If you have a busy schedule you may not always have time to include all the important nutrients that your body needs. Or, you may not feel like a salad every single day, or dislike the taste of salmon. This is where smoothies come in.
Smoothies are awesome because you can blend up loads of minerals, vitamins & healthy fats that your body needs in one glass! Here are some of my favorite healthy smoothie ingredients:
Banana: natural sweetness & potassium (important for post-workout rehydration!)
Organic baby greens: put a handful or two of baby spinach, kale or chard in your smoothie to get the amazing health benefits of greens – fibre, vitamin A, K and iron.
Frozen berries: adds natural sweetness, antioxidants & fibre.
Organic coconut oil: this healthy fat is unique because it’s a medium-chain fat, which means it’s easily broken down by the body compared to long-chain fats that are easily stored. Coconut oil actually helps your body burn bad fat!
Avocado: an amazing source of mono-saturated healthy fats and B vitamins.
Chia seeds: a source of omega-3 healthy fats & fibre. Chia seeds absorb liquid & expand making you feel full. This feature also makes it awesome for heathy digestion.
Hemp seeds: an amazing source of omega-3 healthy fats.
Plain Greek Yogurt: high in protein & pro-biotics (healthy gut bacteria)
Progressive Vegegreens: are a combination of land, sea & cruciferous vegetables, EFAs (essential fatty acids), pro-biotics, and enzymes. It’s a great way to get all your superfood greens in one scoop. EFAs contribute to the health of the nervous system, which is good for anxiety, and probiotics & enzymes are important for healthy digestion & assimilation of nutrients.
Progressive Harmonized Vegan Protein Powder: is a dairy-free vegetable protein that includes all essential & non-essential amino acids.
Vega All-in-One Nutritional Shake includes 50% of your daily intake of vitamins and minerals, 15 g protein, 6 g fibre, 1.5 g Omega-3, Antioxidants, Probiotics and Greens.
Sun Warrior protein powder: is a raw, plant-based protein with a complete amino acid profile. It’s an easily-digestible, nutrient- dense superfood. Best of all – It tastes great!
Maca powder: is an adaptogen, which means it will help your body out with whatever it needs help with. More specifically, maca is a root native to Peru rich in amino acids, phytonutrients, important vitamins (especially B12) and minerals. It’s great for libido, regulating hormones, providing energy and stamina, forming red blood cells (fantastic for muscle recovery!), metabolizing fats/carbohydrates/protein, adrenal support and generally delivering a sense of calm and well-being. If you suffer with a lot of stress or anxiety, maca is a great natural treatment.
Here’s my Go-To Morning Smoothie recipe (serves 2):
1 banana
3 handfuls organic baby spinach/kale/chard blend (Costco)
1/2 cup frozen organic wild blueberries
1 tbsp chia or hemp seeds
1 tsp maca powder
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 scoops Greek yogurt
1 scoop Progressive Veggie Greens
1 scoop Vega Protein Powder
1/2 cup liquid: OJ, unsweetened almond milk or water
Blend & serve!
Note: you don’t need to include everything in your smoothie everyday. Start with the fruit & veg, and add as many powders & seeds as you like!
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