I absolutely love smoothies and tend to have them often for a breakfast on the go. With two little ones, it’s sometimes much easier to drink a smoothie whilst running errands than trying to sit and eat – getting two minutes of peace isn’t easy! Smoothies also make a great snack to have in-between meals or before or after a workout too.
I wanted to share five of my personal favourites recipes as well as some of the benefits that adding an occasional smoothie into your diet can bring!
1. Smoothies are a great way to pack in 1-2 of your 5-a-day – 80g of fresh/frozen fruit or vegetables = 1 portion! My personal favouties to add in a smoothie are banana, frozen berries and a handful of spinach!
2. They can be a delicious source of protein – I always try to add some yoghurt or milk for a source of calcium too and if I’m using a plant-based milk I’ll add a scoop of protein powder too (as plant-based milks are lacking in it in comparison to dairy!).
3. They can be a great way to add in some easily digestible healthy fats – add a heaped teaspoon of nut butter or 1/2 an avocado for a boost of unsaturated fats.
4. Smoothies are a quick and convenient option if you’re short of time – You can even chop up seasonal fruits/veggies to freeze and make into a smoothie pack to make it even easier!
5. If you have little (or big!) children, adding greens into a fruit smoothie then is a great way to introduce new tastes as well as a variety of vitamins & minerals, without them grimacing!
To make my smoothies I’ve been using my new NINJA Foodi Power Nutri Blender 3-in-1 (available from Very). It’s a powerful blender that’s ideal for making fruit and protein smoothies, sauces, ice creams, homemade nut butter, and soups, as well as grinding and crushing nuts, ice, seeds, and coffee beans. All you have to do is put all your ingredients in the power Nutri jug or a cup, depending on the size you need, screw on the blade, blend, and enjoy — it’s that easy!
It’s also very simple to clean – just rinse the blade under hot running water and put the blending cup in the dishwasher… which means no washing up in between smoothies *hurray*!
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𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐃 🥣
To make these smoothies, simply blend the ingredients together! 💚
DATA & BANANA SMOOTHIE
✔️ 1/2 banana (you can freeze it first for a creamier smoothie)
✔️ 2-3 Medjool dates (pitted)
✔️ 1 tsp spoon of cocoa powder
✔️ 200ml milk of choice
✔️ 2 tsp of Greek yoghurt (or plant-based option!)
GREEN SMOOTHIE
✔️ 300ml coconut milk (or use 150ml coconut milk and 150ml apple juice)
✔️ 1 large handful of spinach or kale
✔️ 80g frozen pineapple or banana
✔️ ½ an avocado
CINNAMON PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
✔️ 250ml of almond milk
✔️ 1 banana
✔️ 150g of natural yoghurt
✔️ 1 tbsp nut butter
✔️ 1 tbsp chia seeds (soaked for 5 mins in 3 tbsp water first)
✔️ 1/2 tsp cinnamon
APPLE PIE SMOOTHIE
✔️ 250ml of unsweetened almond milk
✔️ 1 cored apple
✔️ a handful of oats
✔️ 1/2 tsp cinnamon
✔️ 1/2 a tbsp of honey
MIXED BERRY SMOOTHIE
✔️ 250ml of milk
✔️ 1 cup of frozen mixed berries
✔️ 1 sliced banana
✔️ Optional ingredients include 2 tbsp of acai powder, a small handful of spinach and/or a scoop of whey protein.
✔️ Toppings: more berries, desiccated coconut, pumpkin seeds and ground flaxseeds
*This blog post was written in collaboration with Very who very kindly gifted me the bender. Please read my disclaimer page for more information.