We always hear about the health benefits of making a smoothie in the am (no, not pulp or smoothie king), but a homemade smoothie with fruit and vegetables in it. I recently started making one every morning and found it gives me way more energy than even coffee. Here are some of the benefits of drinking a fruit and vegetable smoothie in the morning.
- Fills you up in the morning and goes down easy for people who don’t like to eat in breakfast.
- Easy way to get 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables. Perfect for people who have trouble getting these in
- Starts your day off with a healthy habit and may kick start a healthy routine and lifestyle
- Perfect for kids and teenagers who struggle to eat vegetables. (You can hide the veggie taste by adding strawberries and bananas.)
With all these health benefits here are my top 3 favorite smoothies to make in the am. You can play around with the measurements to your liking, everyone has different tastes.
Alex’s Sweet Beet Smoothie
- 1 whole beet, peeled and ends cut off, chopped
- 3 strawberries, frozen or fresh
- 1/2 banana, frozen or fresh
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ginger root, peeled (a little goes a long way)
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1 scoop super greens
- 1 cup almond milk, coconut milk, or dairy milk
- Add water for better consistency
Emily’s Spinach Greens Smoothie
- 1 big handful of spinach (add more or less to taste)
- 1/2 banana, frozen or fresh
- 1 TBSP almond butter
- 3-4 frozen cherries or strawberries for taste
- 1 scoop whey protein powder
- 1 cup coconut, almond, or dairy milk
- add water for appropriate consistency
Summer Refresher Smoothie
- 1/2 cup cucumber
- 1/2 cup celery
- 1/2 cup watermelon
- 1/2 cup strawberry
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 scoop super greens
- 1 cup coconut milk
- add water for consistency
Here are some health benefits and the reasons why the main ingredients should be a staple every morning.
Beets
- Great for nitric oxide production (dilates your blood vessels for energy and great before exercise)
- anti-inflammatory properties
- anti-oxidant properties
Spinach
- Vitamin K-Strengthens bones
- Vitamin C-Heart health
- magnesium-Energy
Celery and Cucumber
- Anti-inflammatory
- Stomach and gut health (insoluble fiber)