Level up your smoothie game

Like the way I just lured you into reading about a healthy recipe? (I’m like a mom hiding a whole bunch of zucchini in my kiddo’s muffin - actually, I kinda was that mom.)

But seriously folks, I’m a huge fan of a smoothie – it’s a great way to cram a whole bunch of nutrition into an easy-to-make-and-tasty-as-heck drink. If you have a bit of a sweet tooth like me, you can try these out as a dessert alternative. Pro tip: try freezing your fave smoothie into silicone popsicle molds - you’re welcome.

My two+ decades in the natural health industry always has me looking at any recipe, wondering how I can make it more nutrient-dense. Below are some tips to turn your smoothie from basic to bomb with a few small tweaks!

✅Don’t sweat your base liquid. I lean towards unsweetened almond milk, but if you don’t have that on hand, water will do just fine. Unsweetened Greek yogurt is a great high-protein option.

✅Frozen fruit adds fibre, natural sweetness, and antioxidants while enhancing the overall texture of your smoothie. I keep a ziplock of bananas in the freezer at all times just for this purpose!

✅A good source of fat will make your smoothie more satisfying, keeping you full for longer. I like almond butter, peanut butter, tahini, MCT oil, and hemp hearts to name a few.

✅The sky’s the limit when it comes to add-ins; I usually open up my cupboards and see what catches my eye.

My faves include: chia seeds, flax meal powder (come thru, soluble fibre!), a pinch of Himalayan salt, a handful of spinach, vanilla extract, cinnamon, a Medjool date, cacao nibs, and a scoop of grass-fed whey protein or collagen powder.

Here's a recipe for the smoothie I made all summer. I'm including some affiliate links for some of my add-ins so that your pantry is fully stocked and ready to go:

Ingredients (1 serving)

1 frozen banana

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup nut milk (I use unsweetened Earth's Choice or Silk Almond milk)

¼ cup tahini

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp flax meal - make sure to store this in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer between uses

1 scoop vanilla whey protein  or vanilla collagen protein  

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of Redmond Real Salt

Drizzle of vanilla extract

Preparation

Purée all ingredients in a blender/Vitamix or Nutribullet until smooth - it usually takes a minute or two. Pour smoothie into a glass and revel in its deliciousness! I like to top with a sprinkling of hemp hearts, cinnamon and a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Bon appétit!

Yours in health,

Miriam