Adding fresh smoothies to your meal plan is a great way to add more fruits, berries and veggies to your diet without having to spend time preparing and cooking them. Smoothies are easy to digest, low on calories, filling, and they contain all the goodies of raw veggies and fruits. Adding the right ingredients can turn a smoothie into a power bomb, and they take less than a minute to make!

Whether you want to improve your nutrition, lose weight, make a quick healthy snack, prepare a protein-rich post-workout-meal, or need to get some energy before your morning run without feeling too full – smoothies are the way to go!

Fruit or berry smoothies are not only great in the morning, but they are also a healthy way to satisfy those sugar cravings during the common mid-afternoon energy crash. Green smoothies are a satisfying and healthy treat any time of the day. Raw vegetables, fruits and berries contain much more vitamins and minerals than their cooked counterparts due to the fact that heat destroys those sensitive molecules. Because raw whole fruits, berries and/or vegetables are being used, drinking a smoothie is a great way to get more fiber, vitamins, and minerals into your system.

Since the fruits, berries and veggies are blended, it is easier for our bodies to break down the nutrients, making smoothies easy to digest and a great way to get a burst of energy. In addition to fresh vegetables and fresh or frozen fruits and berries, one can add many healthy ingredients and superfoods to create the best combinations for your own nutritional needs.

The following are my favorite smoothie recipes. Ingredients can be mixed and matched of course to fit your own taste buds. You can add more water or milk-substitute to make it more liquid or add less fluids to make it thicker as of your own preference. I never use ice in my smoothies because ingesting very cold foods and liquids is not beneficial for the digestive system.

Pear, Almond and Cinnamon Dream

12-15 oz. unsweetened Plant-based Milk
2 Pears cut in pieces
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 teaspoon Maca powder (optional)
1 tablespoon Flaxseed Meal
1 pitted Date to sweeten (optional)

Put all in blender, blend about 45 seconds until smooth. Drink and enjoy.

Pineapple Party

12-15 oz of Water
2 handfuls of Pineapple chunks
1 handful of Mango chunks
1 peeled Orange
1 Banana

Put all in blender, blend about 45 seconds until smooth. Drink and enjoy.

Blackberry, Raspberry, Goji Berry & Chocolate

12-15 oz. Coconut Water or Filtered Water
1 handful frozen Peaches
2 handfuls of Blackberries and Raspberries or Blueberries
1 teaspoon Goji Berries or Goji Berry powder
1 tablespoon raw Chocolate Cacao nibs or powder
1 tablespoon Flaxseed Meal

Put all in blender, blend about 45 seconds until smooth. Drink and enjoy.

Banana, Kale, Avocado, Spirulina

12-15 oz. Water or Coconut Water
1 Banana, cut into chunks (can be frozen)
½ ripe Avocado
3 leaves/stalks of Kale
1-2 teaspoon Spirulina powder
1 tablespoon Flaxseed Meal

Put all in blender, blend about 45 seconds until smooth. Drink and enjoy.

Protein Bomb

12-15 oz. Water or unsweetened Plant-based Milk
1 teaspoon Almond Butter (or good quality Peanut Butter)
1 tablespoon Hemp Seeds or Vegan Protein Powder
1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
1 teaspoon Maca powder (optional)
1 Banana
2 handfuls fresh Spinach or Kale

Put all in blender, ca 45 seconds until smooth. Drink and enjoy.

Chia Peach Butter

12-15 oz Water or unsweetened Plant-based Milk
1 tablespoon Almond Butter (or good quality Peanut Butter)
1 handful frozen Peaches
2-3 leaves/stalks of Kale
1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
1 dash Coriander Powder
1 dash Cardamon Powder

Put all in blender, blend about 45 seconds until smooth. Drink and enjoy.

Nutritional Benefits Of Ingredients

• • Almond Butter – Protein, Calcium, Iron, Fiber, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Copper, Riboflavin, Iron, Zinc, Folate, Niacin, Thiamin, mono-unsaturated fatty acids
  • Almond Milk – Vitamin D, Vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, manganese, potassium, fiber, iron, zinc, phosphorous, calcium
  • Avocado – Mono unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6, Magnesium, Vitamin A
  • Banana – Potassium, Fiber, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin C, Magnesium
  • Blackberries – Vitamin C, Fiber, Magnesium, Vitamin A, Potassium, Iron, Calcium
  • Cardamon Powder – Fiber, Manganese Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Copper, Calcium, Phosphorus, Thiamin
  • Chia Seeds –Phosphorus, Manganese, Copper, Fiber, Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, Niacin, Thiamin, Zinc, Protein, Folates, omega-3 to 6 poly-unsaturated fatty acids, anti-inflammatory
  • Cinnamon – Fiber, Manganese, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin E, Copper, Vitamin K, Zinc, Magnesium, antibacterial, antifungal
  • Coriander Powder – Fiber, Iron, Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, Calcium, Zinc, Phosphorus, Vitamin C, Potassium, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Niacin, anti-flatulent, improves digestion
  • Flax Seed Meal – Fiber, Thiamin, Magnesium, Manganese, Copper, Phosphorus, Selenium, Iron, Calcium, Vitamin B6, Folate, Niacin, Riboflavin, omega 3 fatty acids
  • Goji Berries – Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Protein, Fiber
  • Kale – Vitamin C, Vitamin A, PVitamin B-6, Calcium, Protein, Magnesium, Iron
  • Maca Powder – Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, Fiber, Vitamin B6, Copper, Potassium, Manganese, boosts energy, improves sex drive and fertility, improves balance of hormone levels, fungicide, antiseptic
  • Mango – Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Folate, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Copper, Potassium, Magnesium
  • Orange – Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Folate, Vitamin B6, Thiamin, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium
  • Peach – Potassium, Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Magnesium
  • Pears – Potassium, Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-6, Magnesium
  • Pineapple – Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folate, Thiamin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Manganese, Magnesium, Potassium
  • Raspberries – Vitamin C, Fiber, Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin B-6, Iron, Calcium
  • Spinach – Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium
  • Spirulina – Copper, Riboflavin, Iron, Thiamin, Manganese, Sodium, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin K, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Magnesium, Folate, Phosphorus, Zinc, Selenium, Calcium
  • Turmeric – Iron, Manganese, Pyridoxine, Copper, Fiber, Potassium, Vitamin C, Phosphorus, Niacin, Riboflavin, Calcium, Protein, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory