For all our smoothie lovers and those of you who haven’t jumped on the smoothie train yet - we’re dishing out some pretty incredible smoothie recipes. And they are sure to have your taste buds singing, waistline shrinking, and skin glowing.
Do you wish you had a dime for every time someone told you that smoothies keep them full? Ok, sure! You’re probably thinking, yeah, right! For about 20 minutes, then it’s time to eat some real food. But what if we told you that smoothies could actually keep you full for hours. Yep! Hours! This means you can eliminate a meal, and while that may not sound like a healthy idea, we’re going to reveal how sipping on smoothies throughout the week can have some pretty fantastic beneficial results. And we reveal some delectable smoothie recipes for 2021. So, let’s see what all this smoothie magic is about.
2021 Smoothie Recipes For A Healthier Lifestyle
What Are Smoothies?
But first, let us explain what smoothies are (Hey, it’s ok. We know someone “may not” know what they are - wink, wink). A smoothie is a tasty, thick, and creamy beverage made by blending fruits, juices, vegetables, nuts, yogurts, seeds, and a milk or non-dairy product.
Why Are Smoothies Good For, You?
If you haven’t yet added smoothies to your daily regimen, we’re here to tell you - you’re missing out! Not only are they incredibly yummy, there are tons of other reasons why you should include smoothies into your lifestyle. Here are some incredible vital benefits that you get from smoothies.
It Makes You Feel Full
When people try to shed a few pounds, they may think that just cutting out a meal will do the trick. And while this may work for some, merely cutting out breakfast isn’t going to work for everyone. You see, your body needs fuel to burn to give you energy and to keep your brain circuits firing at rapid speeds. A better option is to replace your meal with a healthy smoothie full of nutrients that your body needs. You will notice you actually feel better because you won’t have that “stuffed” feeling like when you down 2 pancakes, 2 slices of bacon, and 2 eggs.
It Can Help You Lose Weight.
It helps that smoothies are made from natural plants and fruits; they are much healthier for you. Many of these fruits help to break down body fat, and who doesn’t want that?
Helps To Keep You Hydrated
Are you aware that water makes up approximately 70% of your body? Water is the source of life, and in modern times many of us don’t drink enough of it. Instead, we opt for sugary sodas, energy drinks, and coffee. Drinking smoothies can help replenish the water you may miss while still giving you an incredibly flavorful drink.
Controls Cravings
Oh, do we know all about cravings? They can absolutely drive you mad, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Since smoothies are full of nutrients, healthy sugars, and a lot of protein, they will help subdue food cravings and steer you clear of junk food while also providing a power-packed start to your day. (Bet you didn’t know...junk food is filled with all kinds of additives that actually make you crave them. It releases dopamine in the brain, which your brain interprets as pleasure - thus making you crave it more.)
Incredible Breakfast Smoothie Ideas
Triple Berry Smoothie - Straight From Tess’s Kitchen
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup of fruits (blueberry, strawberry, blackberry)
- ½ banana
- 1 cup almond milk
- ½ cup ice cubes
- (optional) 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Make sure all fruits are fresh and washed.
- Pour all the ingredients into an electric blender and run for about 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Tropical Kiwi Pineapple Smoothie
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 2 kiwifruit
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup coconut milk
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
How to Make:
For a tropical taste, add frozen pineapple, peeled and chopped kiwifruit, vanilla yogurt, coconut milk, lime juice, and ground flaxseed to a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour into two glasses and garnish with slices of kiwi fruit.
New Year Glow Smoothie Bowl
We bet you didn’t know smoothies aren’t just for drinking. Nope! You can make wonderfully delicious smoothie bowls as well. Topped with your favorite fruits, these smoothie bowls are the best way to kick start your day. This delectable treat will help your winter skin glow and shine like never before.
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE SMOOTHIE BOWL:
- 3/4 cup (180 mL) water*
- 1 heaping cup (145 g) frozen mango chunks
- 1/3 cup (55 g) packed avocado
- 1/2-inch piece (7 g) peeled ginger, or to taste
- 1 cup (30 g) packed fresh baby spinach
- 1 small (75 g) clementine, peeled
- 1 very large (30 g) pitted Medjool date**
- 3 ice cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon matcha green tea powder (optional)
For directions and a full description, click here.
Meal Replacement Smoothies - Because Life Can Be Hectic
Tess whipped up these yummy smoothies and said they are perfect for those busy days when you’re running all over town.
Joyous Almond
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup almond milk
- ½ cup coconut water
- 3 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- ½ tablespoon raw cacao nibs
- ½ banana
- (optional) 2 dates
Berry Butter Blast
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup dairy-free yogurt
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 4 small strawberries – washed and hulled
- 1 ripe banana
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Make sure all fruits are fresh and washed.
- (for the Berry Butter Blast) in a small bowl, mix the chia seeds and water. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes for the chia seeds to start to soften and gel.
- Pour all the ingredients into an electric blender and run for about 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Kid-Friendly Smoothies They Will Actually Love
Ok, we feel you! It is super challenging to get your little kiddos to eat basic vegetables. It’s like the veggies look like monsters or something...kids just seem to run and hide. Well, if you use a little smoothie magic, you’ll have them eating their veggies without even knowing it. We know sneaky, but veggies really are good for them; they just don’t know it. Here are some tasty, kid-friendly smoothie recipes that they will love.
Green Apple Pie Smoothie
The perfect way for your little green skeptics to get some much-needed spinach! The sweet and yummy flavors of apples and cinnamon together make this smoothie irresistible.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1 small apple, cored and chopped
- 2 big handfuls of baby spinach or kale (yes! veggies)
- 1/4 cup organic rolled oats or 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
- Handful of ice
Directions:
- Add everything to a blender and blend until very smooth.
- Add extra ice or milk as needed.
Sweet Potato and Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowls
How’s this for a vibrant color explosion for breakfast? You know kids love colorful things, and this recipe will have you creating a smoothie bowl masterpiece in no time. To make the consistency thicker, simply add your liquid a little at a time until you achieve the thickness you want. This kid-friendly recipe is a super unique combo of ingredients and flavors. Dragon fruit infuses this smoothie with that vibrant bright pink color. You should find frozen dragon fruit in most grocery stores, but if you can’t, you can simply replace it with frozen berries.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup cooked sweet potato
- 2 packets dragon fruit or 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 2 cups frozen mango (or a frozen banana)
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1 pitted date, optional
- Pinch of vanilla powder, optional
- Splash of water
Rainbow Smoothie
What kid wouldn’t love a rainbow-colored smoothie? Rainbows always have a way of making you feel inspired and happy. We guess because it symbolizes faith and hope, we know one thing is for sure...we love how happy this kid-friendly smoothie looks. We’re not even going to pretend that this smoothie is easy or quick to make. And it certainly won’t be your everyday breakfast smoothie. But it would be pretty cool to put a gold coin at the bottom of the glass before you start the layering process - who doesn’t want to find gold at the end of a rainbow? Hop over to the First Year Blog to see all the details on making this mind-blowing smoothie.
Tips For Making Smoothies That Keep You Feeling Full Longer
If you’re trying to take your smoothies to a whole new level and into superfoods filled with veggies, fruits, and powerful nutrients that will keep you feeling full longer, we have some super cool tips. Sure! You can start your smoothies off with cups of your favorite fruits, but to really get more bang for your buck, incorporate these ideas as well.
Veggies
Top dieticians and health food gurus will tell you that you need to add vegetables to all of your smoothies. We know! It sounds pretty weird to put veggies in your sweet-tasting smoothie but trust us; they are a great source of fibers and nutrients that your body needs. You know...the whole “it does a body good” idea. So, make sure to add some to your daily smoothie routine. And don’t worry, your strawberry-banana smoothie won’t taste like spinach. But if you do get a taste of your veggie in any smoothie, you may just add a ⅓ to the recipe, voila no more veggie taste.
Powders
Protein Powder
We aren’t crazy about adding powders to our smoothies, especially synthetic, human-made powders. Sometimes they can add a weird kind of flavoring to it. And since we are lovers of natural products and sustainability, we think adding a natural protein powder is the only way to go. We stumbled upon this excellent powder while reading a blog post about smoothies that will help you feel full longer (you can check it out here) - Nuzest. It is vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, and all-natural - just how we like it. And it adds 19 grams of protein to your smoothie.
Collagen Powder
This one might be a shocker to you. We love collagen in our cosmetics and beauty products because it helps produce long, healthy hair, nails, and eyelashes. But the most powerful effect that it has is that it helps to reduce wrinkles. Yep!! That’s right. Collagen is an excellent product for fighting aging and wrinkles. So, hey, we say put it in everything! Just kidding. But you can absolutely add this miracle powder to your smoothies.
If fighting wrinkles isn’t enough of a reason to add collagen powder to your smoothies, we have more great news! Collagen also is phenomenal for joint health, gut health, and connective tissue!
We hope you love these smoothie recipes and health benefits as much as we do.