Smoothies Start Your Day Off Right

A smoothie in the morning can start your day off right.  The only issue is the amount of prep work you have to do before you can enjoy the delicious drink.  So, prep the night before what you can in your blender.

Basic Smoothie Ingredients

Put in blender jar the night before:

Spinach – 1 cup

Greek Yogurt – 1 cup

Honey – 1 Tablespoon

Flax/Chia Seeds (optional) – 1 Tablespoon

Then, the morning of add the following:

Frozen fruit (see variations below) – 1 cup

Fruit juice – 1/2 cup

Mix all of the above in your blender in the morning.  You can then be out the the door in minutes with a nutritious and yummy drink that will keep you full and satisfied until lunch.

Smoothie Variations:

• Tropical – Mango/Pineapple – use orange juice for the fruit juice
• Berry – Blueberry/Strawberry /Raspberries/Blackberries- use apple juice for the fruit juice
• Strawberry and Banana – Strawberry/Banana – use orange juice
• Sunrise – Strawberry/Pineapple/Mango/Peaches – use orange juice
• Cherry Berry – Cherries/Blueberries/Raspberries/Blackberries – use apple juice

Why add these to my Smoothie?

Flax and Chia seeds provide you with protein, fiber and contain Omega 3’s which our modern diet needs to help fight inflammation.  You can buy a bag of these at your grocery store and they will last a long time in your refrigerator.

Greek Yogurt – Greek yogurt has more protein and typically less sugar than regular yogurt.  The protein helps you to feel fuller longer.

Spinach – Spinach is a green, leafy vegetable that is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, and calcium.   Most of us could stand to eat more vegetables than we do.  Sneaking it into your smoothie is a great idea because you don’t taste it and your kids won’t want to drink your smoothie because it is green.  (Until they try it one day and decide it is so good they want their own – true story – the gig is up).

Fruit – Berries add antioxidants to your diet and most of us don’t consume enough fruit.

Add all of these together and the benefits are obvious!  Smoothies for the win.

NutriBullet NBR-1201 12-Piece High-Speed Blender/Mixer System

You can make your morning smoothie even easier with a NutriBullet.  I have one and I love it.  You can prep the ingredients like above the night before in your fridge and then just add the frozen/liquid in the morning.  Less than a minute later it is done blending as it is super powerful at pulverizing frozen items.  You can take the drink with you in the cup with the handle shown below – so mixed and drank in one container equals less mess.  It is very handy!

What is your favorite Smoothie recipe?  Share in the comments below.  Enjoy!

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