Consider breakfast smoothies for busy days when life takes over and there is simply no time to cook. Being rushed is not an excuse to let anyone go without a nutritious start to the day.

I have included some tips and a number of recipes for those incredibly busy days. The recipes can also be used for picky eaters or family members who insist they do not like breakfast.

When you need something easy and quick, breakfast smoothies are a great choice. If you have not tried this popular option, now is the time to do so. They are extremely tasty and loaded with nutrition when made from scratch.

One breakfast option is an “instant breakfast” mix, but I do not recommended them – too many additives and too much sugar!  On the other hand, when creating your own smoothies, you know exactly what is going into them. They are typically loaded with fresh or frozen fruits and other natural ingredients such as honey, and yogurt.

The bare essentials for a fruit smoothie are fruit (fresh or frozen), ice, a little sweetener (honey is best), and some type of liquid (milk, almond milk, coconut water, water). Of course, you can branch out from there.

Basic Guidelines

• Start with a clean blender.
• Cut up the fruit the night before.
• Freeze some of the fruit to limit the amount of ice you need.
• Include green, leafy or other vegetables and carrots for added nutrients.
• Measure out the liquid you will use and place it in a specific container in the refrigerator.

The more you can prepare the night before, the quicker it will be to make your smoothie in the morning. As you know, when time is at a premium, every minute you save counts.

The liquid you use is entirely up to you – it is a personal preference. Some people like to use regular milk (my choice). Others prefer rice milk, coconut milk (or water), or almond milk. You can also use kefir whey, fruit juice, vegetable juice, or water. NOTE: Each one adds a specific flavor and consistency. 

Below are some recipes for you to try – plus you can be as inventive as you wish.  ENJOY!

Protein Shake

• 1¼ cup milk
• ½ cup uncooked oatmeal
• 1 large ripe banana
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter or almond butter
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• Dash of salt
• Small handful of ice

Place all ingredients in the blender except for the ice cubes. Cover and then blend for one minute on medium. Add the ice cubes, cover and then blend for another minute on high.

FRUIT SMOOTHIES

Strawberry-Apricot Smoothie

• 1 fresh apricot, medium ripe
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1ripe banana, sliced and frozen
• 1/3 cup cold unsweetened almond milk
• 2 teaspoons local honey
• Ice, enough for desired consistency

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (serves one).

Apricot-Pineapple-Strawberry Smoothie

• 1 cup apricots, washed, pitted and cut in quarters
• ½ cup frozen pineapple chunks
• ½ cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• ½ cup coconut water or unsweetened almond milk
• Local honey to taste
• Ice, enough for desired consistency

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (serves two).

Cherry-Strawberry Smoothie

• 1 ripe banana, sliced and frozen
• ¾ cup fresh or frozen red cherries, pitted
• ¾ cup fresh or frozen strawberries
• ½ fresh orange, pitted and cut into chunks
• Local honey to taste
• ½ tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
• ½ cup coconut water, unsweetened almond milk, or water
• Ice, enough for desired consistency

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (serves two).

COMBO SMOOTHIES

Banana-Honey Smoothie

• 1 ripe banana, sliced and frozen
• 6 oz plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ almond milk or regular milk
• 2 vanilla wafers
• ¾ tablespoon local honey
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• Large handful of ice

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (serves one).

Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie

• 1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1 ripe banana, sliced
• 5 almonds
• 6 oz plain Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup milk or almond milk
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon grated ginger (optional)
• Large handful of ice

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (serves one).

Chocolate-Strawberry Smoothie

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 6 oz plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cup milk or almond milk
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 2-3 teaspoons local honey

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (serves one).

Creamy Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

• ½ cup milk or almond milk, more as needed to reach desired consistency
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 6 oz plain Greek yogurt
• 1 ripe banana, sliced and frozen
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• ¼ teaspoon ginger (optional)
• Local honey to taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (serves one).

Orange Julius Smoothie

• Juice of three ripe oranges
• 1 egg
• 2-3 tablespoons unrefined sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Large handful of ice.

Blend ingredients at high speed until the mixture is frothy. Serve immediately (serves one).

Creamsicle Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ripe bananas, peeled, sliced, and frozen (overnight)
• 1 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 1 orange, peeled and cut into chunks
• ¾ cup almond milk (or regular milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into thin slices
• Ice (optional, but nice if you like to thicker)

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice and freeze the bananas overnight.
2. Make the freshly-squeezed juice first.
3. Combine all ingredients in a blender.
4. Blend until well combined and smooth (serves two).

NOTE: If you want a true Creamsicle flavor – omit the carrot.

Low-Calorie Energy Booster

• 1 banana, sliced and frozen
• 1 large tablespoon pure almond butter
• 2 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• Local honey, to taste
• 12 ounces of pure, unsweetened coconut water
• Ice – to desired consistency

Blend all ingredients together until smooth (serves one).

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

I just found this recipe on Pinterest and couldn’t resist it – looks so good and goes with the season (Autumn) and would probably be good anytime of the day.  Hope you enjoy it. Found it on LemonTreeDwelling.com.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 c. vanilla yogurt (not plain)
• 2 oz. frozen pumpkin puree (or 2 pumpkin puree “ice cubes”)
• 1/2 frozen banana, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1-2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (I used homemade – recipe below)
• 1 cinnamon stick for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-freeze pumpkin puree by dividing 1 (15 oz.) can into an ice cube tray and freezing. (You will have enough to fill more than one tray.)
2. Combine all ingredients (except cinnamon stick) in blender and blend until smooth.
3. Pour into glass; garnish with a cinnamon stick.Makes 1 smoothie

Pumpkin Pie Spice (from Allrecipes.com)
4 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
4 tsp. ground nutmeg
4 tsp. ground ginger
3 tsp. ground allspice

Closing Thoughts

These breakfast smoothies are nutritious alternatives for your family when there is so little time in the morning. They taste great and are good for you. Be aware that your family may enjoy them so much, they may become a habit. The good news is – they can make them for themselves. All you have to do is have the ingredients available.

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