Smoothie Tuesday

Whether your digestive system needs a little break or you're looking for a way to sneak more veggies into your day, whether you're doing a 3 day smoothie challenge or just need an occasional breakfast-on-the-go, this cold, thick drink you can sip with a straw can be a delicious and nutritious meal.

Any blender will do. I use an Oster Personal Blender like this.

It blends right in the bottle. After blending, the screw-top blade cap is replaced with a regular bottle lid. That way, I'm off to the gym with breakfast in hand and no extra dishes to wash.

I also use these fun straws (they're actually Tervis straws and are cheaper at Bed, Bath, and Beyond than Amazon). They're nice and fat and reach all the way down to the bottom of the bottle. I throw them, the blender bottle, lid, and blade cap all in the dishwasher when I'm done.

I almost always use frozen fruit. Making smoothies with frozen fruit yields a thicker shake-like consistency. I buy fresh fruit on sale, prep and slice it, then freeze it in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, I transfer it to a large zipper bag and store it in the freezer. For a bunch of large bananas, I let them ripen to the point of freckled but still firm, peel, and slice each banana into about 12 slices, and then use about 4/5 slices per shake. The blender bottles are great, but smaller pieces of frozen fruit is way better than larger. And ice cubes?... Well, they don't work out so well in my personal blender. But since I usually start with frozen fruit, my shake is good and cold and I don't need ice cubes. If your fruit isn't frozen, you can always add ice, either to blend in or just whole in the smoothie to make it cold.

A bit about protein powder...

There are a hundred brands out there. I am currently using Designer Whey's soy based formula. It's fairly inexpensive and I can get it at my regular grocery store. It's low in carbs and sugar and has 100 calories and 16 grams of protein per serving. With both vanilla and chocolate, I feel like I have lots of flavor options. And neither flavor is very strong.

 Do the research and see what works for you. There are vegan options, super high protein options, a dozen (or more) flavors, and the entire nutritional and financial spectrum to consider.


If you're not a protein powder person, 6 oz of Greek yogurt is a good substitute. Though a serving of Greek yogurt doesn't have quite as much protein as most protein powders, it's still a good source, tastes great, and ends up about the same calorically.

A bit about add-ins...

Nut butters, milled flax seed, oat bran, and chia seeds are all wonderful additions to any smoothie. All provide added nutrition and can help keep you full longer - but watch the calories. Don't let your innocent looking smoothie sabotage your goals.

A bit about sweeteners...

Everyone has very strong feelings when it comes to sweeteners. If you don't need any, don't use any. I find if my smoothie has bananas or pineapple, it almost never needs added sweetener. Some of my recipes below have sweetener, some don't. Use whatever form of sweetener you prefer, in the amount you prefer.

Blending tips:

There are few things worse than a clump of protein powder or a kale leaf stuck in your straw. Liquid at the top and bottom of the bottle will usually ensure a smooth, well blended shake so here's the order I fill my blender bottle:

• Step 1: I ALWAYS start with water in the blender bottle. If I'm using veggies (spinach, kale, carrots, beets), I blend the veggies and water first before I add anything else. That way the veggies are double blended.

• Step 2: frozen fruit. I drop it in the (veggie) water and let it sit while I get out the other ingredients and take my vitamins. This makes the water cold and also makes the fruit easier to blend.

• Step 3: Protein powder, any nut butter, seeds, bran, or other add-ins goes in next.

• Step 4: top it off with the other liquid.

• Step 5: blend, blend, blend

All the recipes here are for amounts used in a personal sized blender - about right for a single serving. A large blender tends to get filled, usually to the point that it's more than we really need. These recipes average about 220-320 calories based on my typical ingredients but will vary greatly depending on your brand of protein powder, any add-ins, and other liquid (milk, non-dairy milk substitute, or juice). I usually add 1-2 tsp of oat bran, chia seeds, or flax seed to my smoothie but these add ins are not included in the recipes. If you find yourself having smoothies often, it would be worth it to measure your ingredients and calculate the actual calories and nutrition for your favorites. The website Calorie King and My Fitness Pal app are great resources.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Green Smoothie

3/4 cup water
1-2 cups loosely packed spinach or kale
1/3 banana, sliced
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
sweetener, if needed
3/4 cup milk or non-dairy substitute

Carrot Cake Smoothie

3/4 cup water
1 cup cooked and cooled baby carrots
1/2 cup pineapple
2 tsp sugar free vanilla pudding mix
1/2 tsp (or more) pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup milk or non-dairy substitute

Green Monster

3/4 cup water
1-2 cups loosely packed spinach or kale
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup pineapple
1/4 cup blueberries
1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder (either one, they both turn out ugly but taste delicious)
3/4 cup milk or non-dairy substitute

Mango Island

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped mango
1/2 cup pineapple
2 Tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup milk or non-dairy substitute

Red, White, and Blue

3/4 cup water
1/3 banana
1/2 cup strawberries
1/4 cup blueberries
1 scoop vanilla powder
3/4 cup milk or non-dairy substitute

Red Monster

1/2 cup water
1 small beet, cooked, cooled, peeled, and sliced
1 pear, peeled, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
sweetener, if needed
3/4 cup milk or non-dairy substitute

Black Forest Smoothie

3/4 cup water
1-2 cup loosely packed spinach or kale
1/2 cup pitted cherries
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 Tbsp dark cocoa
sweetener, if needed
3/4 cup cup milk or non-dairy substitute

Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie Smoothie

3/4 cup water
1-2 cup loosely packed spinach or kale
1/2 cup canned pumpkin OR apple sauce
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (or chocolate works too!!)
2 vanilla wafers
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
sweetener, if needed
3/4 cup milk or non-dairy substitute