A great tip to start the day with a healthy smoothie (and get your extra time in bed) is to make smoothie packs and freeze them. Grab some reusable containers and fill them with the ingredients for your favourite smoothie. Get one out of the freezer the night before, pop it into the fridge to defrost and then put in in the blender in the morning. You could also blend it frozen for a slushy style smoothie.
Here are some great combos:
- Banana, a few almonds, strawberries,
- Banana, yogurt, avocado, kiwi, baby spinach
- Banana, cashews, blueberries
- Strawberry, spinach, avocado, low-fat yoghurt
- Banana, oats, berries, a little honey & vanilla extract
- Kale, avocado, lime juice, pineapple chunks, ginger, cashew nuts, banana
- Avocado, strawberry, yoghurt, lime juice, a little honey
- Green grapes, baby spinach, avocado
- Mango, yoghurt, honey
- Oats, blueberries, yoghurt, ginger, banana
Add any liquid you like, such as: dairy, oat, rice, or almond milk, or just water. Avoid using too much fruit juice as you will be getting the sugar without the fibre.
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Tips for a successful smoothie:
- Try not to go overboard on the fruit
- Spinach is a great alternative to kale if like your greens less bitter
- If you are using chia seeds or oats, don’t use too many or it will turn your smoothie into a solid!
- Dates or prunes can be used for sweetness, but just one or two
- Extras such as ginger, vanilla essence, cinnamon, nutmeg, a squeeze of lemon or lime juice or a tsp of honey/maple syrup can add a bit of zing.
- Frozen fruit and veggies can be just as healthy as fresh, and you may find a wider variety of options.
If you haven’t got room in your freezer, simply pop all the ingredients for your smoothie into a blender cup, put it in the fridge overnight and simply blend in the morning.
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