Enjoy these five fun smoothie recipes which are quick to make and easily adaptable for every member of your family. So, rise and shine for smoothie time!
My morning starts between 6:30 and 7:00 am, tiptoeing to the bathroom so I can shower and get ready for the day before my tiny tot wakes up. His internal alarm clock-a-doodle-do is 8:00am sharp. I love taking the time to cook a big breakfast. Biscuits and gravy, or french toast and hash browns. But who has time for that?! For this mama that rarely happens more than once a month. We need something fast, and cereal can get boring day after day.
Fortunately for our taste buds, Andrew and I recently found ourselves on a smoothie kick.
Because the pandemic has halted most extracurricular activities for toddlers (and all ages for that matter) our Smoothie Tour of Louisville was a delicious and fun adventure that got the two of us out of the house. But, oh boy, did it get expensive fast! Peep down below for our favorite smoothies from a few of Louisville’s juice bars that we indulged in before I made the decision to start making smoothies at home.
I was afraid it would be a daunting task to get started, but as it turned out I already had most of the ingredients I wanted to include in home-made smoothies. Now it is a simple snack when we want to share a special treat together, or when I want to sneak more healthy foods into a meal, or a perfect start to the day. Watching Andrew’s tiny hands put the spinach and fruit into the blender brings me joy and helps me slow down just enough to appreciate those little moments.
Hot Tips:
- Chia Seeds & Hemp Hearts (aka: shelled hemp seeds) – These add-ins are worth it! Yes, they are a bit expensive but they do last a long time. I sprinkle hemp hearts on toast and pasta, and mix them into veggie fritters. Chia seeds make a fantastic pudding.
- Don’t measure anything. I’ll include recommended amounts, but they are merely suggestions. There is no need to fill up the sink with measuring cups and spoons, or worry about quantities. Toss everything in the blender, and then start with a little less plant-based milk than you expect to need. You can always add more if it’s too thick.
Smoothie Recipes
The Pumpkin Season Smoothie
- ½ Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
- Choose one without added ingredients.
- Use the extra in your next smoothie, tomorrow’s oatmeal, or cookies.
- ½ Cup Frozen Cauliflower
- You won’t even taste it, I swear! But substitute frozen peaches if you must.
- 2 – 3 Tablespoons Nut Butter
- Try peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or pumpkin seed butter.
- 1 Tablespoon Hemp Hearts
- Dash of Cinnamon & Splash of Vanilla
- Plant Based Milk
Chocolate Banana Bomb
- Frozen Banana
- ¼ Avocado or 2 Tablespoons Nut Butter
- ¼ Cup Oats
- 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
- Fresh Mint
- Totally optional but a fun twist
- 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
- Plant Based Milk
The Green Dream – our favorite
- Handful of Baby Spinach
- Handful of Baby Arugula
- One green is plenty if that’s all you have
- ½ Avocado
- ½ Cup Frozen Fruit
- I like the sweetness of frozen blueberries, raspberries and strawberries for this one
- 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
- Plant Based Milk
Sweet Potato Pie
- ½ Cup Canned Sweet Potato Puree
- Use the extra in your next smoothie, tomorrow’s oatmeal, or cookies
- ½ Cup Frozen Peaches
- ½ Apple or ¼ Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 Tablespoon Hemp Hearts
- Dash of Ground Ginger and Cinnamon
- Canned Coconut Milk
- I love the thick, extra-creamy addition of coconut milk but any plant based milk will do well.
Kale Yeah!
- A Big Handful of Baby Kale
- You don’t need to worry about the stems with baby greens.
- 1 Banana
- ¼ Cup Frozen Pineapple
- ½ Cup Frozen Mango
- 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
- Plant Based Milk
Let’s Talk About Those Plant Based Milks
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- Are you ready for this? Your options include soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk, Ripple (made from pea protein), oat milk, hemp milk, flax milk, walnut milk, macadamia milk… and I am probably still forgetting a few.
- We rotate most often between soy milk and Ripple, always unsweetened. I like the higher calories, protein, calcium, and iron for a growing little one. Try oat milk in your coffee – yum!
Smoothie Tour of Louisville
Here are a few local juice bars Andrew and I visited this year, and our favorite smoothies from each of them.
The Weekly Juicery – Matcha Madness
Lueberry – Power Green Smoothie
Pure Blendz – Green Serene
Juice Bar – The Doc
Blossom Bar – Rainbow Immunity
Smoothies should be fun! Let the whole family choose their individual ingredients and bond over breakfast. Or, don’t even tell them all that kale and spinach is hiding inside.
Your mama smoothie secret is safe with us!
