Super Summer Smoothies

Smoothies are fantastic any time of year, but they are especially refreshing in the heat of summer when you may need a bit more hydrating. Delicious, nutrient-rich and cold, smoothies are quick and easy to make, versatile, and a tasty way to power up your diet.  They are perfect to have for breakfast, as a light lunch, an afternoon snack or a healthy dessert.

How to Build an Awesome Smoothie

A smoothie can be your best friend or worst enemy depending on what you put in the blender so you want to keep a few things in mind: Skip the frozen sugary yogurt, sweetened fruit juice, and added sugars like honey and agave syrup. Too much sugar and too much fat and you can end up with a glorified milkshake. Instead choose your ingredients wisely and stick to nutrient dense ingredients that will give you long lasting energy.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

·      Use frozen fruit to make your smoothies thick.

·      Use water or a low calorie liquid like coconut water or almond milk as your base.

·      Add some protein powder or nonfat plain Greek yogurt for added “staying power” to control your appetite.

·      Add oats, oat bran or chia seeds to thicken your smoothies. The fiber will keep you full longer and the chia seeds will add a dose of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Smoothie building is both an art and a science so once you have the basics down experiment with healthy ingredients to vary the texture and taste. Preparation is simple: Add all of the ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth and enjoy!

Here are a few recipes to get you started but don’t be afraid to use your imagination and mix things up.

Happy blending!

PB & J Smoothie

1 cup light vanilla soymilk (or rice, hemp, almond, skim)

1 Tbs all natural peanut butter

1 cup frozen strawberries

¼ cup rolled oats

1 tsp all natural jam

1 scoop preferred protein powder

1 cup ice

Chocolate Blueberry Dream Smoothie

1 cup light vanilla soymilk (or rice, hemp, almond, skim)

½ cup frozen blueberries

3 Brazil nuts

1 Tbs cacao powder

1 tsp cacao nibs

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 scoop preferred protein powder

½ Tbs coconut oil

1 cup ice

Super Seed Smoothie

1 cup light vanilla soymilk (or rice, hemp, almond, skim)

1 pitted date

1 Tbs hemp seeds

1 Tbs chia seeds

1 Tbs flax seed

½ frozen banana

½ cup frozen strawberries

1 scoop preferred protein powder (or substitute Greek yogurt)

1 cup ice

Pumpkin Smoothie

1 cup light vanilla soymilk (or rice, hemp, almond, skim)

1/3 cup pumpkin

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp honey

¼ tsp vanilla extract

1 scoop preferred protein powder

1 cup ice

Green Smoothie

1 cup light vanilla soymilk (or rice, hemp, almond, skim)

1 6-ounce container nonfat Greek yogurt

½ cup avocado

¼ cup rolled oats

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup frozen spinach

1 cup ice