HealthyBea

Game Changing Smoothies

I can’t believe I am a few months into this blog and I’ve only written about food ONCE. (If you haven’t read it, check out my oatmeal post here). Today I am excited to geek over…smoothies. Okay okay hear me out. You haven’t tried a smoothie until you’ve had one of mine. I have been inspired by both delicious AND very sad sugar-filled concoctions. 

I used to purchase a $15 green smoothie on my birthday each year from New York City’s Liquiteria. If you haven’t heard of it, makes sense; it no longer exists. Unfortunately, it went under a few years ago, but it did demonstrate to me just how filling and satisfying a smoothie could be. My favourite included spinach, almond butter, banana, coconut butter, and a chocolate protein powder. It was heavenly! And the best post-hot yoga (CorePower) treat. 

Nutritionist and podcaster, Kelly LeVeque of Be Well By Kelly, explains the perfect ratio with her “Fab 4 Smoothies,” which include sources of protein, fat, fiber, and greens. I will admit that my recipes include quite a few more ingredients than these 4, but you certainly don’t have to add all of them. I will note those under the “optional” section below! One thing to keep in mind is that unlike many recipes available, I choose whole food sources of protein instead of powders. If you do decide to include one, though, make sure it’s a very clean option with only (natural) ingredients you can understand (aka no stabilisers, oils, or preservatives).

I broke down my recommendations below based on which ingredients should be added to every smoothie (“Base”), those that are great additions, but not required to achieve my desired consistency and flavour (“Optional”), and finally the exact recipes I follow (“Specifics”).

Base: To include in each recipe 

• Fresh or frozen spinach
• Frozen fruit (banana, berries, mango)
• Frozen avocado or dried coconut
• Ice (if your greens aren’t frozen)
• Cold water or milk
• Nut butter or tahini

Optional: Nice to haves, but not necessary

• Chia seeds
• Flaxseed meal
• Frozen cauliflower
• Greek yoghurt
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla or almond extract 

Specifics: Some of my favourite combinations

1. Chocolate & Cherry Tahini 
   1. 1T Cocoa Powder
   2. 1t Cinnamon
   3. ½T Chia Seeds
   4. ½T Flaxseed Meal
   5. 1t Almond Extract
   6. 1T Tahini
   7. Frozen Spinach
   8. ¼ Frozen Avocado 
   9. ½ Frozen Banana 
   10. ¼ – ⅓ Cup Frozen Cherries
   11. 2T Greek Yoghurt
   12. ½ Cup Cold Water

2. Berry & Peanut Butter
   1. 1T Peanut Butter
   2. 1t Cinnamon
   3. ½T Chia Seeds
   4. ½T Flaxseed Meal
   5. ¼ Frozen Avocado 
   6. Frozen Spinach
   7. ½ Frozen Banana 
   8. ¼ – ⅓ Cup Frozen Mixed Berries
   9. 2T Greek Yoghurt
   10. ½ Cup Cold Water

3. Mango & Coconut
   1. 1T Almond Butter
   2. ½T Chia Seeds
   3. ½T Flaxseed Meal
   4. 2T Dried Coconut
   5. Frozen Spinach
   6. ½ Frozen Banana 
   7. ¼ – ⅓ Cup Frozen Mango
   8. 2T Greek Yoghurt
   9. ½ Cup Cold Water

If you’ve made it this far, you can get in on the secret. I always pair my smoothies with a (healthy) homemade baked good, such as Erin Lives Whole’s Cottage Cheese Blender Muffins or Eat Bird Food’s Oatmeal Cups. I am more motivated by my workouts knowing I get both a creamy and nutritious smoothie plus a fun sweet treat.

I hope you’re sufficiently motivated to try some variation of these recommendations. Not only should they make you happy, but they’ll fuel your body, soul, and mind. Welcome to the good life 🙂

Much love!

Bea