Difficulty Eating Breakfast or Getting in Vegetables? Smoothies May be for You!

Smoothies are a great way to get in nutrients such as veggies, fat and protein for breakfast; especially if you don't feel that hungry at breakfast. They come in many colors and you have your choice of many ingredients to make a smoothie that tastes great for YOU!

I understand, to many people, smoothies with vegetables may seem odd. Drinking a smoothie made with vegetables and fruit is a great way to make sure you reach your goal of at least 5 servings of veggies a day. Smoothies are also hydrating and contain many vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. Also, using a quality protein powder helps your muscles and will help your feel satiated longer. Adding healthy fats will also satiate you but also aid in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D and E.

Here are some common questions I get about smoothies:

Q: What if my smoothie tastes too "earthy" from the vegetables?

A: Boost the smoothie with some ginger or nutmeg or cinnamon or a tart green apple

Q: Smoothies seem complicated, they may be easy to blend but I don't have time to clean and cut up all the vegetables and fruit?

A: I do all my food prep for salads and smoothies at the same time. I take a couple hours on a Sunday and chop up ingredients and store them in containers in the fridge so they are ready to grab and go. I like these containers I found on Amazon FOOD PREP CONTAINERS.

Q: What if I make too much?

A: I freeze my smoothies in mason jars in the freezer. This is a perfect way to grab and go on your way to work or the gym. You can take it out of the freezer the night before and either shake it up or throw it in your blender for a bit to mix up the ingredients again (sometimes the smoothies will separate liquid and fat).

Here are a couple of my favorite recipes and go to smoothies!

Avocado, Cucumber and Lime Smoothie (this is great if you are feeling rundown or dealing with a cold)

Makes 2 one cup smoothies.

2 Tablespoons lime juice

4 Tablespoons water (can be coconut water)

2 cups chopped cucumber

1/2 ripe avocado

1 cup ice cubes

1 to 1 1/2 scoops of protein powder (here is where I get my protein powders https://www.designsforhealth.com/u/marciasivek - You can get a 30% off discount until Feb. 28, 2023 using code PROTEIN - please contact me if you have questions on what protein would work best for you.

I use a Vitamix blender but you could also use a high powered blender or NutriBullet. Add all the ingredients except protein powder into blender cup. If using a Vitamix use the smoothie setting to blend. Add the protein powder when there is 10-15 seconds left. If using other blenders just blend until all ingredients are mixed well to your liking and blend in the protein powder at the end. Some protein powders really thicken the smoothie if blended too much.

Cherry Almond Smoothie

Makes 2 one cup smoothies

1 Cup frozen organic cherries

2 Cups packed spinach (this will make your smoothie a brown, not red color but doesn't change taste)

1 large Tablespoon of almond butter

1 cup coconut water or you can try 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup coconut milk from can (sometimes you may need to add more liquid depending on thickness you want)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 1 1/2 scoops of protein powder (here is where I get my protein powders https://www.designsforhealth.com/u/marciasivek - You can get a 30% off discount until Feb. 28, 2023 using code PROTEIN - please contact me if you have questions on what protein would work best for you.

Optional: sometimes I add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top

I use a Vitamix blender but you could also use a high powered blender or NutriBullet. Add all the ingredients except protein powder into blender cup. If using a Vitamix use the smoothie setting to blend. Add the protein powder when there is 10-15 seconds left. If using other blenders just blend until all ingredients are mixed well to your liking and blend in the protein powder at the end. Some protein powders really thicken the smoothie if blended too much.