how to make a smoothie with fresh fruits like raspberries and apples

How to Make a Smoothie That Jump-Starts Your Day

Do you wish you had more energy in the morning?

Are you someone who skips breakfast but want to change that?

Do you want to pack more nutrition into your daily routine but don’t know how?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then this post is for you. I’m going to teach you how to make a smoothie that not only jump-starts your morning routine but your entire day. And if you do the right prep ahead of time, making a smoothie will only add 5 extra minutes to your morning routine. That’s right. 5 minutes. And I think your health and wellbeing are worth 5 extra minutes!

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Tips for How to Make the Perfect Smoothie:

This smoothie recipe is very versatile. It’s designed to let you mix and match ingredients, depending on the flavors you enjoy. You can easily swap out one fruit for another and still get the nutritional benefits you need to power through the day. Even better, if you’re someone who has trouble getting your daily serving of green, leafy vegetables, a smoothie is the perfect way to sneak them into your diet.

To save time in the morning, I suggest you prep ahead of time. Wash and separate your greens on Sunday. Buy organic frozen fruit at the market that will last you a full week. To freeze bananas, simply peel and slice them in half, and then store them in a reusable bag (I love using Stasher) in the freezer. This is one of my favorite smoothie hacks for a cold smoothie, without adding ice, and it’s a great way to save bananas that are starting to go bad!

Make sure all of your supplements are easily accessible. Keep your measuring cup and measuring spoons near your blender. Or if you’re type-A like me and have extra time, you can pre-measure your supplements and keep them in small ramekins for the week.

To make this smoothie, you’ll need to use some kind of blender. Right now, I’m using the Nutribullet and I love it. I’ve had my Nutribullet blender for 5 years and it still works great! It’s just big enough for 2 servings (for my husband and me), and it’s super easy to clean. It also comes with lids you can screw onto the cup for easy transport.

Here are my go to smoothie products if you want to know how to make a smoothie

Some of my favorite smoothie ingredients and brands.

Basic Smoothie Recipe:

2 Servings (16 – 20 oz)

1 frozen banana or 1 ½ cups of frozen fruit (mixed berries, blueberries, mango, pineapple) *Your fruit doesn’t have to be frozen but I prefer a cold smoothie
1 packed cup of leafy greens (kale or spinach, stems removed)
2 cups of non-dairy milk. My top choices are almond, coconut, or oat milk. (Milk should be unsweetened, from a carton, not a can. Also, make sure your almond milk is carrageen free.)
1 scoop of vegan protein powder (My go-to is Sun Warrior protein warrior blend with chocolate)
1 1/2 teaspoon chia seeds
2 teaspoons ground flax seed
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 scoop of collagen powder (I love Vital Proteins)
*Optional* if you need an extra boost, add 1/2 teaspoon of matcha for a hit of caffeine

Additional Smoothie Recommendations:

Above is a basic recipe. But there are lots of other ingredients you can add to your smoothie for additional nutrition. Try mixing it up by adding one of the following: granny smith apples, goji berries, cinnamon, pitted Medjool dates, almond butter, coconut oil, or turmeric.

If you’re new to using vegetable protein powders, they come in many different flavors. Personally, I like the Warrior Blend, Sun Warrior chocolate the best, but you might prefer vanilla or berry. Buy individual packets first, so you can test out which flavor you like before investing in a bulk-size container.

Many people are also into making their own nut milk versus buying it at the store. This makes sense, because the pre-made nut and seed milk often have extra ingredients, including sugar, which you might not want in your milk. Right now, when I use store-bought milk, I opt for the unsweetened almond milk from Califia Farms, because it’s carrageenan free.

The smoothie I have in constant rotation right now includes 1/2 frozen banana, kale, chocolate protein powder, almond milk, and all of the supplements listed above, minus the matcha. Normally I love adding matcha, but I’m trying to limit my caffeine intake to 1 cup of coffee per day right now.

If you’re already a smoothie maven and you’re looking for more recipe inspiration, I highly recommend Kris Karr’s book, Crazy, Sexy Juice. It’s chock full of smoothie and juice recipes. Some of my favorite smoothie recipes in her book include Antioxidant Boost, Body Builder, Brain Booster, and the Granny Smith Apple Pie.

And there you have it! Now you have all of the tools for making a smoothie to jump-start your morning routine and commit to a healthier lifestyle.

Already a fan of smoothies? Then I’d love to know what you put in yours!

What are your go-to ingredients or recipes? How do you ensure you get your daily dose of nutrition?

Please share your recommendations in the comments below!

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About

Merry Lerner is an Emmy Award Winning TV Showrunner and Executive Producer with a passion for sharing travel, wellness, and lifestyle tips. She is a certified yoga teacher and graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition health coaching program.