Tried and True Smoothie Recipes

I have been trying really hard to eat “better.” Better, for me, means eating more often and trying to eat nutritionally dense foods. (Your “better” may look totally different from mine.) Typically, this translates to making sure I snack every few hours, making sure all of my meal plates have at least three different colors on them, and……

SMOOTHIES.

At least twice a week, I have a smoothie for breakfast. I can pull it out of the fridge at 6 a.m. and it lasts until 9 or 10 a.m. Because smoothies can be very high in sugar, leading to a spike and crash, I try to be careful with the ingredients I use, and I try not to use any extra sweeteners. When I do use extra sweeteners, I avoid the plain white sugar, and go for more natural sweeteners such as dates, maple syrup, or agave nectar. I find that “flavor + sweet” is way tastier than just “sweet.”

Also, most of my smoothies are “make ahead” recipes, that thicken upon standing overnight, but will last 3-4 days in the fridge. I live in a tiny apartment, and running a blender at 5:30 a.m. is not appreciated by my neighbors or my roommate. I got the idea of using a combination of oats and chia seeds, but I have played with the numbers considerably.

Here are four “tried and true” smoothie recipes to get you through your morning, or for an afternoon pick me up. (All smoothies are one serving, and you should blend the oats and chia seeds BEFORE adding other ingredients.)

Green Smoothie

Everyone is all about green smoothies now right? And they should be! Veggies of the dark green and leafy variety are really good for you and you can’t taste them anyway! Sneaky veggies for one, please!

• 1/6 c. oats
• 1/2 T. chia seeds
• 1/4 c. greek yogurt
• 1/4 c. milk (I use almond, you do you.)
• 1/2 banana
• 1 T. peanut butter (I use PB2 because it blends better)
• 1/2 c. spinach, kale, what-have-you
• small handful of dried dates (if you need a little extra sweetness)

Blend, refrigerate at least 4 hours, and enjoy.

Chocolate Indulgence Smoothie

This is a post-workout thing for me. You know, when you just did 100 squats and lunges and are starving but dinner isn’t too far off? This is a sweet treat to bridge the gap, or as a late-night snack. This is not make ahead.

• 1/4 c. greek yogurt
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 banana
• 1 T. peanut butter (Again, I use PB2)
• 1/2 T. cocoa powder
• 1-2 ice cubes

Carrot Cake Smoothie

Speaking of sneaky veggies! “Green” smoothies can be orange, too. And can taste like cake! I hate carrots, and this is still a favorite for me, whenever carrot juice is on clearance.

• 1/6 c. oats
• 1/2 T. chia seeds
• 1/4 c. greek yogurt
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 c. 100% carrot juice
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 2 t. REAL maple syrup (or more to taste, and the real stuff is the best!)

Blend, refrigerate at least 4 hours, and have cake for breakfast. I won’t tell. (Original idea from here, but the blog is very thinspo, so it’s not really my thing. She is pretty open about discussing her struggles with disordered eating though, and it’s interesting from that standpoint.)

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Man, we knew what was up when we were kids. We ate what we liked and we played outside. By which I mean, I had PB&J for lunch, and went for a swim afterwards. (30 minute wait time optional.)

• 1/6 c. oats
• 1/2 T. chia seeds
• 1/4 c. greek yogurt
• 1/4 c. milk
• 5 strawberries, sliced in half
• 1 T. nut butter (I use almond butter if I have it!)

Blend, refrigerate at least 4 hours and embrace the kid in you. This one isn’t particularly sweet, but it does taste JUST like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, so I’m all over it. (Original idea is from over here.)

Want to make up the oat/chia blend ahead of time and just scoop out as you go? Blend 1 c. oats with 3/8 c. chia seeds, save it in a jar, and scoop it out a VERY scant 1/4 c. at a time.

Do you have any favorite smoothie recipes I can try? I’m always up for a palatable adventure! (Anything with peaches? ‘Tis the season, after all!)