Take Your Health To the Next Level With Smoothies + Juices Part 3: My Go-To 'MORNING BUZZ' Smoothie
Green & Geared To Go!
I've gone through a lot of breakfast phases from Toaster Strudel with two packets of frosting squeezed on top (the struggle is real when you reach the last Toaster with no Strudel on top), to scrambled eggs and bacon, to steel cut oatmeal. Then, the morning time-crunch brought me to meal replacement and protein shakes galore. Finally, I unboxed the blender that my mom had given Dusty and I for our wedding, and decided to give it a whirl. You know how it goes, Mom is always right, but it takes us a while to listen up! All I can say is that breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day and a morning smoothie is fun, quick, and easy to make and take on-the-go!
But I'm Not A Breakfast Person...
5-10 minutes and you're golden…er, green, and geared to go!
Breakfast is often touted as the most important meal of the day. I think all meals are equally important, but breakfast is when you take your body from running on Empty, to running on Full. What you choose to fuel your body with is your choice! It doesn't have to be gourmet or super-sized, but your body needs fuel in order to get the gears turning and the wheels spinning. I love smoothies because they're the best way to pack a bunch of nutrients into a drinkable meal that makes me feel physically energized and mentally alert. Trust me, you won't need that double-shot of espresso after a green smoothie bursting with natural fruit sugars and supercharged with superfoods!
Erin's 'Morning Buzz' Smoothie
Serves: 1
Ingredients
1 ripe, speckled banana
1-2 handfuls of spinach
Small slice of ginger
Teaspoon of chia
Teaspoon of hemp
Teaspoon of flax
Teaspoon spirulina
3/4 cup of almond milk (hemp milk, coconut milk, or coconut water are also great)
1-1.5 cups your choice fruit (papaya will make your smoothie super thick and creamy, but I also love blueberries, pineapple, or mixed berries. If you don't have fresh fruit on hand, frozen works great, too!)
Half scoop of Garden of Life vanilla protein powder (optional, but makes it taste incredible!)
1-1.5 cups ice (optional—I like my smoothies extra thick and cold!)
Additional options: maca powder, cacao nibs, acai powder, local bee pollen, coconut flakes (stay tuned for Part 5 on superfoods and the awesome health benefits of some of my favorites, coming soon!)
Green for Two: Sometimes I double it up and split my smoothie creation with Dusty, or save half for later to kick cravings!
* Note: all measurements are approximate
Fruit Smoothie Blending TIPS
I can't stress enough how big of a game-changer it was when I made the upgrade to my Vitamix. There are other great blenders out there, too, but a quality, high-speed blender will definitely serve you a lifetime of great smoothies and good health!
If you're fearful of the taste of a 'green' smoothie, start small with the amount of greens you include. For beginners, the taste of spinach is going to be much easier to mask than kale!
After you get into the swing of things, rotate your greens when blending and juicing. It's important to work a variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet, especially greens. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing! After I go through a bag of spinach, I move on to kale—it seems to last longer in the refrigerator, too!
To-Go Thoughts
A smoothie only takes 5-10 minutes of your time
Helps you work fruits, vegetables, and vital nutrients into your diet
Gives you natural energy
Boosts your metabolism
Aids in digestion
And, smoothies are FUN to make!
Stay Tuned for the juicy goodness in Part 4 of my 5 Part Series on Smoothies + Juices, where I'll share my go-to, 'Green Machine' detox juice recipe with you! In the meantime, amp up your breakfast and report back to me!
