Kick up your smoothie with super add-ins

It’s so important to start each day with the right mix of nutrients. You don’t need a heavy breakfast or even all the food groups, as long as your ‘meal’ is nutrient-dense. Smoothies and shakes are a great way to jumpstart your day, if you do them right. Too much sugar and you’ll be craving bagels in an hour. Today, Kellie follows up on her previous smoothie video-article by taking a great base smoothie recipe to the next level with important, and tasty, add-ins. Check it out!

Smoothies prep recap

You always want to create the smoothie base with nutrient-dense organic ingredients, including spinach, kale, apple for fiber, another fruit or berry for sweetness, flax seed for fiber and coconut oil.

Go ahead and buy plenty of fresh organic greens and fruit to prep ahead of time so they are available for you throughout the week. It only takes about 15 minutes to prep 7 days’ worth.

Tweaking the base

You can tweak the base smoothie by using avocado oil instead of coconut oil. And today, Kellie replaces the pineapple used in the base recipe by adding in frozen strawberries and blueberries and some fresh raspberries for sweetness. Berries pair a bit better with some of the add-ins she will be using in this smoothie.

Now add 16 oz. of fresh, filtered water to your blender. You can also add in almond milk or yogurt if you prefer creamier smoothies many refer to as a shake.

Kick it up with add-ins

For today’s smoothie, Kellie will be adding organic plant-based super-foods and protein powders.

If you want your kids to love smoothies, think about adding in something like the Amazing Grass Kid’s Superfood, which our kids love; even though it contains everything from broccoli to Brussels sprouts! They can’t tell because of the chocolate flavor!

You can also use other powder brands and also flavors, like vanilla, berry or plain. If you are new to these powders, you may want to start with half the recommended add-in, which is usually a single scoop measure, which they provide.

Here Kellie adds in one scoop of berry flavored greens powder and also a scoop of protein powder to help sustain energy. You can use various plant-based or hemp-based protein powders. These come in various flavors and brands, just be sure you pick one that is a complete protein.

We like to use one that is also high in fiber for digestive and cardio health. If you choose this option as well, you will want to add some extra water and drink it more quickly, as the extra fiber and protein tend to “thicken” the smoothie rather quickly.

Blend and drink

Now blend it up!

It’s best to use a high-speed blender to break down all the ingredients into a smooth consistency. We use a Vitamix, but a Ninja or some other high-speed brands are just as good.

Pour yourself and your loved ones a glass and enjoy the energy and vibrancy you will feel all morning and into the afternoon!