[Written in collaboration with nutritionist Hillary Macias – Visit Her Web Site: Healthbyhill.org]
I don’t know about you but I can’t think of anything better than sipping a refreshing smoothie on a warm spring day. Especially when you know you’re sipping on something that is feeding your brain and body well! You all know how much I love berries, but I have been experimenting with some different smoothie recipes to change things up a bit. The best smoothies should keep you hydrated and use all natural, nutrient dense ingredients. Incorporating things like fresh fruits, vegetables, oats, yogurt and milk will provide you with tons of antioxidants, probiotics, vitamins and minerals. You can pack so much nutritional benefit into one smoothie – so check out my favorite smoothie recipes below and give your taste buds a thrill!
Low Sugar Green Smoothie
-1 cup (or handful, or however much you want) spinach
-1/4-1/3 cup frozen blueberries
-2 tbsp oats
-2 tbsp apple sauce
-1/4th of an avocado
-1 cup almond milk
-Handful of ice
-1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla Stevia
Chocolate Peanut Butter Green Smoothie
-1 scoop of Vega One chocolate protein powder (You can buy Vega One at Walgreens, Whole Foods, Target!)
-2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
-1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
-1 frozen banana
-1 cup of frozen organic spinach
-1 cup ice cubes
Carrot Cake Smoothie (this is one of my favorites!!)
-1/2 frozen banana
-1/2 c frozen mango
-3/4 c sliced carrot chips
-Splash of vanilla almond milk
-Handful of ice
-1 container nonfat plain greek yogurt
-Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
Banana Berry Smoothie
-Handful of Ice
-1/2 frozen banana
-3/4 c frozen berries
– 1 Vanilla yogurt (I used low-fat Yoplait!)
-2 handfuls raw spinach
-Splash of unsweetened almond milk
-Top w/ granola, chia seeds, almond butter & berries!
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
-7 ounces chopped red cabbage, frozen (about 1/2 of a small, 4” head)
-1 1/2 – 2 cups cold water
-2 cups sliced strawberries, frozen (about 10 medium berries)
-1 small banana, sliced and frozen
-2/3 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
