Smoothies are one of those timeless trends that also happens to be a healthy, easy, and tasty way to get in your nutrients. Breakfast is regarded as the most important meal of the day, as we need to get our system up and running, and stay productive and alert for a full day ahead.
Proper nourishment in the morning is key, but we don’t always have the time and energy to prepare a full breakfast. Luckily, smoothies provide a fast and simple way to fuel up. Below are some of our favorite, go-to breakfast smoothie recipes so you can have more deliciously healthy breakfast options.
Using a high-powered blender to create these breakfast blends, feel free to keep the proportions loose (adding more/less of certain ingredients for the desired taste and texture).
1. Apple Oatmeal Smoothie
Starting the day off with an apple oatmeal smoothie provides the body and mind with fiber and vitamin rich content to help you stay satiated and mentally focused.
Ingredients
- small apple
- half of a banana
- handful of rolled oats
- ½ cup almond milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- drizzle of honey
Benefits: Oatmeal has shown to reduce and protect from LDL (the “bad cholesterol”). Cinnamon is associated with heart health and even reduces blood sugar levels.
Tip: During the colder months, try warming this smoothie. It will taste like a warm apple pie but in healthy drinkable form.
2. Spicy Spinach & Berry Smoothie
Drinking a smoothie as chock full of antioxidants and as brain boosting as this blend will leave the body energized— and that spicy zing from the ginger will wake up the brain swiftly.
Ingredients
- Heaping handful of spinach
- handful of mixed berries
- slice of ginger root
- squeeze of lemon
- ½ cup almond milk
- drizzle of honey
Benefits: Ginger has been shown to be anti-inflammatory and soothes digestion. Spinach contains a plethora of vitamins and components good for the entire body (including Vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, niacin, zinc, iron, and folate).
Tip: Blueberries boost short-term memory, so drink this smoothie before tests, meetings, or any other big event where immediate memory access is necessary.
3. Peanut Butter & Chocolate Smoothie
If you’re into sweeter breakfasts, this peanut butter + chocolate protein smoothie will quench that craving healthily, while providing lasting energy and avoiding sugary crashes.
Ingredients
- dollop of (all-natural unsalted) peanut butter
- scoop of chocolate protein powder
- sprinkle of cacao nibs
- half of a banana
- ~½ cup almond milk
Benefits: Peanut butter and protein helps fill you up and keep you full, staving off premature hunger pangs. Cacao nibs increase energy, elevate mood, and provide high levels of antioxidants.
Tip: Add in a splash of coffee/espresso for an extra boost of alertness.
4. Creamy Orangesicle Smoothie
A healthy alternative to over-sweetened juices, try this creamy citrus smoothie to boost immune function.
Ingredients
- 1 orange
- half of a banana
- squeeze of lemon
- slice of turmeric root
- dollop of greek yogurt
- drop of vanilla extract
Benefits: Citrus has shown to help absorb and maximize the potential of nutrients found in other foods you consume.
Tip: Out of oranges? No worries, you can use other citrus fruits (e.g., clementines,tangerines, grapefruits).
5. Hydrating Tropical Smoothie
Some mornings we wake up and can’t get to a glass of water fast enough (maybe because of that sweaty, heated yoga class or from that extra margarita the night before). This tropical smoothie will replenish even the most sorely dehydrated system.
Ingredients
- Handful of tropical fruit (e.g., papaya,pineapple, mango,watermelon)
- half of a banana
- ¼ cucumber
- ½ cup aloe juice
- splash of coconut milk
Benefits: Aloe juice, cucumber, and coconut milk can rehydrate and help the body retain vital nutrients. These ingredients can also help with detoxifying and keeping the liver functioning optimally.
Tip: Add in chia seeds for extra absorption and endurance (each seed can hold about 10 times its own weight in water).
All these breakfast blends can be made the night before to make your morning routine even shorter and easier—so you can just refrigerate, and then grab and go while the wholesome nutrients get pumping throughout your system.
Image credit: Mandy Martini
