Headed out the door and need a quick breakfast? Want to diet without dieting? These 10 recipes will fill you up, satisfy your hunger and provide nutrients you need to stay healthy!
I am NOT a dieter!
I don’t like going on fade diets. I don’t care to feel deprived. I cook for a family and preparing extra food just for myself is never going to happen. So what’s a girl to do? I make myself smoothies each morning with ingredients that curb my appetite, give me nutrients I need and satisfy my taste buds – who wants to drink something that tastes yucky just to be healthy?
I have personally had every one of these recipes and drink them on rotation. Once you know what you’re doing, you can start mixing the recipes up and create your own flavors. You start with a “base” of greens; I use spinach always but you certainly could use a spinach/kale mixture. Then you add your “flavorings” which is your fruit. You will need Almond milk; think unsweetened here, folks. You can use Chocolate Almond milk, which is really yummy in the Mixed Berry recipe I provide. Have I encouraged you to give them a try? If so, on to recipes!
Smoothies
You’re going to need a blender. A simple blender. Plus a few healthy ingredients. Nothing that you have to special order at all! Eventually, you won’t even need the recipes; you’ll know how much 1 1/2 oz of spinach is just by looking. You’ll be able to throw everything together in under 5 minutes and be on your way! Here’s my absolute, favorite, go-to recipe:
Blueberry Banana Smoothie
Serves 1
1 1/2 oz spinach (2 cups loosely packed)
1 banana
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
3 Tbls walnuts
1 cup Almond milk
Load your blender first with the spinach. Add your banana and blueberries. Add walnuts and then your milk. Blend to smooth. Done!
**NOTE** Sometimes, I like to add 1 tsp cinnamon to the recipe. YUM!
Almond Cherry Smoothie
Serves 1
1 1/2 oz spinach (2 cups loosely packed)
3 oz tart cherries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup Almond milk
2 Tbls almonds
1 apple (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, whatever you have), cored
1/2 cup ice
Load your blender first with the spinach. Add your cherries, then nuts and apple. Next add your milk and ice. Blend to smooth.
Avocado Blueberry Smoothie
Serves 1
1 1/2 oz spinach (2 cups loosely packed)
1 pear – Bosch or Bartlett. Don’t peel but cut core away
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
2 Tbls almonds
1 cup Almond milk
1/2 cup ice
Load your blender first with the spinach. Add your pear and blueberries. Add almonds and then your milk & ice. Blend to smooth.
Blueberry Basil Smoothie
Serves 1
1 zucchini (average size from summer’s bounty), chopped in chunks
1 plum, pear or apple
1 cup fresh basil
2 oz blueberries
1 cup Almond milk
1/4 cup ice, only to thin out smoothie if it’s too thick
Load your blender first with the zucchini. Add your choice of pear, plum or apple (or add 2 or 3!) and blueberries. Add basil and then your milk & ice. Blend to smooth.
Banana Mixed Berry Smoothie
Serves 1
2 bananas
1/2 cup frozen or fresh strawberries or raspberries
1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1 cup Almond milk (good with Chocolate Almond milk)
1 tsp cocoa powder
Load your blender first with the bananas. Add your berries. Add milk & cocoa powder. Blend to smooth.
There’s 5 more to go…
Avocado Honey Dew Melon
Serves 1
1 1/2 oz (2 cups loosely packed) spinach
1/2 avocado
3 Tbls almonds
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups chopped melon (roughly chopped) – needs to be flavorful
1/2 lime, juiced
1 cup ice
Load your blender with spinach, followed by avocado, almonds, coconut milk, melon, juice and then ice. Blend to smooth.
**NOTE** If your melon has little taste, this smoothie won’t have much taste. Needs to be a good Honey Dew melon. Cantelope, when flavorful, can be a great substitute!
Kiwi Pear Smoothie
Serves 1
1 1/2 oz spinach
1 kiwi, removed from skin
3 Tbls cashews
1 pear (Bartlett, Bosch), cored
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 to 1 cup ice, to taste
Load your blender with spinach, followed by kiwi, cashews, pear, coconut milk and ice. Blend to smooth.
**NOTE** This is a very mild tasting smoothie. You may add up to 3 kiwi fruit to enhance the flavor. If you don’t blend it well, the cashews may stay in small bits; keep blending. You don’t want to be chewing your smoothie!
Pear Date Smoothie
Serves 1
1 yellow squash, medium sized
1 pear (Bartlett or Bosch)
2-3 dates, pitted
2 tomatillo, skins removed
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup water or coconut water
1/2-1 cup ice, to taste
Load your blender with squash, followed by pear, dates, tomatillo, blueberries, water and then ice. Blend to smooth.
Kiwi Strawberry Smoothie
Serves 1
1 1/2 oz spinach (2 cups loosely packed)
2 kiwi, skins removed
2 Tbls pumpkin seeds
2 cups strawberries, stems removed
1 cup coconut water or coconut milk or almond milk
1/2-1 cup ice, to taste
Load blender with spinach. Add next kiwi, pumpkin seeds, strawberries, liquid and then ice. Blend to smooth.
**NOTE** I like to make this one a Strawberry/Coconut smoothie by eliminating the kiwi and pumpkin seeks, adding 1 banana, using 1/ 1/2 cups coconut milk and not using ice. Refreshing and sweet without being unhealthy!
Detox Smoothie
Serves 1
1 1/2 oz (2 cups loosely packed) spinach
1 cucumber, not peeled, roughly chopped
1/2″ ginger, peeled
3 Tbls walnuts
1 apple, chopped (of your choice)
1 Tbls lemon juice
1 tsp matcha tea
1 cup coconut water or plain water
1 cup ice
Add spinach to your blender. Add cucumber, ginger, walnuts, apple, lemon juice, matcha tea, coconut water and finally ice. Blend to smooth.
**NOTE** This smoothie tastes very fresh!