My favorite way to ensure my family is getting lots of dark leafy greens, fruit, fiber, and nutrients every single day is thru Daily Family Power Smoothies!
Ever since having my first daughter, I’ve been on a smoothie kick. I first started off making big green smoothies for myself postpartum as a way to get extra protein and leafy greens in my diet while breast-feeding.
Once Poppy started eating solids, I began making a big pitcher of smoothies every few days for all of us to drink. A bit for my baby bear, a work smoothie for the hubs and a big smoothie for me!
Fast forward to today, and I’m making a [amazon text=full blender&asin=B00TKRQWS8] (4-5 cups) of smoothie everyday for the 4 of us!
Why I love smoothies:
- Loaded with dark leafy greens and veggies
- Fiber packed
- Delicious and filling
- Ideal for picky eaters!
My smoothies have a good mix of fruit, veggies, and power add-ins. I don’t usually follow a recipe or measure. I simply use handfuls for fruit and veggies, 1/4-1/2 cup for liquids (other than water) and 2-3 tablespoons for other power add-ins. I should note this daily smoothie is not a replacement for breakfast. All of us enjoy a cup or so of smoothie alongside a healthy breakfast.
This is not an all-encompassing list of smoothie ingredient nor do I add all of these ingredients to all our smoothies. This is a guide for all of the power ingredients we love to mix and match to make daily epic smoothies!
Fresh or Frozen?
I tend to buy most of my fruit already frozen at Costco. They have great prices on organic fruit. But you can also buy fresh! The ingredients I like to buy fresh are: kale, spinach, cauliflower, kiwi, citrus and bananas. I prep them and then freeze.
Our favorite ingredients include:
Fruit
- Blueberries – Favorite fruit for smoothies because antioxidants, fiber, vitamin K, manganese and vitamin C!!! Plus they have a pretty color and sweeten any smoothie!
- Mango – My second favorite smoothie fruit! Mango is another vitamin C, potassium and fiber packed ingredient. It provides a creamy texture and really helps to mask strong veggie flavors. If using lots of veggies, I recommend always adding mango or banana to balance flavors!
- Pineapple – A delicious tropical fruit that gives smoothies a lovely sweet tropical vibe especially when paired with spinach.
- Kiwi – Loaded with vitamin C, simply peel and throw a whole thing in!
- Apples – I normally just slice apples and throw them into smoothies with the peel. Apples are great at masking strong veggie flavors. I also love taking all the untouched apple slices my toddler doesn’t eat in a day and freezing them for tomorrow’s smoothie. Waste not my friends!
- Acai Berry Puree – I like to add Acai berry packs to smoothie for the antioxidants, healthy omegas, sweetness and rich color. I buy these at Costco every so often to change up the smoothies.
- Oranges/Grapefruit – Although a pain to peel, these immune boosting citrus rock stars are great in smoothies! I also love freezing untouched clementine slices my toddler leaves.
- Bananas – The ultimate smoothie fruit. Potassium, creaminess, undeniable sweetness. Bananas are delicious paired with kale and ginger. Warning, they do get a funky flavor over time so banana smoothies should be enjoyed right away.
Veggies
- Kale – Favorite veggie for smoothie because it is so nutrient dense and one that no one in my family enjoys eating. So instead we drink it! Since it has a strong flavor, I try to pair kale with mango, blueberries, POM juice, ginger, bananas and/or nut butters.
- Spinach – Mild and super nutrient packed. This is a super easy veggie to add a ton of in a smoothie and no one will taste a difference.
- Cauliflower – Another mild nutritious veggie that makes smoothies extra creamy. I normally buy a big head of cauliflower, chop it into little florets, wash, dry and freeze. Since this veggie is so mild, I add about ½-3/4 cup to all our smoothies.
- Zucchini – Shredded zucchini is a surprisingly easy things to add to smoothies. It doesn’t taste like much and is wonderful in the summer months. Simply shred with skin and everything, freeze on a cookie sheet and then store frozen in a large Ziploc.
- Avocado – I add avocado every once in a while especially for my toddler who doesn’t eat them otherwise. These little guys provide lots of healthy fat and creaminess with a very subtle taste.
- Peas – A high fiber, high protein favorite with a mild flavor. I normally add a big handful of frozen peas to all our smoothies, especially since my family doesn’t really like to eat them.
Power Add-Ins
- Flax Meal – 2-4 tablespoons and loaded with omega-3s, antioxidants, fiber and protein!
- Chia Seeds – Omega-3s, protein, fiber, antioxidants and calcium! These little seeds have it all! Just 2-3 tablespoons do the trick, plus they are not crunchy and disappear in the smoothie.
- Hulled Hemp Hearts – These guys pack on the protein and nutrients! I normally add between 1-3 tablespoons.
- Cinnamon – This is my favorite spice to add to smoothies. I pretty much add ½ a teaspoon to all my smoothies regardless of flavor combo. It helps to mask strong veggie flavors and has healthy anti-inflammatory properties.
- Tumeric – Just ½ a teaspoon of ground tumeric provides antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties. I also crack a tiny bit of fresh pepper because it helps your body absorb the turmeric. This is a strong tasting spice so a little goes a long way.
- Ginger – Another strong tasting root that gives smoothies extra zing! Plus it has anti-inflammatory properties, digestion aid, antioxidants, immune boost and hydration. I normally start with a ¼ inch of fresh ginger unless you and your fam just love ginger.
- Greek Yogurt – Smoothies with yogurt are extra protein and probiotic packed! It also makes the smoothies a bit creamier. Personally we stick with plain whole fat Greek since the flavored ones are loaded with sugar.
- Kefir – Another great smoothie add in for extra probiotic and protein.
- Oatmeal – ½ cup of rolled oats make a this power smoothie into a power breakfast! I add oats for my toddler and 1 year old especially when they don’t feel like eating breakfast.
- Nut Butters – Since my toddler doesn’t eat peanut butter, I add it to her smoothies. Good fat, high protein and all around good for you! Nut butters also give smoothies a much more decadent flavor.
Liquids
- WATER – I try to make our smoothies with mostly water. Over a cup depending on how big the smoothie is. I start with 1 cup roughly and then add as I go to help the blender do it’s job.
- Coconut Water – When I feel like we need extra electrolytes or are especially dehydrated, I add in some coconut water to smoothies. Coconut water lends to a slightly sweeter smoothie with a tropical flavor.
- POM Juice – 1/4-1/2 cup of POM Juice adds antioxidants, nutrients, natural sweetness and beautiful color to smoothies. I don’t add this all the time, but I love adding it when our smoothies are especially green.
- Carrot Juice – This has been a recent addition to our smoothies. Most grocery stores sell freshly juiced carrot juice so I love adding it to our smoothies for an extra carotene boost!
- Prune Juice – This ingredient is strictly for our 1 year old. Since she struggles with constipation, I will add ¼ cup of prune juice to her already nutrient dense smoothie. This helps her stay regular and makes her smoothie a little sweeter.
Building the smoothie (4-5 cups)
- Start by blending the leafy greens and about a cup of water until juice consistency
- Add the fruit, other veggies and power add-ins
- Blend until creamy (NO CHUNKS) and add more liquid if necessary
Rules:
- Smoothies with bananas should be enjoyed right away. If you use banana, do not save the smoothie for later because it will taste funky.
- A [amazon text=high power blender&asin=B00TKRQWS8] is ideal for smoothies.
- Thick smoothies are best enjoyed with thick reusable straws [amazon text=like these&asin=B079G1Z8YG].
- Get creative and try new flavor combinations!
Originally posted 2018-08-14 12:37:24.
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