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Do you love smoothies? Welcome!
Do you dislike smoothies? Welcome!
I am both of you.
It’s hard to believe that I didn’t care for smoothies for most of my life, actually up until about a year ago. There were two main reasons for this:
- I found most of them to be too sweet, not very healthy, and figured I would rather eat four cookies if I was going to consume a lot of sugar.
- I found myself getting hungry about an hour after I drank one
- Whey protein powder never made me feel great, and that seemed to be the best tasting kind.
All of that changed last year when I started reducing dairy from my diet, working out 5-6 times a week, and made a commitment a few daily changes including a morning post-workout smoothie. I will honestly say my morning smoothie is one of the most significant changes I’ve made to lose 12 pounds, and I haven’t felt this good since before I was married.
I was turned onto the vegan, naturally sweetened protein powder made by Orgain and I was floored. This is not an ad, I am just truly in love with this stuff. It is the best tasting protein I’ve ever had and is dairy free, so no bloating or sluggishness afterward.
I have rounded up my “Smoothie Essentials”, including Orgain Protein for you in my Amazon Store, which can be found right here.
I swear by this blender, which is pricey admittedly, but it lasts forever and it is a total workhorse. I’ve had mine for 10 years and there are no signs it’s slowing down any time soon. If you want a great new blender, but don’t quite want to spend that, this is another model I recommend that everyone raves about, especially for smoothies and smoothie bowls.
The key to a smoothie that keeps you full for hours is the right combination of fiber, protein, and fat. You will see that I call for a healthy fat in each smoothie, that is by design, so while it may be tempting to skip it it makes a big difference in how satisfying that smoothie will be.
“What can I use instead?”
- I call for unsweetened almond milk in most of my smoothies but you can easily swap in water, oat milk, coconut milk or cow’s milk if that’s your preference.
- Swap in raspberries or strawberries for the blueberries in the
Blueberry Superfood Smoothie, or swap in peaches or pineapple for the mango in the The BEST Green Smoothie - If you don’t have avocado, you can use 1 Tablespoon of nut butter in its place, or even 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil or flax seed to get those healthy fats in.
I hope you find something that inspires you in this collection of recipes, and that you come to love smoothies (almost) as much as me! As always, let me know what you think and be sure to keep sharing your photos with me on Instagram, I love to see your creations!
Yes! You can substitute the almond milk with any other non-dairy milk like oat milk, coconut milk, or soy milk. If you prefer dairy, you can use regular milk as well.
Absolutely! While this recipe suggests vanilla protein powder (like Orgain), you can substitute it with any other protein powder of your choice, whether plant-based or whey protein. Just keep in mind that the flavor may change depending on the protein used.
No problem! You can replace frozen mango with frozen peaches or pineapple, both of which will still give the smoothie a tropical, sweet flavor. Fresh fruit works too, but frozen will give you a creamier texture.
If you prefer a thicker smoothie, try adding more avocado, or use frozen fruit instead of fresh. You could also add some ice cubes to the blend for extra texture.
You can substitute spinach with kale, or use other leafy greens like Swiss chard or arugula. If you want to make it more fruit-forward, you could also add more frozen fruit like banana or berries.
The BEST Green Smoothie
Ingredients
- 10 ounces unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup avocado
- 1/2 cup frozen mango, can sub peaches or pineapple
- 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
- 1 cup spinach, fresh or frozen
- 1 serving vanilla protein powder, such as Orgain
Instructions
- Blend.
- Serve with diced cucumber and diced mango.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Vanilla Chai Smoothie
Ingredients
- 10 oz. unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower rice
- 1/2 banana
- 2 ice cubes
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 inch fresh ginger, can substitute 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 serving vanilla protein, such as Orgain
Instructions
- Blend.
- Serve with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Peppermint Mocha Smoothie
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cold coffee
- 2 ice cubes
- 1/4 cup avocado
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 5 drops peppermint extract
- 1 serving chocolate protein, such as Orgain
Instructions
- Blend.
- Serve with coconut whipped cream and cacao nibs, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Blueberry Superfood Smoothie
Ingredients
- 10 ounces unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower rice
- 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup avocado
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg, optional
- 1 serving vanilla protein powder
Instructions
- Blend.
- Serve with extra berries and chia seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Salted Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie
Ingredients
- 10 ounces unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp creamy peanut butter, can sub any nut butter
- 2 ice cubes
- 1 serving chocolate protein powder, such as Orgain
- pinch fine sea salt, for topping, optional, I like pink HImalayan
Instructions
- Blend.
- Top with extra nut butter, dark chocolate chips and a pinch of flaky salt if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Green Coconut Collagen Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients
- 5-8 ounces full fat coconut milk, can substitute water or almond milk
- 1/2 cup pinneapple, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup spinach, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup avocado
- 2 ice cubes
- 1-2 scoops collagen powder, such as Vital Proteins
- 1 serving vanilla protein powder, such as Orgain
Instructions
- Start with 5 ounces of liquid, then add ingredients to blender and blend.
- Move ingredients around with the tamper, or large utensil, and blend in stages adding more liquid as needed to keep things moving.
- When smooth, tranfer to a shallow bowl.
- Serve with hemp hearts, chia seeds, and unsweetened coconut if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pumpkin Spice Smoothie
Ingredients
- 10 ounces unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, optional
- 1 serving vanilla protein powder, such as Orgain
Instructions
- Blend.
- Serve topped with pumpkin seeds and bee pollen, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing!! I’m a pumpkin spice latte fiend so being able to make this whenever the craving strikes!
I’m so glad you loved this smoothie, Annie!
Enjoy,
Kat.
I love this with granola to kick off my mornings on the right foot!
I totally agree!
Enjoy,
Kat.
I’m obsessed!! I can’t get enough of this!
I’m so glad you love this one, Talia!
Enjoy,
Kat.
Delicious! It’s not often I like vege-packed smoothies but this was so good!
Thank you so much for giving it a try, Cara!
Enjoy,
Kat.
The perfect winter treat!
I totally agree, Mel!
Enjoy,
Kat.
I’m new to the world of Chai, but this is amazing!
I’m so glad you loved it, Louise!
Enjoy,
Kat.
It rivals my local coffee houses green smoothie, and any reason to not spend $7 is a win in my book!
That’s such high praise, Penny!
Thank you for giving it a try!
Kat.
I would like to make this as a smoothie bowl. What changes do I need to make it thick enough to be a bowl instead of a drink?
Simply reduce the liquid by about 1/3 to 1/2. Be sure to move everything around with the tamper and just add more liquid as you need it!