3 Morning smoothies that can give you a healthy energy boost to start the day

Fruits and vegetables are essential to a balanced diet. Even if you’re always in a hurry to beat the rush hour in the morning, you can still start your day with an energy-boosting breakfast that contains a variety of superfoods. All you need to do is whip up a simple yet tasty smoothie using nutritious ingredients like kale, blueberries, bananas and peanut butter.

Make smoothies a part of your morning routine

Green smoothies aren’t just a fad. It’s been proven that they offer several health benefits, such as:

• Increasing your daily fruit and vegetable intake – Unhealthy snacking is linked to weight gain, which is a major risk factor for conditions like diabetes or heart disease. When you’re feeling hungry, make a superfood smoothie that’s full of nutrients instead of eating a bag of chips. A green smoothie can help you feel full for longer, reducing the urge to eat junk food. Enjoying a breakfast smoothie every day also boosts your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, which can help improve your overall health and well-being. (Related: Put some protein in your smoothie with these 5 vegetables.)
• Naturally promoting weight loss – Superfood smoothies are made with healthy ingredients that taste good and are full of essential vitamins and minerals. You need these nutrients to help your body function optimally. Smoothies also contain fewer calories and sugar than processed foods, so they can help you lose some weight. Just make sure you use natural ingredients and take it easy on the sweeteners.
• Helping you stay hydrated – Drinking enough water daily helps you stay hydrated. But you might not always drink enough water, which is where smoothies come in. A lot of superfoods, like cucumbers, melons and tomatoes, are hydrating, making them the perfect ingredients for a morning smoothie.

3 Energy-boosting smoothie recipes

The basic superfood smoothie recipe needs a liquid base, at least two or more main superfood ingredients, healthy fats and optional add-ons like natural sweeteners or protein powder.

If you’re overwhelmed by all the choices in your pantry, start with the three simple recipes below.

Yogi green smoothie

A yogi green smoothie includes kale or spinach, ensuring that you start your day with a serving of leafy greens.

This recipe uses ingredients that are rich in essential nutrients, such as calcium, fiber, potassium and vitamins C and E. Enjoy this recipe an hour before or after yoga class to replenish your nutrient intake.

Ingredients for two servings:

• 1 cup of organic spinach or kale
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup of frozen pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 organic Fuji apple, seeded and chopped
• 2 pitted dates
• 2 to 3 ice cubes
• 1 Tablespoon of vegan protein powder (optional)

Preparation:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
2. If you’re having a smoothie after an intense work-out, add vegan protein powder to help your body recover faster.
3. Pour into glasses and enjoy.

Very blueberry smoothie

Blueberries are full of antioxidants and fiber. Additionally, blueberries are nutrient powerhouses that are low on the glycemic scale.

Blueberries are rich in healthy fat, folate, potassium, protein and vitamins B6, C and E.

Ingredients for two servings:

• 1 cup of almond milk
• 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 Tablespoon of almond butter
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon of hemp seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 pitted dates (preferably Medjool dates)
• 4 to 5 ice cubes

Preparation:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Add one or two tablespoons of water for a thinner smoothie. Blend again.
3. Garnish with hemp seeds and a sprinkle of cinnamon before serving.

Choco-peanut butter smoothie

This last smoothie recipe features a classic pairing: chocolate and peanut butter. If you add a fiber-rich banana, your choco-peanut butter smoothie will be chock-full of beneficial antioxidants, fiber, “good” fats and potassium.

Ingredients for two servings:

• 1 cup of raw almond milk
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 frozen banana
• 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter
• 1 Tablespoon of raw cacao powder
• 1 scoop of vegan vanilla protein powder
• 1 to 2 pitted dates or 1 teaspoon of maple syrup (optional)
• 1/2 cup of ice

Preparation:

1. Place all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and process until smooth. Add a little water for a thinner drink.
2. If you’re not using vegan protein powder, blend in the dates or maple syrup for a sweeter smoothie.

Use delicious and nutritious ingredients like blueberries and kale to make a breakfast smoothie that will give you an energy boost every morning.

Sources include:

MindBodyGreen.com

Huffpost.com