Smoothie Ingredients for a Power Breakfast

Start your new year with smoothie bowls to ground, energize and detoxify. Pow!

My favorite smoothie ingredients, in this order.

Re: these brands - these are the ones I use and love. There are definitely other great brands out there too, I just like to share what I use because inevitably everyone asks, and I do believe the companies work hard at creating amazing products.  

If you're looking for something in store, I recommend choosing products with an ingredient list you can understand, and to look for organic and fair trade/ RA certified when possible.

1) Chocolate Super Greens

Amazing Grass on Amazon

I love love love Amazing Grass Green Superfood. If I learned anything from going to NGI cooking school, it's that we can (almost) never get enough dark leafy greens in our diet. Dark leafy greens are the one thing I make sure I eat everyday - rich in vitamins, minerals, cancer-fighting properties, antioxidants, polyphenols - all of it. If you're not yet eating super greens daily, it's the one thing I'd recommend adding into your diet this year.

I like this brand and flavor because most super greens taste grassy but the chocolate flavor here is much stronger than the green flavor, and tastes great.

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Protein Powder

I prefer plant-based protein powder because it feels powerful enough to fuel me with a lot of energy, and it's significantly more sustainable for our planet than Whey Protein.

I like Garden of Eden for plant-based protein because it has all the right ingredients, including probiotics that make a smoothie digestible. I also really like the flavor. 

Whey Protein is also great, particularly good if you're feeling like you need a mega protein boost. For me plant protein does the trick. See what works for you. I also enjoy this Grassfed Whey Protein. 

View Garden of Life Protein on Amazon

From the website: RAW Organic Protein is a Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified RAW Vegan Protein powder made with 13 Raw sprouted proteins,  22 grams of protein that is dairy free and soy free, with a complete profile of all the essential amino acids, along with added whole food fat-soluble vitamins, probiotics and enzymes.

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Superfoods

My top 3 favorite smoothie add-ins are Cacao Nibs, Chia Seeds + Goji Berries. They add color, texture, flavor, and of course they add potent nutrition and energy for your day.

Cacao Nibs

View Organic Cacao Nibs on Amazon

Cacao Nibs are rich in antioxidants, magnesium, potassium. Cacao nibs give me energy and generally make me feel awake and happy - with moderate amounts of caffeine! Plus cacao stimulates the brain to release feel neurotransmitters that trigger the release of happy chemicals and endorphins. 

Ground Flax

View Organic Ground Flax on Amazon

Rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants and so much great golden nutrition, ground flax is great.  It must be ground for body to absorb the nutrients, so make sure you get this version.

View Organic Goji Berries on Amazon

Goji berries have been used in traditional Chinese medicine since BC times - for their ability to generate feelings of wellbeing, improve mood, and many systems in the body, including cardiovascular.

I love Goji berries mostly for their chewy, raisin-like texture and their sweet/tart flavor. And of course their beautiful red color in smoothie bowls. Aside from being ancient medicine, they are also high in Vitamin A + C, selenium, iron and amino acids. .

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Essential Oils

Grapefruit

Spearmint  

Ginger

Grounding, Soothing Coconut Quinoa Porridge

Enjoy this soothing winter breakfast as an easy, gourmet winter-time meal. Or share with friends and family as part of a beautiful, healthy (and easy!) breakfast or brunch.

The quinoa is rich in protein but also easy to digest, and makes a perfect grounding breakfast.

Option to soak quinoa overnight in water, which will sprout the quinoa, and reduce cook time to just 3-5 minutes the next morning. it’s a little extra work, and definitely not necessary, but it makes the quinoa even easier to digest.

Prep Time: 5 minutes     Cook time: 12 minutes     Total Time: 20 minutes

Serving size 2 - 3 portions.

Ingredients

1 cup white quinoa

1 1/2 cups coconut milk (shelf stable version or refrigerated, both work well) Almond milk + hazelnut milk are delicious alternatives too!

1/2 cup filtered water

1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Top with: Fresh berries/ bananas/ citrus fruit/ nuts

Optional Additional Ingredients

1 Tbsp maple syrup

Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean pod. - Adds a really nice sweet + nutty flavor. Vanilla extract does not work here because the alcohol is too rich. You can order vanilla bean pods here on Amazon for a reasonable price (they are twice as much in store usually)

1 cinnamon stick, instead of ground cinnamon  - nice when you are making a big batch, and want a “white” look to breakfast and then just add cinnamon on top. This is really just for presentation purposes :)

 

Simple Recipe

1. Rinse quinoa in a strainer. Run water over quinoa until the water is clear and not cloudy. 
2. In a saucepan over high heat, combine the quinoa, 1 cup of the coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, and half of the vanilla bean seeds, and cinnamon.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 12 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat. Stir in optional 1 Tbsp maple syrup and the remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk. Or wait to add the coconut milk until you serve into each bowl.
5. Top with fresh berries, banana, nuts or whatever your heart desires!

Everyday Berry Greens Smoothie

My smoothie doesn't have a pretty straw in it everyday, but on special occasions it does !

What I do have in my smoothies everyday are: Protein Powder, Super Greens + Probiotics.

Here's my super simple, go-to smoothie for everyday livin'

Ingredients

• 1 scoop Protein Powder
• 1/2 - 1 scoop Daily Greens
• 1 scoop Daily Fiber Boost (optional)
• Organic frozen mixed berries
• 1" fresh chopped ginger
• 1/2 cup Plain Coconut milk. (Or use Vanilla depending on your sweetness tolerance)
• 1 - 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil (for healthy fats)

Directions

Blend + Enjoy! 

Smoothie Ingredients I love

Including protein powders, super greens + more.

DELUXE! Savory Chai Overnight Oats with Superfoods.

You can have good, fast and cheap AND deluxe all in one breakfast bowl. While you know I am a HUGE fan of smoothies, smoothies don't always cut it in the winter time. Sometimes we need something warm, a bit more soothing. There are of course endless variations on this kind of bowl, but here's what I want to share first and foremost.

 

Soak your oats overnight on a Sunday night before the week starts.

This removes a lot of the phytic acid in the oats (which can be hard on your digestive system), and makes it so that you don't even have to cook them. Plus they retain all of their raw superfood power, and have a nice chewy texture. 

How to do this: Place in a tuperware, fill with desired amount of oats. 1 cup will do for 2-3 servings. Place in refrigerator overnight. Drain water the next day. This will stay good for 4-5 days refrigerated.

This makes reheating and having a gourmet breakfast so easy and so healthy. Yes.

 

Ingredients

• Vanilla or Plain Almond Milk
• Chai Spice Mix. Blue Lotus Chai is my favorite as its just pure spices, no sweetener.
• 1-2 teaspoons melted Coconut Oil
• 1/2 cup soaked Oats. or the amount you desire.
• 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
• A handful of Gogi Berries
• A handful of mulberries
• A handful of fresh or frozen blueberries
• A handful of raw cacao
• 1/2 Banana

Directions

1. Soak Oats Overnight

2. Combine Almond Milk, Coconut Oil, Chai Spice, Oats + Chia Seeds. Stir until well combined. Add a dash of quality sea salt. 

3. Heat in microwave or on stovetop if desired.

4. Top with delicious superfoods.

Enjoy while taking a morning pause to enjoy your beautiful meal!

Julianne

Refreshing + SO good. Clean Green Mint Protein Smoothie

This smoothie is so good and is my go-to. There are a bunch of ingredients included here - enjoy the power combo!

It has all of the things most of us want on any given morning.. it's refreshing (mint), protein rich (protein powder), healthy + stabilizing fats (coconut oil + almond butter), creamy goodness (almond milk), antioxidant rich super greens and it tastes like a mint chocolate chip milkshake. 

Ingredients for 2 servings

• 2 scoops Protein Powder
• 1 scoop super greens
• 1/2 - 1 Banana -depending on how sweet you like your smoothie.
• 1-2 tablespoons Almond Butter
• 3/4 cup Plain almond or coconut milk. 
• About 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil (for healthy fats)
• 1 drop ginger essential oil (or an inch of fresh chopped ginger)
• 1 drop spearmint essential oil (or a handful of fresh mint)
• a handful of Cacao nibs (1-2 tablespoons)
• A few ice cubes

Directions 

As you would expect, the directions for making a smoothie are pretty simple. Except you want to watch out for when you add the coconut oil.

1. Add almond milk to bottom of blender

2. Add all other ingredients, except for coconut oil + ice cubes and blend.

3. If coconut oil is hardened, melt it. Then add to mixture + blend. (You don't want to add coconut oil to a really cold mixture, it will harden and you won't enjoy the texture.)

4. Optional - add ice cubes if you want a colder drink. 

Enjoy!

 

health hack: mint supports natural weight loss + is great for digestion.

Like many herbs, mint contains an abundance of healing properties. Mint is a natural stimulant and it has been studied to support natural weight loss, reduce inflammation in the body, and even calm headaches. It's a great addition to a post-workout smoothie because the body is responding to natural free radicals in the body, and mint will naturally help to remove them and restore your body back to optimal health.

Enjoy!

Julianne

Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

There is absolutely no way to fight the creamy pumpkin craving of fall. So find a way to enjoy it! This is a super easy + delicious smoothie for you to enjoy.

• 1.5 scoops Vanilla Protein Powder
• 3/4 cup Vanilla almond milk. (Or use Plain depending on your sweetness tolerance)
• 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup for sweetner. Or your sweetner of choice. 
• 1 - 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil (for healthy fats)
• 1/4 cup Pumpkin purée
• 1 Tbsp. Pecans, Walnuts or any nut you have on hand
• a Dash (or 2!) Pumpkin pie spice, to taste
• Optional - 1 drop of ginger essential oil
• A few ice cubes

You can probably find something like this in your grocery store. It's a simple blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg + allspice. I recommend choosing a real spice blend and not something loaded with sugar. You can always add a sweetner like honey or maple syrup if you want an extra sweet taste, but the premade mixes usually contain artificial color and sweetner. So avoid those when possible.

Instructions

1. Add almond milk to the bottom of the smoothie so it's easy to blend all of the ingredients.

2. Add all ingredients except Ice and blend. If you want to add the ice - go ahead and add it once everything is already creamy.

Health Hack:

If you're an avid smoothie maker and drinker like me, keep all your smoothie ingredients handy if possible. Near your nutribullet (my favorite, light and easy to use blender) and keep your ingredients accesible so that making a smoothie is as easy as pie.

Get it.. pumpkin pie..

But for real - make it easy so that making the healthy choice is as EASY as possible :)

A couple times a week I also make smoothies at night while I'm making dinner and waiting for something to cook. I leave it in the blender for when I know I'm going to be coming home hungry in the morning, or I simply want to make my life easier. Then I simple re-blend. It's the best and sets your days up for success.

Enjoy!

Julianne

No-Guilt Paleo Blueberry Muffins

As a special request from one of our Honest Yogis this week to eat a delicious baked good on this 10 day spring health challenge. Yes, this is possible.

So! I have for you this week a recipe for a healthy morning treat that's of course gluten free, junk free etc.. but it's also protein rich and has a healthy amount of healthy fat!

This is even healthy enough for weekday mornings :)

Serving Size: 12 small muffins        Prep Time: 10 minutes        Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 scoops Protein Powder

2 cups almond flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 organic large eggs
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup honey 

1/4 cup almond milk or milk of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoons lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 1/4 cup blueberries
Optional topping:  1/4 cup poppy seeds or 1/4 cup shredded coconut

 

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pan with cooking oil and line tin with baking cups if you have them.

2. In large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Break up any large clumps.

3. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut oil, honey, vanilla, lemon juice and zest, then thoroughly combine wet ingredients with the dry. Fold in blueberries.

4. Pour batter into muffin tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tops turn golden. With 5 minutes remaining, add optional poppy seed or coconut topping.

While these muffins are healthy treats, they are still treats! It's best to share them and rotate back to your superfood smoothies!