20+ Quick & Easy Smoothie Recipes (No Added Sugar!) - Foolproof Living

Spinach Peanut Butter Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Sun, 02 Apr 2023 19:16:08 +0000

The combination of spinach and peanut butter may sound unusual, but the creamy nuttiness of the peanut butter perfectly complements the earthy flavor of the fresh spinach. Plus, adding a frozen banana and almond milk makes this spinach banana smoothie a naturally sweet and healthy drink that is worthy of your weekly smoothie rotation.

If you enjoy smoothies like this Peanut Butter Spinach Smoothie, you might also like our Turmeric Green Smoothie and Vegan Banana Smoothie, which are both packed with a variety of nutrients for a satisfying breakfast. And if you need more smoothie recipe inspiration, be sure to browse our collection of superfood smoothies.

Ingredients

The ingredient list of this peanut butter banana spinach smoothie is short and sweet, with plenty of substitutions and optional add-ins to make it even more nutritious. Below is everything you need to know to make this healthy green smoothie your own:

Frozen banana: I usually freeze ripe bananas when they start changing their colors. If all you have is a fresh banana (and want your smoothie to be super cold), then just add in a cup of ice cubes.
Natural Peanut Butter: I prefer unsalted and unsweetened creamy peanut butter to avoid added sugars and excessive sodium. However, you can also use other nut butter options like almond butter or cashew butter. And if you have nut allergies, you can substitute peanut butter with a seed butter of your choice.
Non-Dairy Milk: I prefer dairy free unsweetened almond milk (or vanilla almond milk), but any kind of milk would work here. Soy milk, oat milk, and coconut milk would all work.
Fresh Spinach Leaves: I recommend using prewashed and rinsed baby spinach for ease of use. While I prefer fresh spinach for its milder flavor, you can make it with frozen spinach as well.

Substitutions and Optional Add-Ins:

Yogurt: I sometimes add in a few tablespoons of whole milk yogurt for probiotics. Both plain Greek yogurt and vanilla yogurt would work here.
Superfoods: If you stock your pantry with superfoods such as chia seeds, ground flax seeds (aka flaxseed meal), and hemp seeds, you can add them in. Additionally, you can add in a few tablespoons of your favorite protein powder and powdered collagen for an extra boost.
Other leafy greens: Use other leafy greens like kale (or blanched kale) and spring mix instead of raw spinach. Kale peanut butter smoothie is just as delicious but tastes rather earthy. You can also use swiss chard and collard greens, but I would recommend blanching them first to get rid of some of their bitterness.
Sweeteners: If you like your smoothie more on the sweeter side, adding a few tablespoons of maple syrup, a few pitted dates or some honey (non-vegan option) gives is a nice sweetness.
Spices: A pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg is an easy way to give in a nice kick of flavor.

How To Make Peanut Butter Banana Spinach Smoothie?

The best part of this spinach breakfast smoothie recipe is that it takes just a few minutes to make. Simply:

Blend: Put spinach leaves, peanut butter, milk of your choice, and frozen banana (and all the optional add-ins) into a blender and blend until creamy and smooth.
Serve: Pour into a few glasses (or mason jars) and serve right away.

How To Make Ahead and Store Spinach Banana Smoothie?

Whether you make green smoothies like this for breakfast or enjoy them as a post-workout snack, with just a few minutes of advance prep, you can have them in minutes. Here is how I do it:

Make Ahead: Portion out all the ingredients (except peanut butter) and place them into a Ziplock bag. Store in the fridge (or freezer). When ready to serve, dump everything in your blender along with peanut butter and blend until smooth.
Storing leftovers: I think this peanut butter spinach banana smoothie recipe is best on the day that it is made. However, you can place the leftovers into a mason jar, put the lid on and store it in the fridge for up to 1 day. Just be sure to give it a good shake before serving.

Expert Tips:

Adjust the consistency: If you prefer your spinach banana peanut butter smoothie to have a thicker consistency add more frozen bananas along with a handful of ice cubes. And if you want it to have a thinner consistency, simply add more milk to the blender.
Use a high powered blender: If you make green monster smoothies like this one on the regular, I highly recommend investing in a high-speed blender. While you can make a good smoothie in any blender, a high-powered one makes it so much easier, especially when blending frozen fruit and leafy greens.
Chill your glass: I love serving this in the warmer summer months by the pool as an afternoon snack in a cold glass as an alternative to ice cream. I pour it into chilled glasses and serve it with a few slices of bananas and then let everyone know that I have a delicious green spinach milkshake! It disappears in minutes!

FAQs:

Why is spinach good in smoothies?

Adding a handful of spinach into your smoothie is a great idea because spinach is a low calorie, nutrient dense food that is packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It also has a mild taste that does not take over the whole smoothie and blends well with the rest of the ingredients.

Are smoothies good for losing weight?

They can be as long as they are consumed in smaller portions and without extra added sugars.

Is peanut butter good for protein smoothies?

Yes, because peanut butter is a great source of plant-based protein, with 8 grams of protein per 2 tablespoons (source.) Adding a few tablespoons of peanut butter is an easy way to get a portion of your daily protein in.

Other Smoothie Recipes You Might Like:

It is no secret that green smoothies like this Spinach Banana Smoothie have a long list of benefits and incorporating them in your daily diet (especially as a substitute for your sweet cravings), will help you feel energized and full. If you agree, here are a few other smoothie recipes you might like:

Turmeric Mango Smoothie
Mango Peach Smoothie
Kale and Pineapple Smoothie
And if you have some leftover peanut butter, be sure to try this Keto Peanut Butter Mousse recipe to treat yourself.

If you try this healthy peanut butter green smoothie recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It is a great help to others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.

Spinach Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe

Treat yourself to a refreshing Spinach Peanut Butter Smoothie, crafted with creamy peanut butter, vibrant fresh spinach and a frozen ripe banana. This naturally sweetened green smoothie is ready in 5 minutes and great as a healthy breakfast or post work-out fuel.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings servings

Calories 257kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

2 cups baby spinach leaves
2 cups unsweetened almond milk or any other regular or plant based milk
1 large banana frozen*
3 tablespoons peanut butter creamy and unsalted natural peanut butter
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds optional – plus more as garnish

Instructions

Place all the ingredients into a blender. Blend in high speed until smooth.
Pour into glasses and sprinkle with ground flaxseeds (and/or chia seeds.) Serve right away.

Notes

Banana: If you do not have a frozen banana, you can use a ripe one and add 1 cup of ice cubes into the blender.
Optional sweeteners: If you want your peanut butter smoothie to be sweeter, you can add in a few tablespoons of maple syrup, honey or a few pitted dates and blend until smooth.
Consistency: For a thicker smoothie, use an additional half a banana and for a thinner one, use more almond milk.
To Make Ahead: Portion all the ingredients (except peanut butter) and place them into a plastic bag. Store in the fridge (or freezer). When ready to serve, dump everything in your blender along with peanut butter and blend until smooth.
Storing leftovers: I think this peanut butter spinach banana smoothie recipe is best on the day that it is made. However, you can place the leftovers into a mason jar, put the lid on and store it in the fridge for up to 1 day. Just be sure to give it a good shake before serving.

Nutrition

The post Spinach Peanut Butter Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Peach Mango Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 17:58:22 +0000

It is no secret that smoothies are the ideal summer breakfast/snack with a long list of benefits, especially if they are made without any additional sugars, just like this peach mango smoothie recipe.

Over the years, I have shared so many Superfood Smoothie Recipes and have no plans of slowing down. If you are a fan as well, be sure to check out Cantaloupe Smoothie and Mango Turmeric Smoothie, both of which are perfect for warmer months.

Ingredients

To make this peach mango drink, you will need fresh mango, peach slices, fresh orange juice, ice cubes, and your favorite yogurt.

Substitutions & Possible Add-Ins

Frozen Fruit: If fresh peaches and mangos are not in season, you can always make this mango and peach smoothie with frozen peaches and mangos. If you’re going to use frozen fruit, make sure you use less ice. Using ice and frozen fruit results in a really thick smoothie, almost like a peach mango puree. Of course, if you’d rather have a smoothie with a thicker consistency, you can always make a smoothie bowl.
Yogurt: Greek yogurt is a key ingredient to give this smoothie the creamy texture and tangy taste that pairs so well with sweet tropical fruits. The good thing is that you can use any type of yogurt. I have also made this smoothie using my vanilla yogurt many times and it turned out great. For a low-fat option, use skim milk yogurt; for a vegan smoothie, use vanilla almond milk yogurt or soy milk yogurt. If you want to enhance the peach flavors, you can even add in a coconut milk-based peach yogurt. And if peach and mango smoothie with yogurt is not your thing, add a handful of unsalted cashews to achieve a similar consistency.
Add a banana instead of sugar: While I think that ripe peaches and mangos make this smoothie sweet enough, if you want to add a bit more sweetness, I recommend adding a ripe banana. A refreshing peach mango banana smoothie is ideal, especially if you are serving it to kids as a poolside snack.
Add in some protein and more superfoods: As it is with any smoothie recipe, you can add in a tablespoon of hemp seeds, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, or even your favorite protein powder for an added nutritional boost.
Play around with adding other fruit: Add a touch of tropical flavor to your summer fruit smoothies by adding pineapple, strawberries or any of your other favorite fruits in season.
Make it a juice instead: Want to make it a peach mango juice recipe? While it is healthier to eat fruit as a whole (or in pureed form like it is in this recipe), you can strain it through a colander to turn it into a juice instead.
Add greens: If you’re a fan of green smoothies, add a handful of spinach or kale to make sure you’re getting your daily vegetable intake.
More flavor: Adding a dash of vanilla extract or maple syrup to your mango peach yogurt smoothie is a quick and easy way to elevate the overall flavor of the drink.

How to Make This Recipe

Making this tropical mango peach smoothie cannot be easier. Here are the steps:

Blend ingredients: Combine mango chunks, peaches, orange juice, yogurt, and ice cubes into a blender. Pulse your ingredients a few times before blending them at high speed until it has a smooth consistency.
Serve: Pour your smoothie into your favorite glass. I like to garnish it with hemp seeds on top before serving, but it’s optional.

How to Store

Store your drink in a cup with a lid (like a mason jar) for easy storage. It should be good for up to two days. Note that the longer it stays in the fridge, the more liquid it will become. Make sure you shake it up before serving it.

FAQs

What fruits blend well with peaches?

Peaches blend well with oranges, strawberries, apricots, and pineapples.

How many calories are in a peach mango smoothie?

This smoothie recipe has 278 calories per serving. Please review the recipe card below for more nutritional information.

What is a good fruit combination with mango?

You can add various kinds of fresh fruit to your mango puree smoothie recipe to make it even more flavorful. Different fruits such as strawberries and raspberries are great for summer months, whereas a ripe banana is a great option for all-year-round.

Other Smoothie Recipes You Might Also Like:

If you liked this mango peach smoothie recipe, here are a few other delicious reader-favorite smoothie recipes you might enjoy:

If you try this Peach-Mango Smoothie recipe or any of our other smoothie recipes on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.

Peach Mango Smoothie Recipe

This 5-ingredient Peach Mango Smoothie is the perfect easy breakfast or afternoon snack for a refreshing boost of nutrients! Make this tropical smoothie in only 5 minutes with fresh or frozen fruit.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings serving

Calories 278kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

1 cup mango cut into large chunks from 1 large ripe mango
1 cup peach cut into large chunks for 2 small or 1 large ripe peach
¾ cup orange juice or pineapple juice
¼ cup Greek yogurt or any other one of your favorite yogurt
1 cup ice

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve right away.

Notes

Fruit: If fresh fruit is not available, you can use frozen mango and frozen peach instead. If you use frozen fruit, I recommend adding half the amount of ice.
Yogurt: You can use any type of yogurt you like here, homemade vanilla yogurt or even your favorite brand of vegan yogurt would also work.

Nutrition

The post Peach Mango Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Cantaloupe Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Tue, 31 May 2022 15:38:44 +0000

Why Should You Try This Smoothie Recipe?

This simple melon shake is as nutritious as it is refreshing, and you won’t believe how easy it is to make. With so much to love, this cantaloupe smoothie recipe will be your new go-to treat perfect for a hot summer day.

No sugar is added to this naturally sweet cantaloupe yogurt smoothie, making it a refreshing (and healthy!) treat to have first thing in the morning or even for dessert.
You can make this cantaloupe shake recipe for nearly any special diet. Anyone who follows a vegan, gluten-free, or even dairy-free diet can enjoy this tasty drink—alongside my Mango Tumeric Smoothie or any one of my other Turmeric Smoothies, of course.
Needing only 5 ingredients and less than 10 minutes, this beginner-friendly drink is one of the most effortless cantaloupe smoothie ideas out there.

Ingredients

To make this cantaloupe shake, gather cubed cantaloupe, unsweetened plain yogurt, orange juice, and ice. Because the high water content of melon can lead to a watery texture, you’ll also need a half-cup of another fruit, such as mango.

Substitutions & Additions

Putting cantaloupe in a smoothie is the best way to make a healthy drink without a lengthy shopping list. Make your frozen melon smoothie countless ways with these simple substitutions.

Freeze cantaloupe: To make a frozen cantaloupe smoothie, freeze your fresh cantaloupe pieces before blending. Note, however, that you may have to pulse your smoothie for extra time to break up the frozen bits.
Second fruit: Almost any sweet fruit will work alongside your cantaloupe, including strawberry, pineapple, banana, and mango. You can also freeze this second fruit if you have time or add extra ice cubes for a refreshing chill.
Juice: Adding juice is one of my favorite ways to add sweetness to my summer smoothie. However, though I use orange juice (I squeeze it myself instead of using orange juice from concentrate) in my smoothie routine, pineapple juice would also work.
Milk instead of juice: If you prefer to make your cantaloupe smoothie with milk, any kind will do. For instance, you can make cantaloupe smoothie recipes with almond milk, cashew milk, or even coconut milk. Just note that you may have to add a little honey, honey syrup, or simple syrup to make your smoothie a bit sweeter if you prefer.
Yogurt: I use plain Greek yogurt in my smoothie recipe, but you could also use a dairy-free alternative instead. Like the almond milk yogurt I use in my Vegan Banana Smoothie, vegan yogurt makes a great, diet-friendly substitution.
Additional Sweetener: I think this orange cantaloupe smoothie recipe is adequately sweet as written, but if you want it sweeter you can add in a few tablespoons of honey syrup or as it blends.
Add protein (optional): To make this healthy smoothie recipe even more nutritious, try adding extra proteins. Simply add a teaspoon of ground flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, collagen peptides, nut butter, or your favorite protein powder.

How to Make a Cantaloupe Smoothie

Smoothie recipes with melon are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without breaking a sweat. This cool, fruity treat will be the easiest drink you make all summer.

Blend ingredients: Place the ingredients into a blender, preferably with fruit on the bottom and ice at the top. Pulse the ingredients a few times, then blend on high until smooth. If you do not own a blender, you can use a food processor for blending as well.
Serve: Pour the mixture into a glass and, if desired, garnish with cantaloupe. Drink immediately.

Variations

Make dozens of smoothie recipes with cantaloupe with these yummy variations. Whether you’re craving a sweet cantaloupe berry smoothie or a creamy banana variation, we’ve got you covered!

Frozen cantaloupe smoothie: Want to give your melon smoothie extra chill? Freeze your cantaloupe cubes for 4-8 hours before blending.
Cantaloupe banana smoothie: If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast that’s equal parts sweet and creamy, a banana smoothie is just what you need. Simply swap out your mango for a half-cup of sliced banana.
Strawberry cantaloupe smoothie: Give your recipe a tart, summer-fresh flavor with a match made in heaven: cantaloupe and strawberries! No one can resist the fresh fruit of this easy recipe.
Watermelon cantaloupe smoothie: No one can resist a refreshing smoothie recipe with double the ripe melon. For this delicious recipe, I recommend adding a full cup of cubed watermelon to keep your smoothie from becoming too watery.

How to Store

Smoothie recipes with melon are a godsend when it comes to easy storage. Simply place your smoothie mixture in a bottle with a tight-fitting lid, like a mason jar. Drink within 2 days, being sure to shake the smoothie before pouring.

Please note that your smoothie will likely get watery as it sits in the fridge. To keep your cantaloupe smoothie’s creamy texture, I recommend enjoying your beverage on the day it’s made.

FAQs

No guesswork is necessary when making this recipe for a melon smoothie. Whether you have questions about substitutions or nutrition information, this handy guide is just what you need.

Can you put cantaloupe in a smoothie?

Yes, you can use cantaloupe in a smoothie! Adding melon to smoothies is the perfect way to make a naturally sweet, creamy, and healthy treat.

How to make a cantaloupe smoothie with milk?

If you don’t want to add juice to your smoothie, you can use milk instead. Any milk will work, but you may have to add extra sweetness with ingredients like honey or Honey Simple Syrup if you like your smoothies on the sweeter side.

Can cantaloupe be frozen for smoothies?

Absolutely! Simply cut your cantaloupe into 1-inch cubes, arrange them on a sheet pan, and put them in the freezer for 4-8 hours. Then, blend your ingredients.

Is cantaloupe smoothie good for you?

Using natural, nutrient-packed ingredients, this cantaloupe smoothie with yogurt is a tasty and healthy way to get extra vitamins. Just one serving of cantaloupe fills your daily need for vitamin c and vitamin A.

Similar Smoothie Recipes You Might Like:

It is no secret that drinking a smoothie a day has its benefits. If you are new to making your own smoothies you are in for a treat because I have so many recipes for you. Below are a few recipes to get you started.

Turmeric Ginger Smoothie
Healthy Chocolate Smoothie
Watermelon Cucumber Smoothie
Dragon Fruit Smoothie
Can’t get enough? Check out all our Superfood Smoothies

If you try this Cantaloupe Smoothie recipe or any other smoothie recipes on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It is a great help to others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.

Cantaloupe Smoothie Recipe

This Cantaloupe Smoothie recipe is an easy, quick and healthy breakfast or snack you can make in minutes. Made without any sugar, this melon smoothie is incredibly refreshing perfect for a hot summer day.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings serving

Calories 197kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

1 cup cantaloupe cut into 1 to 2-inch cubes
½ cup mango strawberry, or banana, cut into small pieces*
¼ cup unsweetened plain yogurt or vanilla yogurt or vegan yogurt
½ cup orange juice or pineapple juice
1 cup ice

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
Pour into a glass and garnish with cantaloupe if desired. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

This recipe can easily be multiplied.
I think it goes without saying that the riper the fruit the sweeter your smoothie will be. So, if you prefer it on the sweeter side be sure to pick a ripe cantaloupe white you are at the grocery store.
You can use frozen cantaloupe if you want. However, if you do so, I would recommend using 1/2 cup of ice.
Storage: Simply place your smoothie mixture in a bottle with a tight-fitting lid, like a mason jar. Drink within 2 days, being sure to shake the smoothie before pouring. Please note that your smoothie will likely get watery as it sits in the fridge. To keep your cantaloupe smoothie’s creamy texture, I recommend enjoying your beverage on the day it’s made.

Nutrition

The post Cantaloupe Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Turmeric Smoothie Recipes (Vegan and No Sugar Added)

Aysegul Sanford — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 15:26:00 +0000

If you are fan of consuming warm drink recipes like golden milk or turmeric tea on the regular, then today you are in for a treat. Because today, we are making turmeric smoothies. Known with its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric is a superfood that has been around for a very long time.

In this post, I will answer some of the most popular questions about using fresh or ground turmeric in smoothies along with my favorite turmeric smoothie recipes that I make on the regular. Similar to all of my other healthy smoothie recipes, the ones I am sharing here are vegan (no dairy), no added sugar and made with simple every day ingredients that you can easily find in your local grocery store.

Though before I continue I want to mention one thing. Please consult your doctor for personalized medical advice and eat based on his/her recommendations. The long list of health benefits of turmeric is quite well known and accepted but you and your doctor know your needs better than anyone.

Why Should You Try My Turmeric Smoothies:

Quick & Easy: Making a quick and creamy turmeric smoothie in the morning is an easy way to get your daily dose of superfoods and strengthen your immune system, even when you are on the go.
Good for you: In addition to being a powerful antioxidant, turmeric helps with inflammation issues, especially when mixed with other superfoods like fresh ginger, chia seeds, spinach, flax seeds, tropical fruits, etc.
They taste good: I developed these recipes to make sure that they have the right balance of natural sweetness coming from fruits to mask the spicy flavor of turmeric (especially if you are using ground turmeric) that some people don’t care for.

Below are my answers to some of the FAQs along with a few of my favorite turmeric smoothie recipes.

Why do we use black pepper and oil with turmeric?

Before I share the following recipes, I want to talk about two ingredients that I used in every single smoothie below that come as a surprise to you: Black Pepper and Coconut Oil.

Add a pinch of black pepper

The most well known and researched component in turmeric that is hailed for health is called curcumin. Its usage goes back to the ancient Ayurvedic practice and has been known to promote the holistic health of the body with its powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-cariogenic properties.

The sad thing is that our bodies cannot absorb curcumin when we consume it just by itself.

This is where black pepper comes handy. The active ingredient in black pepper, piperine, increases the bioavailability (here is a detailed definition of this technical word) of curcumin by 2000% (source).

The good news is that you do not need to use a lot. All you need is a pinch of black pepper. In the turmeric smoothie recipes below, you don’t even taste it.

A Splash of coconut oil or ghee

If you look back at the ancient Ayurvedic practice you will see that they make their golden milk with a little bit of clarified butter. They do this because curcumin has poor solubility in water. In other words, consuming turmeric with a little bit of fat helps us benefit from curcumin’s full potential.

Therefore, I added a little bit of oil in my smoothies. I opted for ½ teaspoon coconut oil as it is widely available, but if you have access to ghee you can use that as well.

Again, similar to black pepper, you do not taste the coconut oil in the smoothie recipes I shared in this post.

FAQs

How to use turmeric in smoothies?

You can use both ground turmeric spice (also known as turmeric powder) or fresh turmeric root in your smoothie recipes.

How much turmeric to put in a smoothie?

The following ratios might change depending on the recipe, but my general rule of thumb for 2 servings of a turmeric smoothie is to use ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric spice or ¼ teaspoon of grated fresh turmeric root (about 1-inch).
I personally find fresh turmeric root to be more potent compared to its spice version so I use half the amount. However, I recommend starting with these ratios and adjusting it to your liking.

Delicious turmeric smoothie recipes for all year round

Below are my favorite turmeric smoothies that I make throughout the year. All of the recipes below are vegan (dairy-free), gluten-free, and no sugar added.

If I am making these during the winter months I usually do not add ice into the blender. However, during the summer months, I almost always add in a cup of ice cubes to make it even more refreshing.

Mango Turmeric Smoothie

This is the smoothie that I make when I am in need of the tropical flavors. Made with fresh mango and pineapple, it is made even more nutritious with the addition of a tablespoon of chia seeds.

Don’t have access to fresh fruit? You can also use frozen fruit to make this smoothie.

Get the recipe

Turmeric Ginger Smoothie

This is what I call the superfood smoothie of all times. This turmeric smoothie is carrot and orange-based, so you also get your daily dose of Vitamin C right off the bat. Since they are both so sweet and flavorful, when used together they can mask the potent flavors of fresh ginger and turmeric pretty well.

This is the smoothie I make myself when I feel like I need an afternoon pick me up. It opens my eyes and makes me feel good immediately.

Get the recipe

Spinach Turmeric Smoothie

This is my favorite green smoothie recipe. Made with almond milk, spinach, ground flaxseeds, and fresh (or frozen) pineapple, it is packed with all kinds of good-for-you ingredients.

Want to switch it up? Feel free to switch things up by using fresh kale instead of baby spinach or coconut milk instead of almond milk or chia seeds instead of ground flaxseeds. And if you like kale and pineapple combo, be sure to try my Pineapple Kale Smoothie recipe.

Get the recipe

Are you someone who enjoys turmeric drinks on the regular?

If you are someone who enjoys adding turmeric to smoothies, curries, or simply in hot milk before bed, I highly recommend keeping a jar of turmeric paste in your fridge. I usually make it once a month and use a small amount (usually about 1 teaspoon) every day.

And if you want to use this turmeric paste in these smoothie recipes instead of the turmeric spice, black pepper, and coconut oil, you can simply use ½ teaspoon of turmeric paste instead.

Get the recipe

Need more smoothie recipe inspiration?

Here are a few more posts to get you inspired:

Benefits of Smoothies
My favorite Superfood Smoothies – All vegan and no sugar added

Turmeric Smoothie Recipes

Get the recipe for my go-to dairy-free, no sugar added and vegan spinach turmeric smoothie recipe.

Course Smoothies

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings servings

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

Spinach Turmeric Smoothie

2 cups baby spinach or kale rinsed and washed
3 cups of pineapple chunks fresh or frozen
½ teaspoon of ground turmeric spice
1 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 cup of water
1 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
Pinch of black pepper
½ teaspoon coconut oil melted and cooled

Mango Turmeric Smoothie

2 cups of chopped mango fresh or frozen
½ cup pineapple chunks fresh or frozen
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 ½ cups of coconut water
A pinch of black pepper
¼ teaspoon coconut oil

Turmeric Ginger Smoothie

3 stalks of carrot washed peeled and cut into chunks
1 ½ cups of chopped oranges
1 ½ cups of coconut water
1- inch fresh ginger grated (about ½ teaspoon)
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Pinch of black pepper
½ teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a blender and blend until smooth.
Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Do I add ice to the blender? If I am making these during the winter months I usually do not add ice into the blender. However, during the summer months, I almost always add in a cup of ice to make it even more refreshing.
Can I make these smoothies the night before? Yes, you can. Simply make a batch in the blender, place it in a jar or bottle with a tight fitting lid and store it in the fridge until the morning. Be sure to give it a good shake before drinking. I recommend consuming your turmeric smoothie within the 24 hours.

The post Turmeric Smoothie Recipes (Vegan and No Sugar Added) appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Kale Pineapple Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 21:53:00 +0000

Last summer I had one goal in mind and that was to share as many healthy smoothie recipes as I can. I even gave it a name, Summer Smoothies. In just a short few months I shared over 10 vegan, sugar-free and healthy smoothie recipes. Going into it, my long term plan was to turn this into a summer tradition and share weekly smoothie recipes during the summer months in the years to come.

Sadly, life happened and I dropped the ball on that plan this summer. However, I am a firm believer that it is better late than never, so even if it means that I am sharing only one smoothie recipe for the whole summer of 2018, this Kale Pineapple Smoothie recipe should be on the blog.

With fresh summer produce (including gorgeous kale) in abundance, this healthy kale smoothie is what we have been drinking for breakfast for the last few weeks. For me, it is one of those tropical smoothie recipes that works as an instant energy boost that gets you going pretty quickly.

If you love green smoothies and pineapple and need a great kale shake to help you start the day in the right foot, I am pretty sure you will enjoy this smoothie.

How To Make Kale Pineapple Smoothie

The recipe calls for only 5 ingredients. As the name suggests, kale and pineapple are in there. Plus, I used chia seeds for additional nutrition, unsweetened homemade almond milk as liquid, and a ripe banana for creaminess.

With that being said, I know some people do not care for bananas in green smoothies. If you are one of those people, you can easily switch banana with an avocado. In my opinion, pineapple is sweet enough that you won’t need any additional sweetener. However, if you feel it needs some additional sweetener you can always add a few tablespoons of maple syrup or honey. Though either way, I recommend giving it a taste first.

How To Make Kale Taste Good in Smoothies

I get asked this question all the time: How do you make kale smoothies taste good? Though I think there is no one way, I found that the best thing to do is to find the best ratio of sweetness and creaminess that will balance the bitter taste of kale.

The ratio that works for me is to use 1 ½ cups of ripened fruit for every 2 cups of kale. While that formula usually works well, fruits like pineapples can be sweeter than other fruits so it is always a good idea to taste the fruit and adjusting the amount you use according to your sweetness preference.

Additionally, adding some fat into the recipe will help mask the bitterness coming from kale. In the recipe below, I used almond milk as the liquid. Since almond milk is high in (healthy) fats, it helped quite a bit. If you try making this pineapple kale smoothie recipe using avocado instead of bananas, you will realize it will be even less bitter.

Alternatively, you can use different plant-based milk options like cashew milk or coconut milk.

How Many Calories Are There In A Kale Smoothie

If you make this as a Kale Pineapple Banana Smoothie (using banana instead of avocado), it will be 84 calories with 2 grams of fat and 8.9 grams of sugar per serving. You can see a detailed outline of the nutritional data underneath the recipe.

If you swap banana with an avocado, the calorie count will jump up to 114 calories with 7.1 grams of fat and 5.4 grams of sugar. The good thing is that if you are someone who consumes avocado in moderation, it a very healthy and nutritious way to add good fats into your diet.

Neither of the recipes mentioned above have any additional sugar added in them. Like I mentioned earlier, I find pineapple to be sweet enough so I don’t see it necessary to add-in. However, if you decide to use maple syrup or honey, the calorie information would change.

With all this being said, the calorie value of a kale smoothie, in general, will depend on the type of fruit used.

Expert Tips

Feel free to switch pineapple with berries or cherries when they are in season.
I also love adding a tablespoon of hemp seeds when I have them at home. They don’t have a very distinctive taste, but they are so nutritious.
If you want to make ahead, you can prep pineapple chunks and kale in advance, place in a resealable bag and freeze until you are ready to use.

If You Liked This Kale Pineapple Smoothie Recipe You Might Also Like

Peanut Butter Spinach Shake – Foolproof Living
Cantaloupe Smoothie
Turmeric Smoothies
Green Zinger Smoothie – Boulder Locavore
Turmeric Green Smoothie – Foolproof Living
Vegan Banana Smoothie Recipe
Immune Boosting Multi-Colored Beet Smoothies – Foolproof Living
Want more smoothie inspiration? Check out all our smoothie recipes

Kale Pineapple Smoothie

Ready to start your day with an energy boosting and healthy smoothie? If so, try this Vegan Kale Pineapple Smoothie. Made with only 5 ingredients, it is ready in than 10 minutes.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 5

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 101kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

2 cups kale rinsed, stems removed and coarsely chopped
1 ½ cups fresh pineapple cubed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 ripe banana peeled and cut into small chunks
1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
Maple syrup - optional
1 ½ cups ice

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until fully mixed and smooth.
Taste for sweetness and add in maple syrup if you think it is necessary.
Serve immediately.

Nutrition

The post Kale Pineapple Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Mango Turmeric Smoothie Recipe

Aysegul Sanford — Sat, 29 Feb 2020 17:54:33 +0000

I used to think that morning smoothies were more of a summer-time thing than a cold winter morning thing. But then we moved to Vermont, aka the land of long and cold winters.

I do not think so anymore.

Nowadays there is nothing more than I look forward to than a big glass of freshly blended smoothie. Especially if it is packed with turmeric. Whether it is a green turmeric smoothie, ginger turmeric smoothie, or one of my other superfood smoothies, I love whipping up one to start the day on the right foot.

Today’s recipe, Mango Turmeric Smoothie recipe is the newest addition to my collection of turmeric smoothies. It comes together in 5 minutes and it is vegan so you have no excuse to not try it.

If you are like me, in desperate need of sunshine and tropics in your life, join me as I make this turmeric mango tropical smoothie.

Ingredients:

You will need:

Mango: I used 2 fresh mangos, but frozen mango would also work. You’ll need about 2 cups of it.
Pineapple Chunks: I added half a cup of fresh pineapple (to sweeten it a little bit more) but frozen would also work. If you don’t have pineapple, you can also use a fresh or frozen banana.
Unsweetened Coconut Flakes: I added half a cup of unsweetened coconut flakes into the smoothie to enhance the tropical flavors.
Ground Turmeric: I used half a teaspoon ground turmeric powder. If you can get your hands on fresh turmeric root, I would suggest using ¼ teaspoon grated fresh turmeric.
Chia Seeds: I added a tablespoon of chia seeds to increase the nutritional values of the smoothie. If you don’t like/have chia seeds, you can also use a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds or hemp seeds.
Unsweetened Coconut Water: The “liquid” in this turmeric recipe is coconut water. I used one and a half cups of it, but if you can adjust the amount to your preference. If you do not have access to coconut water, you can swap it with an equal amount of unsweetened almond milk.
When it comes to purchasing coconut water I usually buy one that has only one ingredient in it and that is coconut water. I prefer not to buy ones with sugars or preservatives. This brand is my favorite one.
Ground black pepper & Coconut Oil: A pinch of ground black pepper and half a teaspoon of coconut oil are all you need to activate the most important compound in turmeric, curcumin (source.)
If you want to know more about why we use these two ingredients and the health benefits (and anti-inflammatory properties) of curcumin, please read my golden milk post.
Fresh Ginger (optional): When I feel under the weather or need a little bit more of a pick-me-up, I also add in half a teaspoon of grated ginger. The combination of turmeric, ginger, and mango makes the best smoothie.
Don’t have fresh ginger on hand? Use ½ teaspoon of ground ginger.
Natural Sweeteners (optional): I personally think this smoothie is very sweet by itself. However, after giving it a taste, feel free to add in natural sweeteners like dates, maple syrup or coconut sugar.

How to make this mango turmeric tropical smoothie

To make this smoothie, place all the ingredients in a blender and start blending at a slow speed. Then increase the speed to high and blend until fully blended.

Mango turmeric smoothie calories

The recipe below serves two people and it is 189 calories per serving. For more nutrition information for this smoothie recipe please check the recipe card below.

Similar Recipes You Might Also Like

Mango Turmeric Smoothie Recipe

Love smoothie recipes made with turmeric? Then try this vegan and no sugar added mango turmeric smoothie recipe. Made with a blend of mango, pineapple and ground turmeric, it is a great way to start the day on the right foot.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings servings

Calories 189kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

2 cups chopped mango fresh or frozen
½ cup pineapple chunks fresh or frozen
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut water
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend in high power until smooth.
Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Optional: If you are a lover of fresh ginger, you can also add in 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger into this recipe.

Nutrition

The post Mango Turmeric Smoothie Recipe appeared first on Foolproof Living.

5-Ingredient Turmeric Ginger Smoothie Recipe

Aysegul Sanford — Tue, 25 Feb 2020 19:35:08 +0000

My love for the turmeric and ginger combo started a few years ago right after we moved to Vermont. The sudden temperature change from our life in the Caribbean to our new life in Vermont made my poor body struggle so much that I had to increase my intake of superfoods.

Since then I have taken up the habit of drinking a cup of my ginger turmeric tea during these cold winter months to make myself feel better. Today’s recipe, Ginger Turmeric Smoothie, is inspired by that drink.

It is a dairy-free carrot-based smoothie that is flavored with oranges, fresh ginger, and ground turmeric. It is naturally sweetened with oranges and sweet carrots.

CARROT GINGER TURMERIC SMOOTHIE INGREDIENTS

This turmeric smoothie is made in a high powered blender using only 7 ingredients. They are:

Carrots: I used 3 medium-sized whole carrots and juiced them in my Vitamix (more on that and using other blenders and/or a juicer later)
Whole Oranges: When it comes to smoothies I prefer using whole oranges instead of using orange juice only. In this carrot turmeric smoothie, I use 3 peeled Cara Cara oranges but any type of orange you can get your hands on would work.
Coconut Water: The “liquid” in the recipe is unsweetened coconut water. When it comes to buying coconut water, I highly recommend reading the labels and getting one that has only one ingredient (coconut water) in it. This brand (affiliate link) is my favorite one.
Fresh Ginger: This recipe uses only one inch of fresh ginger.
Ground Turmeric Spice: Since it is widely available I opted for using half a teaspoon of ground turmeric powder. However, if you can get your hands on it, you can use fresh turmeric root as well. If you do so, I recommend using a quarter of a teaspoon of grated fresh turmeric.
Ground Black Pepper: Use a pinch of black pepper to activate the most beneficial compound in turmeric, aka curcumin.
Coconut Oil: Using a half a teaspoon of coconut oil in turmeric smoothies helps our bodies absorb all the benefits of curcumin as it is a fat-soluble compound.

Wondering why we use ground black pepper and coconut oil when we use turmeric smoothies?

The quick answer: One of the most well-researched compound in turmeric is called curcumin. It is known high in antioxidants and known with this antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cariogenic properties. (Source) Unfortunately, our bodies are unable to absorb it by itself so we use a pinch of black pepper and coconut oil to reap all of its benefits.

Longer answer: If you would like to learn more about curcumin and why we use black pepper and coconut oil in more detail, you can find more detailed information in this Golden Milk Recipe post.

HOW TO MAKE GINGER CARROT JUICE SMOOTHIE

If you own a high powered blender like Vitamix (affiliate link), blending carrots in smoothies and making carrot-based smoothies is a breeze.

Place all ingredients in the blender, turn the machine on and slowly increase the speed until it is fully blended.

If you think that it is too thick, add in a splash of coconut water and blend until it is to your liking.

At this point you might ask:

CAN VITAMIX MAKE CARROT JUICE?

As I was testing this recipe I wondered if I could juice a carrot in my Vitamix. Mostly because I wanted to consume the whole vegetable instead of only drinking its juice.

The answer is yes. As a matter of fact, making carrot juice with Vitamix is a breeze. With the help of some liquid (in this case unsweetened coconut water) and whole oranges (that are very juicy), you can easily juice carrots in a high powered blender.

WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A HIGH POWERED BLENDER?

If you don’t have a juicer or a high powered blender or if you prefer a thinner (more of a juice like) carrot juice then I would recommend blending the carrots with coconut water first and straining it through a medium-mesh strainer that is lined with cheesecloth.

Alternatively, you can also use a good quality nut milk bag (affiliate link) to strain the carrot juice.

VARIATIONS:

If you like to make turmeric smoothies on the regular, I highly suggest making a batch of my golden paste recipe. If you decide to do so simply use a teaspoon of it instead of ground turmeric, black pepper, and coconut oil.
What if I wanted to make a juice instead? Can I use the same ingredients? With a few minor adjustments, you can easily make a Carrot Ginger Turmeric juice in no time. If you want to do so, juice the same amount of carrots, oranges, and fresh ginger root. Then mix in a half a teaspoon of ground turmeric spice and a cup of coconut water.
What if it is not sweet enough? If you want to make it sweeter you can do a few things:
- Use pineapples instead of oranges: I find that pineapples are one of the sweetest fruits out there. If you decide to do so, use a cup of fresh or frozen pineapples in place of oranges.
  PS: Carrot Pineapple Smoothie with turmeric is one of my favorite summer smoothies.
- Add in natural sweeteners: Add in a splash of maple syrup or a few pitted dates and blend until smooth.
If you are a lover of Turmeric Smoothies, be sure to try my Turmeric Green Smoothie Recipe as well.

Turmeric Ginger Smoothie

This carrot-based Orange Turmeric Ginger Smoothie recipe is made with oranges, fresh ginger, and ground turmeric. It is vegan and naturally sweetened with oranges and sweet carrots.

Course Smoothies

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings servings

Calories 148kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

3 medium stalks of carrot washed peeled and cut into chunks
1 ½ cups of chopped oranges
1 ½ cups of coconut water
1- inch fresh ginger grated (about ½ teaspoon)
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Pinch of black pepper
½ teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour and serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

The post 5-Ingredient Turmeric Ginger Smoothie Recipe appeared first on Foolproof Living.

5-Minute Turmeric Green Smoothie Recipe

Aysegul Sanford — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 19:20:21 +0000

If you believe that food is medicine, you are in the right place. Today, we are making a delicious green smoothie with turmeric.

Last week I got the flu. The kind that keeps you in bed for days.

After a few days of not feeling better, I went to see my doctor and she said that unless it is treated within 24 hours there is not much she can do and that I have to wait for it to take its course. She also added that I should increase my intake of green leafy vegetables.

That is where the inspiration for this spinach turmeric smoothie came from. I have always loved treating myself with a cup of my golden milk recipe or my ginger turmeric tea at night so I thought why not make a green smoothie for breakfast to make myself feel better.

With the help of my husband, we tested several turmeric smoothies that week and this green turmeric smoothie is one of the three smoothies coming your way.

Ingredients:

Below are the ingredients for this turmeric green smoothie recipe:

Baby Spinach: I opted for 2 cups of baby spinach, but honestly any of your favorite leafy greens would work. Don’t have spinach? Try kale, chard, or even lettuce greens.
Pineapple Chunks: The sweetener of this green smoothie is fresh pineapple chunks, but you can also use frozen pineapple.
Don’t have pineapple on hand? You can use any other fresh or frozen fruit. Try frozen bananas, mango or berries.
Unsweetened Almond Milk & Water: While you can use only almond milk or only water, I personally like the creaminess that comes from almond milk so I used a cup of each. Feel free to adjust it to your liking.
Ground Turmeric Spice (aka Turmeric powder): I used ½ teaspoon ground turmeric for this green smoothie. When it comes to adding turmeric to my smoothies my rule of thumb is using ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric for every 2 servings. If you are doubling the recipe be sure to double the amount of turmeric used.
You might ask, what if I want to use fresh turmeric? If you can get your hands on fresh turmeric, then I recommend grating 1-inch peeled turmeric root, which should give you about ¼ teaspoon fresh turmeric.
Ground Flaxseeds: According to Healthline, “Just one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds provides a good amount of protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to being a rich source of some vitamins and minerals.”
To me, adding a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds in my smoothies is such an easy (and cheap) way of upping my intake of superfoods.
A Pinch of Black Pepper: Using black pepper might come off as a surprise to you, but (without going into too much detail) the most well researched and known active ingredient in turmeric is called curcumin.
It has been known to promote the health of the body with its antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, when it is consumed by itself, our bodies are unable to absorb it. This is where black pepper comes to our help. One of the active components in black pepper, piperine, is known to help us absorb the curcumin when it intersects with curcumin.
Coconut Oil: This might also come as yet another surprising ingredient. However, since the magic component of turmeric, curcumin, has poor solubility in water, adding only half a teaspoon of coconut oil helps our bodies absorb all of its goodness. (source)

RELATED: Need a little convincing about drinking more smoothies? Read this “Benefits Of Smoothies” posts and find out why I think smoothies are awesome. And if you want more, check out my favorite Superfood Smoothies.

How to make turmeric green smoothie?

Like it is with any other smoothie recipe, this green smoothie cannot be easier to make. Simply put all the ingredients in the bowl of a blender such as Vitamix (affiliate link) and blend until smooth.

A Few variations:

Want to make it sweeter? I personally think that with 3 cups of pineapple this turmeric shake is quite sweet. However, if you like your smoothies sweeter, try using natural sweeteners like frozen banana, pitted date, maple syrup or coconut sugar and adjust the amount to your liking.
Want to add in more superfoods? If you want to switch things up and add in more of the goodness, grate an inch of fresh ginger into the blender before you mix everything up.
If you decide to do so, try making this recipe using kale (instead of spinach) as kale ginger turmeric smoothie is a powerhouse that not only tastes good but also immediately wakes up all your senses.
Don’t like ginger? Try my kale pineapple smoothie recipe.
Enjoy making turmeric smoothies every day? Make a batch of my turmeric paste and use a teaspoon of that instead of black pepper, turmeric powder, and coconut oil.
If you like turmeric and ginger combo I would also recommend trying my Turmeric Ginger Smoothie recipe.

Turmeric Green Smoothie Recipe

Make this dairy-free and naturally sweetened (no sugar added) Turmeric Green Smoothie recipe to start the day on the right foot. Packed with spinach, pineapples, turmeric & flaxseeds.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings servings

Calories 177kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

2 cups baby spinach rinsed and washed
3 cups of pineapple chunks fresh or frozen
½ teaspoon of ground turmeric spice
1 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 cup of water
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Pinch of black pepper
½ teaspoon coconut oil melted and cooled

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Serve immediately.

Video

Nutrition

The post 5-Minute Turmeric Green Smoothie Recipe appeared first on Foolproof Living.

12 Superfood Smoothies To Kickstart Your Day

Aysegul Sanford — Sun, 14 Jul 2019 11:19:44 +0000

A round-up of my favorite superfood smoothies that I make on the regular. Plus, I am sharing my go-to healthy smoothie ingredients to help you create your own smoothies.

I don’t know about you, but the minute 4 o’clock hits I start craving something sweet. I have no idea where it is coming from but after a long day of working, I feel like I am entitled to splurge on a decadent dessert. During the wintertime, I mostly dream about having a big slice of cake or a muffin whereas during the warmer months I find myself wanting a big bowl of ice cream. Sadly, neither one of those are good-for-you-foods that I can splurge every day.

Thankfully, there are healthier ways to help me satiate my cravings when I am in the mood for something sweet. While my wintertime favorite is a big slice of my Almond Flour Chocolate Cake, during the summer months my favorite treat is a healthy homemade smoothie made with superfoods.

Over the last few years I shared so many of my favorite healthy superfood shakes that I thought it would be nice to put them all in a post and share with you.

Below are my favorite superfood smoothie recipes that I make over and over again. They are all vegan and naturally sweetened. With the list, I am also sharing my favorite superfoods to use in your smoothies you as you make your own.

Learn about the benefits of smoothies and why they are an awesome way to boost your immune system, satisfy your sweet cravings, increase your fiber intake, and even regulate your bowel movements.

List Of Best Superfoods For Smoothies (Superfoods To Add to Smoothies)

Vegetables

I find that vegetables that are sweet in nature are also great superfoods to use in smoothies. I also think that best vegetables for smoothies are usually what is currently in season.

Some of my favorites are cucumbers, carrots, beets, and pumpkin especially during the end of summer. I usually buy them from the farmer’s market and make it a point to incorporate into our breakfasts to consume more of them outside of salads and dinner dishes.

Below are a few great superfood breakfast smoothies you can try. They are all vegan and naturally sweetened.

Minty Watermelon Cucumber Smoothie

Immune Boosting Multi-Colored Beet Smoothie

Banana-Free Carrot Cake Smoothie

Green Leafy Vegetables

Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably know that one of the best things you can do for yourself is to incorporate green leafy vegetables and like kale and spinach (aka smoothie superfoods) to your diet. While most of the time I serve salads with lunch and dinner, I find that adding a cup of leafy vegetables into a smoothie is such an easy way to increase your intake of daily greens.

Additionally, if you have picky eaters in your family I find that it is easy to disguise the greens, especially when you blend them with other superfoods. Here is one of my favorite superfood green smoothie recipes to incorporate green leafy vegetables into your diet:

Kale Pineapple Smoothie

Cocoa Powder

I will be the first one to admit, I am always game when it comes to chocolate and chocolatey desserts. Thankfully, when you mix cocoa powder with fruits it is sweet enough to make it taste super rich and chocolatey. Additionally, unsweetened cocoa powder is extremely high in antioxidants and is a good source of dietary fiber. You can read more about the benefits of cocoa powder here.

Below is my favorite chocolate superfood smoothie recipe. It is made with blending roasted hazelnuts with cocoa powder, dates, and pear. If you are a lover of Nutella like I am, you owe it to yourself to give this recipe a try. I promise it won’t disappoint.

Healthy Chocolate Smoothie

Fresh and Seasonal Fruits

If you think about it fruits are a given for smoothies. They are the “sweetening agent” when it comes to superfood smoothies. I am a big fan of turning well-known and liked recipes like banana split and pina colada into healthy homemade smoothie recipes.

Below are my go-to dessert-like vegan superfood smoothies that I usually make to treat myself for breakfast:

Vegan Banana Split Smoothie

Pina Colada Smoothie

Vegan Banana Smoothie

Peach Mango Smoothie

Spices

Spices like cinnamon and cardamom are also considered as healthy smoothie additions. Not to mention, in my opinion, they immediately upgrade the smoothie and turn it into a dessert.

If you don’t mind the spiciness, adding a pinch of cayenne pepper is a very good idea as cayenne peppers are known to reduce pain and help boost metabolism. Last but not least, fresh ginger and turmeric are known for their powerful anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie

Nuts, Nut Butters and Nut Milks

Unsalted and raw nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews, and brazil nuts are an easy way to add healthy protein and Omega-3 fatty acids in your smoothies. They are also considered as healthy fats (both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats).

I find that using nut milk in smoothies is the easiest way to make them vegan. I usually go for unsweetened almond milk, but any of your favorite plant-based milk is ideal for making delicious healthy smoothies. All of the smoothies you see above are made with plant-based milk.

Peanut Butter Spinach Shake

Other Superfoods

You can’t make a list of healthy things to put in smoothies and not mention chia, hemp, and flax seeds.

Chia seeds are one of the healthiest superfoods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium. Similar to chia seeds, hemp seeds are also rich in healthy fats, protein, and soluble fiber.

The best part is that they don’t have much of a taste so by adding just a tablespoon you get all those benefits without even tasting them.

A FEW TIPS FOR THE BEST SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIES

Frozen Fruits To The Rescue: During the summer months when berries are at their peak, I buy a bunch and freeze them in freezer bags to use throughout the year.
Green tea for extra goodness: You can play with the liquid you use and use a strongly brewed green tea as “the liquid” for making Weight Loss Smoothies.
Meal prep-style smoothies made with superfoods: Once a week (mostly on Sundays), I individually prep my superfood smoothie packs by distributing ingredients in reusable storage bags (affiliate link) to save on time during the weekdays.

A Favorite Superfood Smoothie Recipe

Immune Boosting Multi-Colored Beet Smoothies

This beet smoothie is one of my all-time superfood smoothies. Made with coconut milk, it is delicious, healthy and satisfying.

Course Breakfast Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings glasses

Calories 587kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

2 small or 1 big beet – red yellow, or both – peeled and cut into cubes
1 (14 oz.) can of whole coconut milk
1 frozen banana in small pieces
12-14 red seedless grapes
1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
1 cup baby spinach or kale rinsed (optional)
1 cup ice

Instructions

Place beets, coconut milk, banana, grapes, lime juice, spinach (or kale) and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Divide it in between 2 glasses and serve immediately.

Nutrition

The post 12 Superfood Smoothies To Kickstart Your Day appeared first on Foolproof Living.

5-Minute Vegan Banana Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 18:47:31 +0000

This post has been sponsored by Good Plants TM. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Last November my husband and I made an impromptu decision and signed up for an online workout program. We both have gained a few extra pounds since we moved to Vermont and have been feeling the weight of it. Plus, with the holidays ahead of us, we wanted to keep things under control and hopefully not gain any more weight.

Thankfully, we were able to stick to it and have been working out 6-days a week, first thing in the morning ever since. With our new workout routine, I have been thinking a lot about smoothies. They say, what you put in your body in the first 30 minutes after your workout is very important. To me, there is nothing better than a mason jar filled with a delicious smoothie.

When I found Good Plants™ Almondmilk Probiotic Yogurt Alternative, I found myself in the mood for a good old smoothie.

Now, you might say, who wants an icy cold smoothie in the middle of winter?! I would not blame you for that as I probably wouldn’t want to start my day with anything cold. However, ever since I found out about Good Plants™ almond milk probiotic yogurt alternative, I have been making smoothies without any ice or frozen elements (i.e. frozen fruit, ice, or frozen greens, acai, etc.). It has been a nice alternative to our usual oatmeal breakfast.

Today’s recipe, Vegan Banana Smoothie and the variations I will talk about below has been a favorite in our house so I thought I would share it here with you.

As the name suggests, in addition to being vegan, this easy banana smoothie recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free. It comes together in 5 minutes and a great breakfast that you can take with you to work.

How To Make A Vegan Smoothie – Healthy Smoothie Ingredients

I know most of you are used to making your banana smoothie with milk and yogurt. While there is nothing wrong with that I sometimes like to switch things up good-for-you vegan ingredients.

Regardless of the fruit you are using, you can make any vegan fruit smoothie by using the ingredients below:

Fresh fruit: While banana is a favorite fruit for most of us, if it is not your jam you can easily swap it whatever is in season. Berries, apples, or any of your stone fruits would all work.
Liquid – Water or Plant-based milk: In terms of liquid, I usually go for unsweetened almond milk, but water would also work.
Yogurt – Plant-Based Yogurt Alternative: I find that adding yogurt alternatives to smoothies gives it a smooth and creamy texture. Like I mentioned earlier, I am currently loving the Good Plants™ Almondmilk Probiotic Yogurt Alternative. In addition to being an excellent source of fiber, it is dairy-free and vegan certified. I also like that it comes in 4 different flavors: vanilla, chocolate coconut, lemon meringue, and strawberry. While they are all very good, my favorite one is the strawberry flavor. Come summertime, I plan on adding a few fresh strawberries and turn this into a vegan strawberry banana smoothie.
Additional Fiber & Nutrition Sources: I always add in additional fiber sources like rolled oats (I buy gluten-free certified oats), flax seeds, and chia seeds. Adding those is an easy way to give it a nutritional boost.

Optional Plant-based Protein: My husband always asks me to put in a tablespoon of peanut butter to give it a nice protein boost. If you have peanut lovers in your family, peanut butter banana smoothie is a great variation of this vegan banana smoothie recipe.

Optional Green Leafy Vegetables: If I have it on hand, I sometimes add in a cup of green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, or swiss chard. If you are like us, focused on clean eating in the new year and looking for ways to up your consumption of greens, adding some in your banana breakfast smoothie is a great way to sneak them in your diet.

How To Make A Creamy Smoothie

If you are like me, like your vegan breakfast smoothie on the creamy side, you are not alone. When it comes to making your favorite smoothie creamy, you can try a few tricks:

Freeze your bananas: If you are making this smoothie during the warmer months, you can slice your ripe bananas, place them on a sheet pan, cover tightly with stretch film, and freeze until you are ready to use them.
Adding frozen bananas into the smoothie mixture eliminates the need to add in ice and make it watery. Instead, they make it super creamy texture almost like ice cream. Think about it, who would say no to a frozen banana smoothie in the middle of summer when it is a million degrees outside?
Add in Plant-Based Yogurt Alternative: If you are new to using plant-based yogurt alternative, you should definitely give Good Plants™ Almondmilk Probiotic Yogurt a try. Here in our local Shaw’s store, I find them in the yogurt aisle right next to the regular yogurt. Additionally, you can also find Good Plants Almondmilk Probiotic Yogurt Alternative at Hannaford, Shoprite, Giant, Harris Teeter stores.
Add in a ripe avocado into your smoothie: Similar to bananas, avocados are a great way to add some creaminess into your banana smoothie. Plus, they offer healthy fats, potassium, and fiber! And I have to tell you, adding a ripe avocado along with almond milk yogurt alternative makes a really creamy and thick banana smoothie.

How To Make Vegan Banana Smoothie:

The recipe is pretty straight forward. I kept the ingredients in the recipe below pretty simple, but feel free to add in other ingredients to change it up.

Here is a quick video showing how to make healthy banana smoothie:

If You Liked This Healthy Banana Breakfast Smoothie Recipe, You Might Also Like…

Nutella Lovers Healthy Chocolate Smoothie
Pina Colada Smoothie
Kale Pineapple Smoothie
Chocolate Banana Smoothie – A Family Feast

Vegan Banana Smoothie

Banana Split Smoothie recipe is a naturally sweetened vegan smoothie that is packed with healthy ingredients to help you satiate your sweet cravings for a quick breakfast or an afternoon pick me up. If you like banana split as a dessert, this 5-minute recipe is going to be your next favorite smoothie recipe.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings servings

Calories 118kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

1 ripe banana or frozen
¼ cup ground rolled oats
1 teaspoon chia seeds optional
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Plant based yogurt such as almond or coconut yogurt
½ cup of crushed ice optional

Instructions

Place banana, rolled oats, chia seeds (if using), almondmilk, almond yogurt, and ice into the blender.
Blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Video

Nutrition

The post 5-Minute Vegan Banana Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Thu, 21 Sep 2017 19:59:32 +0000

Hello from the first day of autumn.

The time has come for everything pumpkin and I am here to make my contribution to the craze. If you are as excited as I am about the beginning of the pumpkin season and are looking for a creative and healthy way to incorporate it into your diet, you are at the right place.

Because we are talking about what I consider “a luxurious treat in a glass”, aka Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie. A vegan, creamy, healthy and filling smoothie recipe sweetened with maple syrup and frozen banana.

About this Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie Recipe:

As the name suggests, this pumpkin protein smoothie embodies all the characteristics of pumpkin pie. Therefore, pumpkin, maple syrup, pumpkin spice, and pecans are naturally in the ingredients list. However, since I wanted to balance the flavors and make it more creamy, I added a frozen banana in there. If you are not a fan, simply omit it and add in more maple syrup and ice.

The protein part of the smoothie comes from almond butter, which has basically replaced peanut butter in our house. Whether it is in baking (as you can see in these almond butter brownies), adding a tablespoon in smoothies, or simply spreading on toast in the morning, I have been a big fan of it for some time now. Also, I don’t know if this happens to you, but every time I start my day with it I feel fuller for longer than usual.

A few variations for this vegan pumpkin smoothie:

As you can see in the recipe below, I used maple syrup as a sweetener, but in the past, I have also made it with Medjool dates. I personally like my smoothie mildly sweetened, but you can always increase the amount of maple syrup or dates you use based on your preferences.

I also loved it with a little bit of fresh ginger added in. I know that ginger has one of those flavors that either you love it or hate it, but if you are a lover I recommend giving it a try.

I used unsweetened almond milk, but creamy full fat coconut milk would also work in this recipe.

Finally, the recipe below serves 4-6 people depending on the pour and glasses used. However, if you are serving fewer people feel free to halve the recipe.

Other healthy smoothie recipes you should try

Kale and Pineapple Smoothie
Vegan Banana Milkshake
Superfood Recipes
Need more inspiration? Check out all our healthy smoothie recipes.

Other pumpkin recipes you might like

Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Pumpkin and Ginger Soup Recipe
Gluten-free Nut and Seed Bread with pumpkin and cranberries
Maple Pumpkin Pudding

Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie

This pumpkin pie protein smoothie is a vegan, creamy, healthy and filling smoothie recipe sweetened with maple syrup and frozen banana.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 163kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin puree
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 frozen banana
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons maple syrup or more to taste
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups ice
1 tablespoon unsalted pecans chopped - as garnish

Instructions

Place all ingredients except pecans in a blender and blend until thoroughly mixed.
Garnish with chopped pecans and serve immediately.

Nutrition

The post Pumpkin Pie Protein Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Nutella Lovers Healthy Chocolate Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 13:02:20 +0000

This Nutella Lover’s Healthy Chocolate Smoothie is a creamy and decadent chocolate smoothie that is actually good for you. Made with cocoa powder, medjool dates, pears, and hazelnuts it tastes like a chocolate icecream in a glass. Perfect for breakfast or as an afternoon pick-me-up.

I have been on the hunt for a good chocolate smoothie for sometime now. It is safe to say that I tried over 10 different recipes to finally end up in this one. In my quest for the “best healthy chocolate smoothie”, I wanted a recipe made with healthy ingredients and no refined sugars. I also wanted it to taste like milk chocolate. And when it comes to milk chocolate flavor, Nutella is my all-time favorite. The taste of cocoa mixed in with roasted hazelnuts and blended into a creamy concussion is to die for.

I don’t know about you, but I grew up eating Nutella every morning. My mother would spread a thick layer of it on a toast every morning for breakfast. Now years later, I do not eat Nutella everyday, but when I treat myself with a spoonfull it surely takes me back to my childhood. It is so sad that Nutella is not a healthy food that we should consume everyday.

If you feel the same way, I have some good news for you. Because this healthy chocolate smoothie recipe made with cocoa powder, hazeltnuts, pears, coconut water, vanilla extract and sweetened with Medjool dates tastes like Nutella. When I first read the recipe, I had zero expectations and didn’t think much of it. But after the first sip, I thought that this was the best chocolate smoothie I have ever had.

So here is to a great vegan and healthy chocolate smoothie recipe to help you cure your Nutella cravings.

If You Liked This Healthy Chocolate Smoothie Recipe, You Might Also Like

Maple-Sweetened Chocolate Almond Bark
Dark Chocolate Waffle Cake
Maple-Sweetened Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
Best Chocolate Recipes For The Holiday Season

Nutella Lovers Healthy Chocolate Smoothie

Let's face it. We all love Nutella, but it is not the most healthiest food to eat. Here is an alternative healthy chocolate smoothie recipe that is sweetened with dates and made with all vegan ingredients. Made with superfoods like cocoa powder and hazelnuts, this smoothie is guaranteed to cure all your Nutella cravings.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 261kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

¼ cup roasted unsalted hazelnuts a few more hazelnuts as garnish
1 cup ripe pear chopped with the skin on from 2 small or 1 large pear
2 Medjool dates pitted
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups coconut water
2 cups ice
handful of seasonal fruit as garnish

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and frosty. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

This recipe is adapted from Julie Morris’s cookbook, Superfood Smoothies.

The post Nutella Lovers Healthy Chocolate Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Benefits of Smoothies – Why I Think Smoothies Are Awesome!

Aysegul Sanford — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 18:22:20 +0000

If you have been following along you would know that I have been on a smoothie kick lately. Though we are having colder-than-normal summer temperatures here in Vermont, I have been enjoying one smoothie every day since the beginning of May.

As a matter of fact, I switched from my usual oatmeal breakfast to a glass of smoothie in the morning. It has been so great that I thought I could share a few of the reasons why I think smoothies are awesome during the summer months.

With that being said, before I continue, I have a few disclaimers:

– You already know this, but I have to say: I am not a doctor so take these with a grain of salt. If you have a health condition you should always consult to your doctor before eating or drinking certain foods.
– As in everything, you should drink smoothies in moderation. Though they can be good for you, they contain a lot of sugars. The ideal amount is 8-12 ounces a day. If you are having more than that you might be doing more damage than good.
– The smoothies I share here on the blog (and drink every day) are free of processed sugars. Also, they are all homemade and I 100% know what goes in there. If you are using store-bought smoothie mixes (and powders) and thinking that they are good for you, you maybe mistaken.
– I do my best to live an active life. Even if it is a 30-minute walk, I make sure to get some sort of an exercise every day. If you are not able to do that then you should limit the calories you take in a day. Like I mentioned earlier, smoothies are high in calories and sugar and if you are unable to burn it off, then it might be better to not have any.

Whew… Now that we are clear, here are the reasons why I think 1-smoothie a day is good for you:

They are a great alternative to fruit juices and even ice cream: I have never been much of a fruit juice drinker. However, my husband loves fruity ice teas, orange juice, store-bought so-called healthy drinks so I know how addicting they can be, especially when it is hot outside. My weakness, on the other hand is ice cream. Nothing makes me happier than a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s butter pecan ice cream. However, since we have been regularly having smoothies, we no longer feel the need to drink fruit juices or eating excessive amount of ice cream. We both think smoothies are just as satisfying.

Want to try a fruit-juice like smoothie? Try this Vegan Peach Mango Smoothie. Or love chocolate ice cream? Try this Vegan Banana Split Smoothie.

RELATED
10 SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIES TO KICKSTART YOUR DAY
My favorite superfood smoothie recipes that you can make in less than 10 minutes and with easy to find everyday ingredients. All of these recipes are vegan and very minimally sweetened with unrefined sugars.

They are the best afternoon pick-me-up or daily snack: I am sure you know that feeling; 4 o’clock hits and you feel the weight of the day on your shoulders. You need something to get you feel energized again.
Most people think of smoothies as morning food. While I think that is perfectly fine, I also think that smoothies make the best afternoon snack. They immediately give you the energy boost you need and get you going until you are ready for dinner.

You need an afternoon snack, perhaps one that taste like a cake? Try this Banana-Free Carrot Cake Smoothie, Pineapple Acai Bowls or Orange Smoothie.

They are a great way to incorporate healthy produce you don’t enjoy in your diet: You would know this one very well if you have a child who doesn’t like vegetables. The good thing about smoothies is that you can easily blend a cup of spinach (or kale). With the help of sweetness coming from fruits, you can easily disguise the taste while you are still having the nutritional benefits of green leafy vegetables.
Not much of a spinach person? Try this, Peanut Butter and Spinach Shake

They strengthen your immune system: It is no secret that in our modern daily life, we are not consuming the suggested daily intake of fruits and vegetables. However, by blending yourself a cup of smoothie made up of fruits, vegetables, and superfoods, you would easily be able to get your daily need of nutrient-dense foods. As a result, you can increase your vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant intake to strengthen your immune system.

Don’t know where to start? Try this Immune Boosting Multi Colored Beet Smoothies that you can make in 3 different ways.

Regular Bowel Movements: It is a little embarrassing, but this one is my favorite. With one smoothie a day (especially if it is a green smoothie) on a regular basis, you will start having regular bathroom visit and less digestive discomfort, which will eventually help with bloating and even
weight loss.

Whether you are trying to incorporate more vegetables and fruits into your diet or simply trying to cool off with a healthy beverage, I cannot imagine a better than blending up a smoothie. If you agree, make sure to join me as I share a new smoothie recipe with my summer smoothies series every week here on the blog.

Want to continue reading about the benefits of smoothies? Here are a few articles I enjoyed reading on the internet:

Healthy Smoothie HQ: 21 Reasons to Consume Healthy Smoothies
Time Magazine: Should I drink smoothies?
Eating Well: Health Benefits of Juicing vs. Smoothies

The post Benefits of Smoothies – Why I Think Smoothies Are Awesome! appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 11:19:20 +0000

Foolproof Living’s Summer Smoothie Recipes Series continues with this Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie recipe. This icecream-in-a-glass like smoothie is for those of you looking for a refreshing breakfast smoothie or an afternoon pick me up in these hot days summer.

This post has been sponsored by the Dannon Company and The J.M. Smucker Company. As always, all thoughts and opinions are mine.

It has probably been over 4 years since I switched from regular milk to almond milk (and have been making almond milk at home now) with the hopes of limiting the intake of animal products in my diet. It was an easy switch for me as they both have a similar consistency and look.

I also love the taste of almond milk. However, one thing that I do not think that I could ever compromise is yogurt. I am a huge fan of yogurt, so much so that I am one of those people who put yogurt on everything. I guess the main reason for that is because, being from Turkey, I grew up eating yogurt every day. Back when I first moved to the US, my American friends would make fun of me for putting yogurt on my food.

Now, 15 years later, the yogurt section of most grocery stores has practically taken over the dairy aisle and every one of those friends is eating yogurt.

Go figure…

Today’s recipe, Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie , was one of the first smoothies I have ever made. Since then I have made hundreds of smoothies with or without yogurt, but still to this day this smoothie is at the top of my favorite smoothies list.

As the name suggests, I used strawberries (the leftover strawberries from the Almond Flour Strawberry Cake I made last week), banana, and yogurt. However, the yogurt is not just any yogurt; it is Dannon’s Non-fat Light & Fit vanilla yogurt. Now, I choose the vanilla flavor because I like it, but there are so many other flavors you can choose from.

Don’t like vanilla? Go for strawberry, banana, salted caramel, tiramisu, or blackberry. Don’t like any of those flavors? Go for plain yogurt. Literally, the sky is the limit.

To sweeten my smoothie, in addition to the fruit, I used a little bit of strawberry flavored Smucker’s Fruit and Honey spread. As you will see in the recipe below, for 2 servings I used a tablespoon of the spread. However, you can adjust the amount you use based on your sweetness preference. I love Smucker’s Fruit and Honey spread because it is made with ripened fruit that is naturally sweetened with honey.

Finally, as additional superfoods, I used chia seeds and hemp seeds. They are both rich in fiber, minerals, and Omega-3 fatty acids. It is totally optional to use them and they don’t affect the taste that much. However, if you have them in your pantry, I recommend adding them in as they are such an easy way to increase the nutritional value of your smoothies.

As I mentioned earlier, this smoothie tastes like ice cream in a glass. It is a great way to start the day or serve to your kids as a refreshing afternoon snack in these warm days of summer. Either way, once you give it a try, I guarantee you that it will become a favorite in your household just like it is in ours.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie healthy? While I believe that everything should be consumed in moderate doses, smoothies made with yogurt are generally considered healthy. Fresh fruit mixed in with yogurt that contains probiotics (also known as active living bacteria) can help keep intestines healthy. Additionally, yogurt contains a generous amount of calcium, potassium, magnesium, B6 and B12 vitamins. Additionally, in general if you use minimal amount of sweeteners and stick to natural ones (like I did here), you will have a much healthier breakfast smoothie on the go.
How To Make Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie? The process is very easy. Simply put strawberries, bananas, yogurt, and ice in a blender and mix it up. If you want to make it healthier add more protein into the recipe, you can also add in chia seeds and/or hemp seeds. Alternatively, if you do not have a blender, you can use a food processor to blend your smoothie.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Nutrition Information: This smoothie has a healthy amount of protein, 7.5 grams per serving. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, it is rich in calcium, magnesium, and potassium. You can see detailed nutrition values underneath the recipe.
Can I freeze this Strawberry Banana Smoothie?: I do not believe that this is a great recipe to freeze. However, if you have leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight jar in the fridge and enjoy the next morning. Though I recommend giving it a good shake before serving it.

Other Smoothie Recipes You Might Like:

Smoothie with Cantaloupe
Healthy Chocolate Smoothie
Ginger Turmeric Smoothie
Can’t get enough? Check out all our Superfood Smoothie Recipes

Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie Recipe

This Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie is made with fresh summer fruit, vanilla yogurt and naturally sweetened strawberry spread.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 190kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup strawberries hulled
1 teaspoon naturally sweetened strawberry jam adjust the amount based on your preference
1 banana ripe, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon maple syrup Honey & Maple Syrup would work too
1 teaspoon chia seeds optional
1 teaspoon hemp seeds optional
1 cup ice

Instructions

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste for sweetness and add if necessary.
Serve immediately.

Notes

Both chia seeds and hemp seeds are considered as superfoods. Even though they are optional ingredients and do not change the taste of the smoothie, I highly recommend adding them into your smoothies.

Nutrition

The post Strawberry Banana Yogurt Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Banana Free Carrot Cake Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 12:48:38 +0000

This Vegan and Banana Free Carrot Cake Smoothie has all the usual ingredients that you would have in a carrot cake. Plus, to make it more nutritious I added a cup of romaine lettuce. Sweetened with natural sweeteners, like unsweetened raisins, pineapple, and carrots, it is a refreshing summer smoothie you ought to try.

I had no idea that there were people out there, who would search for banana-free smoothies until I started this summer smoothies series. Come to find out, a lot of people look for smoothies made without bananas as they (1) do not like the taste of bananas and (2) think that they take over the whole smoothie.

As a banana lover, while I have no complaints with bananas dominating a glass of cold, creamy and sweet smoothie, I can understand the argument. Therefore, as a part of these series, I am going to make sure that there are ample amount of smoothie recipes made without bananas. This banana-free carrot smoothie recipe is the first of many to come.

How To Make This Recipe

As its name suggests, this smoothie has all the usual ingredients you would have in a carrot cake. Carrots, pineapples, nutmeg, pecans, cinnamon, raisins, and coconut are definitely in there. But I also added a cup of chopped romaine lettuce to make it a little more nutritious. As the lettuce is lighter in color, it doesn’t make the change the color of the smoothie that much.

If you are trying to secretly incorporate green leafy vegetables to your kids’ diets, romaine lettuce is the way to go. If that is not a problem for you, try adding a cup of baby spinach in there. The color of the smoothie will not be as orange, but it will still taste very good.

The process is no different than any other smoothie. Simply put all the ingredients into a blender and blend it for a few minutes or until it reaches the consistency you like.

A Word On The Sweetener For This Vegan Carrot Smoothie

As I mentioned earlier, I did not use bananas to sweeten this carrot smoothie. Instead, I used 1/4 cup of raisins and a cup of pineapples. I recommend giving it a taste as you blend and add in if you feel like it needs more sugar.

If you don’t care about adding in bananas, you can easily turn this into a Carrot Banana Smoothie by substituting raisins with a frozen or ripened banana.

Similar Recipes You Might like

Carrot Cake Smoothie Recipe

This Vegan and Banana Free Carrot Cake Smoothie has all the usual ingredients that you would have in a carrot cake. Plus, to make it more nutritious I added a cup of romaine lettuce. Sweetened with natural sweeteners, like unsweetened raisins, pineapple and carrots, it is refreshing summer smoothie you ought to try.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 605kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

¼ cup of unsweetened raisins
½ cup boiling hot water
1 small head of romaine lettuce rinsed and chopped (should be approximately 1 cup)
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 ½ cups carrot peeled and cut into small chunks (2-3 medium size carrots)
1 cup pineapple cut into small cubes
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup ice
1 tablespoon pecans chopped
1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes

Instructions

Place raisins in a small cup and pour boiling hot water over it. Let it sit on the kitchen counter until raisins plump up a bit, 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool while you are prepping the rest of the ingredients.
Place the rest of the ingredients in a blender, add the raisins, and blend in high speed until smooth.
Garnish with pecans and coconut flakes on top.
Serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe yields a thicker-than-usual smoothie, which also makes it a good candidate for a smoothie bowl. However, if you prefer a thinner smoothie, feel free to add in more coconut milk.

This smoothie makes 2 large servings or 4 small servings. The nutrition values listed are for 2 servings.

Nutrition

The post Banana Free Carrot Cake Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Vegan Banana Split Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Sun, 11 Jun 2017 21:21:29 +0000

When I was a kid bananas were my favorite fruit. If I had my way I would eat a banana for every meal. My poor mother would try to introduce me to other fruits, but I would still ask for more bananas. Then one day, someone introduced me to banana split; a large banana in middle served with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce on top. To this day I still remember thinking to myself how could something taste so good.

Now years later, though I have other favorite fruits I still love bananas and order banana split as dessert if it is on the menu. But let’s face it, with all the additional sugar added banana split is not the healthiest thing to eat. So as someone who no longer eats processed sugars, I had to come up with a healthier way of making banana split at home and ended up with this banana split smoothie.

About This Banana Split Smoothie Recipe:

Though it takes 5 minutes to make this smoothie, it requires a little bit of planning as I found that using frozen bananas yield a thicker and sweeter smoothie than using bananas at room temperature. Plus, frozen bananas eliminate the need to add ice, which waters down the smoothie. To freeze bananas, I wait for them to soften a little bit and peel, slice and freeze them in Ziploc bags. It is a great way to use bananas that are going bad on the kitchen counter.

For the chocolate-y taste, I used unsweetened cocoa powder, which is a natural antioxidant with anti-inflammatory qualities. To make it creamier, I added a tablespoon unsweetened almond butter, but you can also substitute it with peanut butter. To sweeten it I used one fresh Medjool date, but if you like it sweeter feel free to add in more dates, honey or maple syrup.

Banana Split Smoothie

Course Breakfast, Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings serving

Calories 357kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

1 large banana sliced and frozen – plus more as garnish
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon unsalted almond butter
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 Medjool date pitted
1 teaspoon hemp seeds (optional)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Garnish with a few slices of banana and sprinkle the top with hemp seeds.

Notes

If you like your smoothie to be sweet, feel free to add another date or a few teaspoons of maple syrup or honey.

Nutrition

The post Vegan Banana Split Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Pina Colada Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 18:01:00 +0000

The beginning of this year, I made a promise to myself. I wanted to find a way to share more recipes on the blog. I have been averaging on 1-2 posts a week, but I wanted to increase it to 3 recipes a week.

However, with all my freelance work it proved to be an unrealistic goal. In between all the testing and photographing recipes and the admin work that comes right after that, I couldn’t find a way to do it.

But the other day an idea popped up in my head. What if I were to start small and find easy-to-make yet still useful recipes and share them with one or two photos? If you think about it, the part that takes most of my time is the photographing part so by changing my usual 5-6 photos per post I could have more time to reach my goal. After a little thinking and planning I decided to start a new series that I would like to call Summer Smoothies on Foolproof Living.

Starting this week, until the end of this summer, I will post one smoothie recipe a week with just a few photos and words. My goal is to be your go-to source for healthy, no-sugar added smoothies that you can make for your family during these warmer months of the year. I have already made a list of all the smoothies that I love and want to share with you throughout the next months. If you are a smoothie lover, who is looking for ways to switch up your smoothie routine, be sure to follow along.

About this Pina Colada Smoothie Recipe

The first smoothie recipe of the Summer Smoothies series is this Pina Colada Smoothie. If you are a lover of the famous Puerto Rican cocktail, you will love this smoothie version. This used to be my go-to smoothie back while we were living in the Caribbean.

As it is in the signature cocktail, the two main ingredients are pineapple and coconut milk. However, as I was trying to keep things on the healthier side, instead of the sweetened canned stuff I used freshly cut pineapple and unsweetened coconut milk (I love Trader Joe’s brand). To sweeten my smoothie, I used a few pitted Medjool dates, which I find to be the best sweetener for smoothies.

If I have time to plan ahead, I like to buy a big pineapple, cut it into big chunks, place them in plastic bags and freeze to use in smoothies. I find that having them readily cut into smaller pieces makes it so much easier and quicker. It also eliminates the need to use additional ice.

However, if you only have fresh pineapple feel free to add in some ice to make it cold and refreshing. As long as you are not using the canned (additional sugar added) pineapple, you should be fine.

Pina Colada Smoothie

This Vegan Pina Colada Smoothie is made with chunks of pineapple, coconut milk and a few Medjool dates. It is stupid easy to make and ready in 5 minutes.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings serving

Calories 1156kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

For the smoothie:

1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
pinch of nutmeg
1-2 Medjool dates depending on your sweetness preference
½ cup ice

For garnishing:

1 small slice of pineapple as shown in the photo
1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut as garnish (optional)

Instructions

Place pineapple, coconut milk, nutmeg, dates and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Garnish with a wedge of pineapple, and if preferred, sprinkle it with shredded coconut.

Notes

Alternatively, you can use slice your pineapple into chunks, place them in plastic bags, and keep them in the freezer. If you do decide to use frozen pineapple, you might need less ice.

Nutrition

The post Pina Colada Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Immune Boosting Multi-Colored Beet Smoothies

Aysegul Sanford — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 20:35:50 +0000

I had no intentions of sharing a beet smoothie recipe until I saw these colorful beets in our farmer’s market last week. I do not usually buy beets that much because my husband does not like them. But these ones were too pretty to pass up. So I bought a bunch with no recipe in mind. I thought I would roast them with a little olive oil and salt and pepper; mix with goat cheese and walnuts and treat myself to a simple dinner.

But then I saw a smoothie recipe using red beets. Even though I have tried this Beet Juice recipe before, I had never used beets in a smoothie before. So the next morning I put a small red beet in my usual morning smoothie that I make with almond milk, frozen bananas, and baby spinach.

To my surprise, it was not bad at all. The next day, I tried it with a yellow beet. Unlike the smoothie that I made with the red beet, it tasted much more earthy and beet-like. This time it was more like the strong taste of the yellow beet took over the whole smoothie.

A couple of days later, I went back to the kitchen and this time I used coconut milk instead of almond. I also added some grapes to make it a little sweeter. Unlike it was in my first try, the taste of beets didn’t take over the whole smoothie. It was much more balanced. In the following days, I tried different versions of the same smoothie with and without baby spinach and kale. I also combined two different colored beets. They were all so good. Coconut milk was definitely a better option than almond milk.

About this beet smoothie recipe:

As I mentioned earlier, you can mix and match as you please. If you make it with red beets and no greens, it has a pretty pink color and it tastes very much like a cow-milk based milkshake. If you make it with yellow beets, you can swap the grapes with pineapple. Both fruits complement yellow beets well. You can also add a cup of baby spinach or kale to make it even more nutritious.

[/su_column]

These smoothies are such a good way of getting raw beets in your diet. They are high in immune boosting vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and fiber. They also have anti cancer properties. As I was researching for this post, I found out that you could eat their green leaves as well. Come to find out, they are just as, if not more, nutritious. I had no idea that they were edible. Apparently, a lot of people chop them up and sauté them with onions and other vegetables and serve them as a side dish. Unfortunately, I had already thrown them away, but I know next time I will make sure to use them in my cooking.

Other Smoothie recipes you might also like

Immune Boosting Multi-Colored Beet Smoothies

This beet smoothie is one of my all-time superfood smoothies. Made with coconut milk, it is delicious, healthy and satisfying.

Course Breakfast Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings glasses

Calories 587kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

2 small or 1 big beet – red yellow, or both – peeled and cut into cubes
1 (14 oz.) can of whole coconut milk
1 frozen banana in small pieces
12-14 red seedless grapes
1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
1 cup baby spinach or kale rinsed (optional)
1 cup ice

Instructions

Place beets, coconut milk, banana, grapes, lime juice, spinach (or kale) and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Divide it in between 2 glasses and serve immediately.

Nutrition

The post Immune Boosting Multi-Colored Beet Smoothies appeared first on Foolproof Living.

Minty Watermelon Cucumber Smoothie

Aysegul Sanford — Mon, 13 Jun 2016 21:22:54 +0000

Two weeks ago my sister-in-law gave me a Vitamix as a gift. It came as such a surprise as I have been wanting one for a long time. Since then, our new blender has been my favorite toy. It is crazy how much you can do with these powerful blenders. I am still in the process of experimenting with smoothies and popsicles, but hopefully soon will be venturing out to try nut butter, soups, dips, and spreads. Meanwhile, this Minty Watermelon-Cucumber Smoothie is the first of many recipes to come.

How To Make Watermelon Cucumber Smoothie

We have literally been having this smoothie as breakfast for a month now. Before I had my new and shiny blender, I was using my food processor to make it. The flavor profile, aka mint-cucumber-watermelon-lime juice combination, is to die for. It has been my favorite flavor combination for the year so far.

You may remember, a couple of weeks ago I posted a Watermelon Cucumber Feta Salad. This watermelon mint smoothie is the sweet (and liquid) version of those flavors. The best part is that if you have your watermelon already cut, it takes 5 minutes to put it all together.

Even though I didn’t put it for the recipe below, I sometimes add a couple of cups of baby spinach (or kale) leaves to increase its nutritional value in the morning. That smoothie is not the most aesthetically pleasing, but it is super good for you.

Either way, I find that a big glass filled with summer fruits is the way to beat the current 92 degree Atlanta weather. How about you? What is your favorite summer smoothie?

Need a help with cutting a watermelon? Here is a great tutorial on How To Cut A Watermelon with step by step photos.

If you liked this watermelon recipe, you might also like:

Watermelon Cucumber Smoothie

This watermelon Cucumber Smoothie is a refreshing summer smoothie recipe made with fresh mint, watermelon and cucumbers.

Course Smoothie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings servings

Calories 84kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

5 cups of seedless watermelon cut into chunks
1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves more for garnishing
3 medium-size Persian cucumbers washed and chopped (no need to peel)
1/3 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup ice
handful of pomegranate seeds as garnish (optional)

Instructions

Place watermelon, mint, cucumber, lime juice and ice in a blender and blend until smooth.
Divide it in between 4 glasses and garnish each glass with mint and pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

The post Minty Watermelon Cucumber Smoothie appeared first on Foolproof Living.