Most of you know by now that I LOVE my breakfast green protein smoothies (which I most often convert to smoothie bowls). Over 5 years ago I published a blog with some of my favorite smoothies, but I’ve changed a bit and so have my smoothies. So again, by popular demand, and as a follow-up to my Beginners Smoothie Guide, today I'm sharing my newest favorite smoothie recipe (really a smoothie bowl) that I make for myself almost every morning.
All my green smoothies are PACKED with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, fiber, vegan protein and deliciousness. They make a filling and delicious breakfast that will keep your blood sugar stable, rev up your metabolism, and serve as a great tool for weight loss.
I now prefer to make my morning smoothies into BOWLS as this helps to force me to sit-down while eating it, to enjoy it more, eating it slowly and consciously. And by adding toppings, it reminds me to CHEW, which stimulates my digestive enzymes and ultimately helps with digestion. Plus, visually it’s prettier and fills me up more.
Here is the recipe to my favorite Everyday Green Chia Smoothie Bowl. Note: Within this smoothie recipe I offer variations, so it’s really many recipes in one!
EVERYDAY GREEN CHIA SMOOTHIE BOWL
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup water or almond milk (or ¼ cup water, ¼ cup almond or coconut milk) and more as needed
¾ to 1 medium zucchini (preferbly organic, and I suggest to chop and freeze, for better consistency)
½ cup to 1 cup frozen spinach or kale leaves (if you buy fresh, then ideally chop, steam briefly, cool then freeze your green)
½ teaspoon spirulina (or 1 teaspoon superfood greens blend)
1 - 2 scoops vegan protein powder, depending on brand (I like SunWarrior, Truvani, BeWellByKelly, Raw Garden of Life, Ora Organics So Lean & Clean, and ALOHA, for example, and I alternate between vanilla and chocolate)
2 tablespoons almond butter or cashew or peanut butter (or I sometimes swap nut butter for avocado OR coconut)
2 tablespoons chia pudding (or swap for 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed)
¼ - ½ cup fruit (I choose one fruit only, and I go with what I have in my freezer, usually alternating between blueberries, strawberries, papaya, pitahaya, banana, OR cooked & cooled sweet potato) + a bit more for topping
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled
Sprinkle of cinnamon and turmeric
OPTIONAL added superfoods: aloe vera, collagen peptides, ashwagandha, maca, tulsi, slippery elm, acacia fiber, flaxseeds
TOPPINGS, optional (I usually choose 2 - 3 of the following, about 1 to 2 teaspoons each): extra chia pudding, walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, tahini, nut butters (almond butter/ cashew butter/ peanut butter), shredded coconut, cacao nibs, goji berries, mulberries and/or sliced fruit
INSTRUCTIONS:
Blend all ingredients (except “toppings’) until completely blended and creamy. Taste, adjust as needed, blend again, and pour into a shallow bowl. Top off with nuts/seeds/fruit of your liking (see topping choices) and enjoy with a spoon.
Additionally, here are the recipes for 2 of my other favorite smoothie bowls:
my Ayurveda-friendly Beet-Berry-Ginger Smoothie Bowl
Reminders: These recipes are my usual go-to’s but I’ll switch them up, for example rotating the fruits based on what’s in-season and what I have in my fridge/freezer, and rotating toppings depending on my mood or time of my cycle. (ex. I may add some pumpkin seeds and flax in the 1st half of my “cycle” and sesame and sunflower seeds in the 2nd half of my cycle for some seed cycling;. Reply if you’re interested in learning more about that).
I always suggest: make the smoothie yourself, start with my recipe but then try it, adjust to your liking (adding more fruit and protein powder if too “green”, more chia and zucchini if too liquid, more water if too thick, etc.) and re-blend until you get it right.
These smoothies really are an amazing way to start your day and get some alkalizing greens into your system first thing!
P.S. DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY BEGINNERS SMOOTHIE GUIDE!