Spa Magazine - South Africa

from Les Nouvelles Esthetiques Spa Magazine #85, page 7

Article from: Les Nouvelles Esthetiques Spa Magazine #85

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Breakfast Smoothies are an easy way to enjoy a healthy breakfast on busy mornings. These healthy smoothie recipes provide filling fiber and protein to give you energy all morning!

You can sip on a smoothie as you get ready for work or get the kids ready for school. Most of these recipes are kid-friendly. Smoothies are an easy way to get plenty of servings of fruits and/or veggies for a healthy start to your day. Many of these smoothie recipes also have oats, too, which makes them super filling.

These smoothie recipes are designed for every time of year, from healthy fruit smoothie recipes to pumpkin to year-round green smoothies. Drinking a smoothie for breakfast can give you a burst of energy in the morning and helps you to start your day on a healthy note.

Healthy Smoothie Ingredients

• Fresh or Frozen Fruit: You can use a combination of frozen and fresh fruits in your smoothies. The frozen fruit helps the smoothie to blend up thick and creamy. I like to freeze extra ripe bananas, peeled and cut into smaller pieces, so they are always ready for adding to smoothies. Ice dilutes the flavor of a smoothie so use frozen fruit instead.

• Vegetables: Veggies are nutrient powerhouses and working them into your morning smoothies is a great way to start your day off on a healthy note. Spinach, kale and other greens blend up well in smoothies. You can add frozen cauliflower to a smoothie and not even taste it. If you have a high powered blender, try adding carrots to your morning smoothie for a healthy dose of sweetness. •Avocado: Have you ever tried an avocado smoothie? Avocado adds healthy fats to a smoothie, it blends up smooth, and you don’t taste the avocado (as long as you don’t add too much). •Oatmeal: Adding old-fashioned oats is an easy way to take any smoothie and turn it into a breakfast smoothie. You can add raw oats (be sure to use old fashioned, or rolled, oats) to your blender along with the rest of the smoothie ingredients and blend until smooth. •Greek Yoghurt: Unless you need a dairy-free smoothie, plain Greek yoghurt is a great way to add protein to your smoothie. Yoghurt also makes smoothies creamy. •Nut Butters: I love adding a scoop of almond butter or peanut butter to my smoothies. Nut butters provide healthy fats and protein, which give your smoothie staying power so you’re not hungry again right away. •Seeds: Flax seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds can all add fiber and nutrition to your smoothies.

• Liquid: You need to add a liquid ingredient to your smoothie to help it blend well. There are many options, from plain water to coconut water, milk, almond milk or other nut-based milks, coconut milk, oat milk and juice. I try not to use juice because it can add too much sugar to a smoothie, especially if you are also adding fruit. •Flavor Boosters: A pinch of cinnamon or a few drops of vanilla extract can really boost the flavor of a smoothie!

Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients •1⁄4 cup old-fashioned oats (uncooked) •1⁄2 medium banana •1⁄2 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 3⁄4 cup frozen strawberries or 1⁄2 cup frozen blueberries

• 3⁄4 cup milk of choice (dairy, almond, etc.) Instructions

Method Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Blueberry Smoothie

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons old-fashioned oats

• 1 cup fresh spinach

• 1 cup frozen blueberries

• 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 3⁄4 cup milk (whichever type you prefer)

• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Method Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Green Monster Smoothie

You won’t taste the spinach in this Green Monster Smoothie… not even one little bit! This smoothie is packed full of healthy ingredients, including a good dose of Vitamin C!

Ingredients •1 banana (frozen for a thicker smoothie) •1 cup frozen pineapple chunks •1 pear (cored and sliced) •1 orange (peeled and chopped) •3 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves •2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (optional) •1 cup cold water

Method Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Immunity Boosting Orange Smoothie

This Immunity Boosting Orange Smoothie packs a hefty dose of Vitamin C! It has a refreshing orange flavor with a hint of vanilla!

Ingredients •1 large orange (peeled) •1⁄2 medium banana •1 cup frozen mango pieces •1⁄2 cup almond milk •1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Spinach & Apple Detox Smoothie

A delicious green smoothie made with green apple, spinach and lemon for a bright and flavorful snack!

Ingredients

• 2–3 cups spinach (packed)

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

• 1 banana

• 1 Granny Smith apple (cored and cubed)

• 1 cup chopped cucumber

• 4 dates

• 1 tablespoon flax seeds

• Squeeze of lemon

Optional toppings

• Shaved coconut (unsweetened) • Chia seeds

• Hemp seeds

Method Add the spinach, almond milk and banana to the blender and blend until combined. Add the apple, cucumber, dates, flax seeds, and lemon juice, and blend until completely smooth. Serve immediately.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

A healthy smoothie made with just 4 ingredients (plus ice). This Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie is thick, creamy, and a great energy booster!

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup ice cubes

• 1 medium banana (peeled, cut into chunks)

• 3⁄4 cup Greek yogurt

• 1⁄2 cup milk (whichever type you prefer)

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Method Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately.

This article is from:

Les Nouvelles Esthetiques Spa Magazine #85

by Les Nouvelles & Spa Magazine - South Africa