Favorite Breakfast Smoothie

This smoothie with some home-made granola on top is one of my go-to favorite breakfasts. I eat this two to three mornings a week. It's delicious! There are a bunch of variations you can do! It's beautiful and super good for your body!

Click here to read more about how to learn to LOVE to cook: Beauty in food 

Ingredients

• Two big handfuls of spinach or kale

• 1 medium banana

• 1 1/2 cup frozen berries

  • Berry smoothie: equal parts blueberries and strawberries

  • Strawberry Mango: equal parts strawberries and mango

  • Blueberry cinnamon: all blueberries and 2-3 goods shakes of cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

• 1 tablespoon flax seeds

• 1 tablespoon hemp seeds

• 1 tablespoon almond butter (optional)

• 1 scoop Vanilla Juice Plus Complete (optional)

• Liquid

  • I love using unsweetened cranberry juice

  • Use water for a lighter smoothie

  • Use coconut milk for a thicker, creamier version

Directions

• Put all ingredients in the blender

• Add about 1 inch of liquid to the bottom for a thicker, eat with a spoon and granola type smoothie

• Add 2 to 2 1/2 inches for a drinkable smoothie

• Take one deep breath and enjoy the beautiful colors and all the good things you are putting in your body

• Blend until smooth

• I often have to get a wooden spoon and stir it around a couple times in between blending to get it to mix when I'm doing the thicker version (which is my favorite)

• Throw some granola on top to add some fun crunch and make it extra filling

Goodies In this Recipe

Juice Plus Complete Protein—There are a lot of plant based protein powders out there. I really only recommend plant based (whey is designed to create cows and we are humans not cows). The problem with plant based protein powders is that they are really easily contaminated with herbicides/pesticides and heavy metals. I recommend Juice Plus for two reasons. First, every single batch is screened by a 3rd party company (NSF—National Sanitation Foundation) for the top 5 contaminants (herbicides/pesticides, mold, bacteria, heavy metals and radiation). So it’s 100% pure! No other protein powders can say that. Second, it’s a complete protein which means your body can absorb all 13 grams. It’s amazing! It tastes amazing! It’s not chalky and I know that I know that it’s nourishing and contains no toxins. Buy it directly here. OR check and see if your protein powder is safe through the Clean Label Project.

Cranberry juice- I use cranberry juice as my favorite base for a couple reasons.  1. I love the tangy zing it adds to my smoothie. 2. Cranberry juice can disrupt the DNA in viruses, it has an anti-bacterial reaction in your stomach and it is high in vitamin C. It's a great add especially during flu season or if you work with people all day. Click here to read more. Make sure to get the unsweetened kind. It's usually called "Just Cranberry." The cranberry coctail juice with a bunch of added sugar and food coloring is NOT the same thing. 

Flax, Chia and Hemp Seeds-I love getting a good helping of protein in the morning. It helps me stay energized and full all the way until lunch. But I don't love protein powder. Even the best kinds of protein powder are still a processed food, not to mention they are expensive.  By adding a tablespoon of each of these to your smoothie you are getting 10 grams of protein, 12 g of fiber plus a whole bunch of vitamins and minerals including B1, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Selenium. These three are also high in healthy fats (the kind that actually helps your body burn bad fat) as well as omega-3's. Plus, they are all whole foods so you aren't exposing your body to processed foods from a protein powder first thing in the morning. 

Almond Butter-This adds an extra level of creaminess to the smoothie as well as adds 3.4 g of extra protein and a little extra healthy fat to help you stay full all day long. 

Kale and Spinach- It might make your smoothie a funny color but you can't taste these greens at all and they do SO much good for your body. Good leafy greens help your digestion so you get more nutrients from the food you do eat. They are packed with fiber and crucial vitamins and minerals. It's SUCH an easy way to get an extra serving or two of veggies into your diet without even having to taste them. All you taste is the berry goodness.