My Go-To Breakfast Smoothie
As a part of my plan to meet more of my health goals for the year I've had to make big changes in how I take care of myself and one of those biggest changes has to do with breakfast. I've never been a big breakfast person. For as long as I can remember I've always preferred to down a cup (or two) of coffee to start my day rather than begin with a healthy meal but by now we all know that skipping the 'most important meal of the day' is detrimental for many reasons. Because I don't love having to chow down on a big meal at the beginning of the day I tend to gravitate towards smoothies; they're healthy, yummy, easy to change up so you don't get bored and it's easy to prep them ahead of time (place all of your ingredients in a ziploc bag and put them in the freezer, then just dump the contents of the bag in the blender, add your liquid and you're set!). Today I thought I'd share what goes into my favourite smoothie including an unusual ingredient that's a bit of a game changer....
Let's start with the basics, every smoothie of mine usually starts with the fruit, typically 1/2 bananna + 1/2 cup of frozen pineapple (or mango). Bananas are full of essential vitamins and minerals and as a bonus, they add great flavour! I always add tropical fruit because they're my favourite flavour and add lots of vitamins although truthfully, tropical fruit contains more sugar than berries such as blueberries so if you're looking to reduce your sugar you can always sub berries instead.
Next up, I like to beef up my smoothie with a few super foods to increase the health benefits. In every smoothie I usually add 1tbsp each of acai powder and collagen. Acai powder is full of antioxidants, omega fatty acids and fiber and collagen has tons of gastrointestinal benefits plus beauty benefits for your hair, skin and nails so it's good for you inside and out! Both powders are tasteless and when blended they basically disappear right into your smoothie, allowing you to reap the benefits of both without changing the taste or texture of your smoothie.
Next up is the protein powder. For years I've been on the hunt for a protein powder that I actually enjoy because truthfully, I HATE the taste of flavoured powders, I find them all to taste quite 'fake' and I do not enjoy them at all which is why I haven't turned back since discovering flavourless protein powder. All of the benefits without any of the fake taste plus this one gives the smoothie a 'fluffy' kind of texture that I love!
The next ingredient I add is the one that initially made me scratch my head but now, I add to ALL of my smoothies...oats! I know you might be thinking 'oats? In your smoothie?' It might sound a bit strange and truthfully, it's a bit odd at first but I now LOVE adding oats to my smoothie. 1/4 cup of oats adds a thicker texture to your smoothie, not to mention oats add fiber that help keep you full longer.
To finish things off I usually add Silk unsweetened Almond Milk - about 1 cup is usually the right amount but you can adjust to your preference.
Thanks to the healthy fruit, oats and protein, this smoothie keeps me full right until lunch time and tastes delicious!! Are you a smoothie fan? If so let me know what goes into yours in the comments below! And let me know if you try adding oats to your smoothies and if you love them too!
