Ready for a real simple treat? My plantbased strawberry smoothie recipe is the perfect way to welcome summer and tastes more like dessert than a wholefood smoothie. Its an excellent breakfast recipe for the whole family, and the kids will absolutely love it. Let's learn why and get blending...
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Smoothies make for some of the healthiest meals and are cheap to make. Blending fruit, greens and vegetables together with a few superfoods or protein, is one of the fastest ways to make a densely nutritious meal.
On a budget? Smoothies are an excellent way to use up leftover fruits and vegetables, or produce that is about to spoil. I know in my household of five kids, once the bananas freckle, they turn their noses up at them. Freeze or blend produce that is nearing its expiry to avoid wasting food. Its also helpful to buy in-season or on sale to make wholefood smoothies a cheap way to nourish. In our family, we love taking the kids to the berry farms and picking our own bumper crop to freeze for later in the year.
Check out these smoothie recipes...
What Goes In Smoothies?
What makes a smoothie? What doesn't is a much shorter list. You can add just about anything to wholefood smoothies to create some of the most delicious and Instagram worthy meals. Typically, a smoothie contains a few fruits, leafy greens and a vegetable or two. This is combined with liquid from water, coconut water or dairy and plantbased milk. Most health conscious people add in extra fibre, protein powder, and healthy fats to the mix to create a well-balanced meal out of smoothies.
Try preparing smoothies using all of these ingredients:
high fibre, low carb fruits such as berries (all types), mango, citrus, banana etc
vegetables of all types either raw or steamed like sweet potato and cauliflower
leafy greens such as beet and carrot tops, lettuce, kale, spinach, or watercress
protein such as from organic, whey-based or plantbased sources
healthy fats from coconut oil, nuts and seeds, or fruit like avocado
superfood powders and ingredients to boost antioxidants and the nutrient profile
There are so many ways to make your smoothies into a powerhouse of nutrition simply by balancing the nutrients with wholefood ingredients.
Free Sample Meal Plan
Download a sample of one of my Meal Plans featuring a few of my nutritious and super easy-to-make recipes!
Why are smoothies considered so healthy?
Blending wholefood ingredients together can be a very healthy way to consume more fruit, vegetables, greens and nutrients. When you blend (versus juice), you retain all the dietary fibre found in plantbased foods. Fibre is a macro nutrient that is required daily for good health and can only be found in the foods you eat. Berries are an excellent, nutrient-rich source of fibre, taste fabulous and are super easy to meal prep into ready-made "smoothie drops".
Having smoothies every week can help you consume more essential fibre, vitamin-rich fruits and veggies than if you had to eat them individually. Smoothies are great time saver and as along as you don't go overboard with the ingredients, can support natural weight loss, better gut health and overall well being.
Key Ingredients Used
This recipe is an Eat Nourish Glow favourite, and for good reason. The ingredients used provide a low carb smoothie that is high in protein with a scrumptious berry flavour. Protein paired with fibre helps to balance your blood sugar levels, reduce food cravings and will leave you feeling fuller for longer. yep, you can say goodbye to afternoon snacking and brain fog!
Strawberries: and most berries are an excellent low carb, high fibre ingredient for smoothies.
Almonds: not only add a nutty flavour to smoothies, but they are also a wholefood source of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E.
Protein powder: is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage and skin. You can only find this essential macro-nutrient in the foods you eat every day. Adding whey or plantbased protein to smoothies creates a well-balanced meal and is helpful to diabetics who enjoy smoothies.
When making smoothies, it is important to be choosy with the ingredients and be mindful of creating a balanced meal (or snack) from your recipe. A serving of high fibre fruit paired with a lean, protein source is an easy to create a nourishing smoothie into a main meal.
Healthy Smoothie Variations
This smoothie recipe is super easy to adapt by mixing up the ingredients. You can make it extra high protein by adding nuts and seeds, low carb and high in fibre by sticking to berries as the fruity ingredient, or make it extra nutritious by adding superfood powders like raw cacao, acai, maca root, etc.
Mixed berries: fresh or frozen, berries are a low carb, high fibre fruit to add to your smoothie recipes. Try this same recipe with a cup of mixed berries or use them on their own such as blueberries, blackberries or raspberries.
Other nuts or seeds: make super healthy additions to smoothies. Nuts like walnut, cashew or pecan provide healthy fats, fibre and a delicious, subtle nutty flavour. Try high fibre seeds like pumpkin, flax, chia and sunflower for extra protein and nutrients.
Raw cacao powder: is a magnesium-rich superfood powder made from raw chocolate beans, and has many health benefits. Add the powder to your smoothies, baking, desserts, coffee and overnight oats or chia pudding for a chocolate flavour.
No matter which version you choose, adding raw cacao to your meal plan each day is fabulously delicious way to nourish and consume more essential nutrients and antioxidants.
Food Sensitivities
What if I am allergic to berries? If you have an allergy or sensitivity to berries, the body thinks the fruit is a toxin, rather than a food. This kick in the immune system to react by releasing histamines and antibodies to fight the "toxin". Allergic symptoms range from a skin rash or hives, throat swelling, or gastrointestinal issues and more. Swap the berries for mango, banana, or cherries for an equally delicious smoothie recipe.
Warning: this recipe also contains nuts: if you have a sensitivity or are allergic to nuts, you will need to adjust the recipe to remove the almond butter and milk. Instead, try the recipe with coconut, cow or goat's milk, oat or soy as healthy alternatives. If you want to use the butter, try flax seed, sunflower seed, tahini butter instead of the almond butter used.
Strawberry Almond Bliss Smoothie Recipe
This plantbased strawberry smoothie is naturally high in protein, healthy fats and is densely nutritious. I enjoy it with a heaping of ice during blending to make a thicker smoothie like soft-serve ice cream, but it is also just as yummy served in a cute mason jar with a wide straw.
Strawberry Almond Bliss Smoothie Recipe
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
250ml almond or oat milk, unsweetened
1 small banana, frozen
40g Vanilla flavoured protein powder (I use vegan 'Nourish by @aussiebodies)
3 tbsp almond butter or 10 almonds, organic
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp maca root, powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 cup crushed ice (optional, gives a thick texture)
In a blender, add all the ingredients and process on high until well combined. Add the ice if you want a thicker, more soft-serve consistency. Pour in a mason jar glass or serve in a smoothie bowl (as pictured) with your favourite toppings.
Batch Cook & Meal Prep
Yes, you can batch cook and meal prep smoothies! Many of the ingredients used in smoothies can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the freezer until you are ready to blend. This is worth the time spent on meal prep to create fast, easy garb-and-go meals for you and the family.
Pre-chopped bananas that are too freckled and unappealing for the kids to eat. They are perfectly ripe at this point and provide a lovely texture to your smoothies when frozen. Chop and add to individually portioned zip-lock bags or a big storage container. They will keep for several months. Freshly picked berries also freeze very well and will keep month in the freezer.
Using an ice cube tray you can freeze any milk, yoghurt or other liquids used in your smoothies. Add a few cubes to your blender to equal the liquid used in recipes, or add to the above mentioned zip-lock bags and create a pre-portioned smoothie bag with all the ingredients (except the powders) in a "drop bag". When you want to make the recipe, simply drop all the ingredients from the freezer bag into your blender, add the powder ingredients and hit blend. Easy as!
If you love smoothies or are just getting into them, be sure to check out my berry smoothie themed 7 Day Meal Plan geared towards supporting a wholefood diet. You can choose from high protein, fat-burning and other delicious smoothie recipes by visiting the shop, click here.
Healthy + happiness,
Emma Lisa xx
HEALTH & NUTRITION PRACTITIONER
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