Smooooothies!

Smoothies are the only way I can get in all of my fruits and veggies in a day, especially during Fall, Winter, and Spring, so basically 3/4ths of the year…  Thankfully, frozen fruits and veggies are picked and quickly frozen at their peak so we are getting all the benefits without worrying about them being in season or super expensive.

Smoothies > Juicing!! The fiber remains intact in smoothies and there is not as much waste.  Speaking of waste, smoothies are also a great way to use up fruits and vegetables that look like they are on their last leg because who cares what it looks like when it is about to get blended!

The perfect smoothie should have these 5 components:

1/3rd Fruits: I use a 1/2 frozen banana for my base in about every smoothie.

2/3rds Vegetables: Get creative!  Dark leafy greens, carrots, celery, beets, pumpkin, sweet potato, zucchini, cucumber

Protein: Greek yogurt, nut butter, protein powder (my go to is Garden of Life Organic Plant Protein)

Liquid: plant based milk, coconut water, no sugar added juice (use sparingly)

Boosters: Super food powders (maca, spirulina, etc), ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, chia seeds, hemp seeds, Philosophie Superfood Blends*, low sugar granola or goji berries for the top

**Pro tip: If you care about your smoothie being appealing to the eye, choose fruits and vegetables in the same color family.  Luckily blueberries and beets make everything purple/blue so that covers the color of the greens.

My standard pantry items for smoothies:

My 3 go to smoothies throughout the week…

Golden Anti-inflammatory Spice

*Best for days when your joints are feeling inflamed or stiff.  Also a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Fiber, Potassium, Phosphorus, Folate, and B Vitamins

• 1/2 frozen banana
• ½ c. frozen tropical fruit of choice (pineapple, mango, strawberry, or a mix of all 3)
• ½ c. roasted and pureed pumpkin or sweet potato (I make a lot at a time and freeze in small baggies for single servings)
• ½ c. roughly chopped carrot (white or orange)
• 2 tsp. turmeric, fresh or powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (makes it super Fall like)
• 1/2 scoop or 1 tbsp. vanilla protein powder
• ½ c. plain Greek yogurt
• ½ c. almond milk (more or less depending on how well your blender works)

AW (after workout) Blueberry Protein Smoothie

*As the name implies, this is a great one for after a workout but also just for breakfast because it is super filling!

• ½ frozen banana
• ½ c. frozen blueberries
• 1 tbsp. nut butter of choice (I change it up between peanut and almond)
• 1-2 handfuls of kale/spinach mixture
• 1/2 scoop or 1 tbsp. vanilla protein powder
• 1 tsp. chia seeds (optional)
• ½ c. plain Greek yogurt
• ½ c. almond milk  (more or less depending on how well your blender works)
• *Philosophie Berry Bliss or Green Dream

This one is a great one with beets in it as well!

Green Cilantro Goodness

*I go for this when I feel like I need to put something super clean in my body and my liver needs a little cleanse.

• ½ frozen banana
• 1/2 c. frozen pineapple
• 1/4^th c. cilantro
• 1-2 handfuls of kale/spinach mixture
• 1/4th c. frozen zucchini
• 1 inch piece of peeled ginger (optional)
• ½ c. plain Greek yogurt
• ½ c. coconut water (or more depending on how well your blender works)
• *Philosophie Green Dream is amazing in this one

*Philosophie Superfood Blends are my favorite addition to any and all smoothies.  They have no added sugar or sweetener (including stevia), have a blend of all kinds of cool superfoods and are very affordable (compared to buying all of the ingredients separately).  Check out the website here: http://bit.ly/2r4r8Vs  I recommend getting the variety pack!  The Cacao Magic is amazing too!

Hope you enjoy!

-NP