The Smoothie Club
I have absolutely zero business writing a smoothie focused blog at this point of the year, but I’ve never liked following the rules. So I bring to you – smoothies in September. Because even though its officially fall in the Northern Hemisphere, its still 80 degrees outside. And who knows, maybe some of you like ice cold beverages all year long… who am I to judge. So let’s get into it.
Through a blend of fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients, smoothies are a popular and convenient way to pack vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and nutrients into your diet. In fact, by adding healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and seeds you can help support brain health, stimulate hormone production, and bolster overall well-being. This healthy yet delicious treat can also aid digestion, regulate blood sugar levels, and promote a feeling of fullness. Smoothies make for a quick and healthy snack or breakfast option if you are someone who doesn’t have much time and needs to be able to grab your meal on the go.
With that being said, below are four of my go to smoothie recipes! I will usually swap ingredients based on what I have in the pantry, so don’t be scared to customize as you go. Each recipe should yield approximately 2 smoothies, with the exception of the hydrating pineapple cucumber ginger recipe, which usually makes closer to 3.
Hot Tips To Get You Started
If you are in need of a blender, I suggest the Vitamix 5200 Blender Professional-Grade. It’s insanely powerful, consistently top-rated, and will last for years to come. It’s also what I personally use. If you are looking for something more affordable, then I suggest opting for the highly-rated Ninja BL610 Professional 72 Oz Countertop Blender.
If you can’t afford to buy all organic products, try to purchase organic cucumbers, spinach, kale, and strawberries at a minimum. These fruits and vegetables are part of the Environmental Working Groups “dirty dozen” list, meaning they have the highest amount of unhealthy pesticide residue when grown by conventional standards.
Costco is a great place to buy frozen fruit in bulk. They also have a fantastic nut butter made from a blend of almond, cashews, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds. It has 7 grams of protein per serving and zero added sugar or oils.
You can buy flaxseed meal, chia seeds, and hemp seeds at Trader Joe’s for an affordable price.
If you purchase store-bought nut milk, check the nutrition label to make sure it is free of natural flavors, added sugars, emulsifiers, GMOs, carrageenan, and gums. A general rule is the shorter the list of ingredients, the better. An example of a clean nut milk is MALK Organic Almond Milk, which has zero shelf stabilizers or added sugars.
My ride or die protein powder is Dr. Mark Hyman’s Super Simple Grass Fed Protein. It is AMAZING and is the only protein powder I’ve ever used that causes zero bloat. It is worth the investment in my opinion. I have heard also heard good things about Garden of Life, Orgain, and Truvani, although I have never tried those personally.
My favorite collagen is Vital Proteins.
As always, let me know if you have any questions, and leave your comments below!
Hydrating Pineapple Ginger Cucumber Smoothie
Suggested Ingredients
2 cups of frozen pineapple or 1 cup of frozen pineapple and 1 cup of frozen mango
Half an avocado
1 slicing cucumber or 2-3 persian cucumbers, washed and cut into smaller pieces
Juice of 1 lime
Knob of ginger (make sure to cut the skin off of the ginger)
Handful of spinach or kale
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 cups of coconut water or 1 cup of coconut water + 1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal (optional)
1 scoop of vanilla or unsweetened protein powder
Directions: Make sure to cut the skin off of the ginger and cut the cucumbers into smaller pieces so they are easier to blend. You can add some coconut flakes to the top of the smoothie if desired.
Blueberry Bonanza Smoothie
Suggested Ingredients
1 ½ - 2 cups of frozen organic blueberries. Wild blueberries are my personal favorite!
1 small zucchini, cut into smaller pieces
Half of an avocado
1 cup of nut milk (refer to the hot tips section to make sure you are purchasing a clean milk)
1 cup of coconut water or regular water
2 tablespoons of nut butter
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of hemp seeds or flaxseed (optional)
1 scoop of protein powder (optional)
Directions: Blend all ingredients and enjoy!
Coffee Lovers Dream Smoothie
Suggested Ingredients
1 ½ cups of brewed coffee, cooled in the fridge
½ cup of unsweetened coconut or nut milk of your choice, plus more if necessary
⅓ to ½ cup of old fashioned rolled oats
Make sure to use old fashioned rolled oats, not steel cut oats. The more oats you use, the thicker the smoothie will be, so start with less and add as you go.
1 banana
2 tablespoons of nut butter
1 ½ tablespoons of cacao powder
1 tablespoon of hemp seed or chia seeds
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons of cacao nibs for an extra crunch
Handful of ice
2 scoops of collagen peptides or protein powder (optional)
Directions: Add all ingredients to a blender except the cacao nibs. Blend on high for about 1 minute, adding as much or as little ice as you want. Once its done blending, add cacao nibs and give it a very quick pulse – this will add a bit of crunch to the smoothie. If you don’t like the crunch, skip the cacao nibs. Top with cinammon if desired, and enjoy!
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Suggested Ingredients
2-2.5 cups of frozen or fresh strawberries (fresh strawberries are my favorite, but frozen work great)
1 banana
⅓ cup of greek yogurt (make sure your greek yogurt has zero added sugar)
1 tbsp of flaxseed meal or hemp seeds, depending on what you have
1 cup milk of choice
1 cup of water or coconut water (you can add more more or less water here depending on how thick you like it)
½ cup of frozen cauliflower rice
Dash of vanilla extract
Directions: Blend all ingredients, top with coconut flakes or cacao nibs if desired, and enjoy!