I love drinking smoothies for breakfast, especially when I am on a healthy kick or just want to lose a few pounds. All those cinnamon rolls, pancakes, waffles, etc. can take its toll on the waistline, haha. This healthy smoothie recipe is one of my go-to smoothies to drink in the morning.
Usually, I will make this healthy smoothie which makes roughly 24 ounces, and drink half of it for breakfast and then another half at lunch. And then during lunch, I will also eat some almonds, hard-boiled eggs, salad, etc. Or when I really want to lose weight, just drink that.
The morning routine of drinking smoothies is something I used to do a lot of, pretty much every single day, I would drink a variation of this particular smoothie recipe. I am not as hard-core about it anymore, but probably need to start again, haha. It is super easy to make, if I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get started!
Step 1: Gather the ingredients
In order to make this healthy smoothie recipe you need just a handful of easy to find ingredients:
- Banana – Bananas are very high in nutrition, to read about their health benefits read this article.
- Frozen/Fresh Berries – I usually buy in bulk and then freeze strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Each of these fruits is extremely healthy to eat. The strawberries are a little higher in sugar, so I don’t add as many of those. Read about the health benefits of strawberries here. Learn more about blackberries here and blueberries here often labeled a superfood. If you really like berries check out this 25 Types of Berries comprehensive guide.
- Fresh Spinach and or Kale – I don’t really like cooked spinach that much, but love it fresh. Also, I enjoy growing Kale in my garden, it grows quickly and is perfect in smoothies. Each or extremely healthy. If spinach is good enough for Popeye, it is good enough for me. Read why you should include spinach in your healthy smoothie here.
- Milled Flaxseed – Flaxseeds are absolutely loaded with nutrients and are a great addition to any healthy smoothie. Read about the health benefits in this article.
- Orange juice – A small amount of orange juice can be super healthy for you, but don’t overdo it. Most people drink full glasses of orange juice which is the equivalent of eating like 4 to 5 oranges. That really is too much natural sugar.
- Water – I always use filtered water because my tap water is gross, haha.
NOTE: I want to point out this is a good basic smoothie to start with. Feel free to make it your own by adding other ingredients. I sometimes will also add, apples, grapes, watermelon, etc. Chia seeds are very healthy and a great addition as well.
Tools
- Blender – Use a nice powerful blender. There are plenty to choose from. If you want a very high end blender choose the Vitamix or even the Blendtec. I owned a low-end Oster blender for years and worked out great, until I upgraded.
- Knife – If you are chopping any ingredients
- Cutting board
- Glass
NOTE: Make sure to clean the blender right away with hot soapy water. Just fill it up about one-third full with hot water, and add a bit of dish soap. Then turn it on. It is so much easier to clean if you do it right away. Don’t let it sit very long before cleaning it.
Step 2: How to make a healthy smoothie
Making healthy smoothies and smoothies, in general, is very easy to do. Basically, you just place all the ingredients in a blender and turn it on. I will pulse it a few times first, and then start on low and work my way up. With this particular smoothie, blend it a bit with just the orange juice in it.
Then stop the blender, and add in some of the water. Then blend again until you get the consistency that you want. Sometimes I want it thick and other times I want it really runny. If you add too much water and want it thicker, just add in a few more berries to thicken it again.
And now it is done. Super easy right? Then pour your healthy smoothie into a couple of 12 ounce glasses. Or if you have something bigger you want to use, you can do that too.
I used to pour it all into a big 32oz thermos and take it to work with me and then drink half of it for breakfast when I got there, and then the other half at lunch.
If you have any leftover, just place it in the fridge. Chances are it will thicken up in the fridge. When you want to drink it again, swirl it a bit in the glass to loosen it up. If needed add a tablespoon or two of water then stir.
There you have it, my favorite basic healthy smoothie recipe. There are so many variations of this that you can try with other ingredients, but this will get you started. Enjoy!
How long does the healthy smoothie last?
This smoothie will last a day or two in the fridge.
Can I freeze the smoothie?
Sure you can freeze it. Simply pour it into freezer-safe jars or containers and then freeze it. Just don’t fill up the container all the way, because it will expand as it freezes.
Here are some other healthy recipes you may like:
Healthy Smoothie
Equipment
- glass
- Cutting board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 banana
- 1 cup frozen or fresh mixed berries or can all be the same berry, or use other fruits
- 1 giant handful of fresh spinach sometimes I will throw Kale from my garden in there as well
- 1 Tbs. milled flaxseed
- 1/2 cup orange juice can reduce to 1/4 cup and use more water
- 1/2 – 2/3 cup of water as needed
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a blender minus the water and blend. Then add the water as necessary to get the desired consistency that you want. That is it. It is really that simple to make a smoothie.
Video
Notes
