8 Easy & Delish Breakfast Smoothie Recipes to Kick Start Your Day

Try these sensational sippers packed with nutritional & yummy ingredients

A grab and go breakfast is the aim for many of us who just don’t have time in the morning during the workweek to make an egg-white omelet or cook up a pot of oatmeal. Trust us, smoothies are the answer.

They tick all the boxes for what you want and need from breakfast. What’s more, with so many smoothie-friendly ingredients available, you’ll love the fact that you can mix it up and never be bored. Whip them up in the morning (or make the night before), then put them in an insulated to-go cup and head out the door.

Sip and go!

Looking for inspiration? You’ll find it in the single-serving recipes below.

In praise of breakfast smoothies!

“Smoothies are such an easy way to ensure a nutrient-dense meal to start your day off on the right foot,” explains Emily Fitz, a registered/licensed dietitian and creator of the food blog, Nutrititarian, from Columbus, Ohio. “By combining a mixture of fruits, vegetables, protein and fat sources, you have yourself a meal that is not only quick and well-rounded in nutrients, but one that will provide energy and keep you satisfied and full throughout your morning.”

For the perfect breakfast smoothie, she suggests beginning with fruit as your base (her favorite fruit for smoothies is frozen bananas). Next, choose a vegetable such as frozen spinach or cauliflower – two budget-friendly options that can be sneaked into any smoothie without adding much taste. The fruits and vegetables will give you carbohydrates aka the energy you need to get jumpstarted on sleepy mornings.

Next up is the protein and fat. Yogurt is a great option to add protein, but use Greek yogurt for more of the good stuff. Protein powders are also a great option, either whey protein (protein from milk) or vegetable-based protein powder.

Lastly, you need a fat source. Chia seeds, nut butter or avocado are all easy add-ins to make your smoothie satisfying. Throw all ingredients into a blender and mix with unsweetened almond milk. “In less than five minutes you’ve made yourself a healthy and delicious breakfast!” says Fitz.

Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 scoop chocolate VegaOne protein powder
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach
• 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Tropical Smoothie Recipe

• 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower
• 1 cup frozen spinach
• 1 orange
• 1/2 banana, frozen
• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Good for the gut  & nutrition-packed smoothie

New York City-based nutritionist Brooke Alpert and founder of B Nutritious offers this recipe for a brightly colored smoothie sure to put a smile on anyone’s face (even kids). Loaded with vitamin C, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, each sip provides a mega nutrient boost.

Raspberry Chia Smoothie Recipe

• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1⁄2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 cup milk of choice
• 1 Culturelle Probiotic capsule (opened and emptied)
• Honey to taste

Blend all ingredients together and serve with a few fresh raspberries on top.

Perfect smoothies for weight management

Dr. Caroline Cederquist is a bariatric physician in Naples, Florida, and author of The MD Factor Diet, as well as the cofounder of bistroMD. She and her team of registered dietitians and nutritionists specialize in assisting clients with their weight loss journeys.

They often recommend breakfast smoothies as an on-the-go way to sneak in healthy ingredients, such as daily servings of vegetables. While many fast food outlets and coffee shops offer their own versions, you’re better off making smoothies at home to ensure only good ingredients go into your body. Try this dessert-like smoothie with only 220 calories a great breakfast replacement.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Recipe

• 8 ounces unsweetened almond milk
• 4 ounces plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup dark sweet cherries, frozen
• 2 tablespoons dark cocoa powder

Blend milk, yogurt, cherries, and cocoa powder until completely smooth.

The Green Machine Smoothie Recipe

• 4 ounces unsweetened almond milk
• 4 ounces green tea, chilled
• 1 cup pineapple chunks, frozen
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 handful spinach
• 1 handful kale
• Half of a squeezed lemon
• 1 teaspoon honey

Process all ingredients together in a blender, mixing until smooth. Do not be put off by its green appearance. This superfood smoothie is super nutritious.

​Filling & thrilling for avocado lovers

“Avocado takes your smoothie to that next level of creaminess,” says Courtney Ferreira, a registered dietitian, and owner of a nutrition consulting business realfoodcourt.com, based in Baltimore, Maryland. It also adds a ton of healthy fats, which are not only good for your heart health but will also help you stay fuller, longer.

“Sometimes, we end up making smoothies that are all fruits and while this can still taste good and give us a lot of nutrients ​it also can move through our system quickly and leave us feeling hungry pretty quickly,” she explains. That’s why it’s important to add healthy fats to smoothies to help keep you satisfied without sacrificing taste. Here’s her favorite smoothie recipe.

Berry Delicious Smoothie Recipe

• 5 to 6 ice cubes
• 1/2 banana, frozen
• 1 cup of frozen mixed berries
• 1/4 fresh avocado
• 1 big spoonful of nut butter (like almond for a mild flavor)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 scoop of plain or vanilla protein powder
• A sprinkle of ground flaxseed, optional

Blend all ingredients together in a blender, mixing until smooth.

A taste of fall smoothie

New York registered dietitian Molly Cleary is huge fan of smoothies for breakfast and frequently recommends them to her patients and clients. She says you can create any kind of smoothie you like by sticking to a basic formula with a liquid base (soy milk, almond milk, or dairy milk)-added protein (protein powder, or Greek yogurt), fruit of your choice, at least one vegetable (spinach, kale, carrots, and zucchini work well), and a healthy fat (avocado, nuts or nut butter, seeds or seed butter including chia, flax, or hemp seeds). Here’s one suggestion.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Recipe

• 1 cup of vanilla soy milk
• 1/3 plain Greek yogurt
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/4 cup pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves)
• 1/4 cup granola or 1/4 cup diced apple to garnish on top (optional)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender, mixing until smooth.

Smart tips for smoothie lovers

In hopes of building a better and more healthy breakfast drink, ConsumerSafety.org has done extensive research into smoothies and put together tips and tricks based on their findings. As Caitlin Hoff, one of its health and safety investigators, points out: “It’s very easy to take a smoothie from a healthy snack or meal replacement to a high-calorie shake.”

1. Pack in the vegetables. One easy way to bulk up your smoothie with extra nutrients and fewer calories is to add more vegetables. Dark leafy greens like spinach or kale promote a heart-healthy diet and add vitamins and nutrients without overwhelming the other flavors. If you want to add more calories and stay fuller longer, cooked sweet potatoes offer extra fiber plus vitamins A and K. Hoff’s favorite veggie is roasted beets, great for adding sweet, earthy flavors. As an added bonus, beets provide folic acid, potassium, and more fiber.

2. Go easy on the sugar. Smoothie drinkers want something both nutritious and delicious, and sometimes those healthy ingredients we add don’t taste as appetizing as we want them to. Often, people add more sugar to a smoothie to disguise the bitter flavors that may be in healthier ingredients. While you don’t have to leave the sugar out completely, there are smarter ways to add it. Picking lower calorie, low-sugar fruits like berries gives you the sweetness without the sugar-high.

Opting for a smaller amount of high sugar fruits will also give you the sweetness you crave and add nutrients without adding too many calories. Finally, while sweet smoothies may be a treat, savory smoothies can be just as filling and delicious. Try using savory spices and herbs to add flavor to your smoothie without calories or extra sugar. Ginger, matcha powder, cocoa, mint, and basil provide some fantastic flavors for smoothie drinkers looking to spice things up.

3. Look to new sources of protein. Ingredients with protein are a must with any smoothie. Not only does it help build and repair muscle, but it promotes healthy bone growth, stabilizes blood sugar, keeps your energy levels high, and helps you stay fuller longer, which every smoothie drinker needs. Protein powders, however, marketed to smoothie drinkers often come full of chemical ingredients and additives that may compromise your health goals.

4. Reap the benefits of fat. Thanks to marketing and nutrition misconceptions decades ago, many people still believe fat causes fat. Adding nutrient dense fats to your smoothie and overall diet can help you lose weight by making you feel fuller sooner. Adding avocados, coconut oil, cashews or flaxseed oil to your morning smoothies can curb hunger, add nutritionally essential fatty acids, and help energize your morning. Give this version a try with chia seeds as its fat source.

Caitlin’s Morning Powerhouse Smoothie Recipe

• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• ½ banana
• ½ cup spinach
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• ½ teaspoon matcha powder

Blend all ingredients together in a blender, mixing until smooth.

Rest well & wake up ready to go!

Better sleep gives rise to better mornings, bringing your goals into focus and dreams within reach. Hungry for more sleep info? Dig into these posts:

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• 8 foods that will NOT help you sleep better