The secret formula for out-of-this-world delicious AND healthy breakfast smoothies using just a handful of ingredients, plus a collection of 6 super easy smoothies ideas.
The phrase “less is more” couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to making a truly healthy breakfast smoothie. Many smoothie recipes call for a dozen ingredients or claim to be healthy but they are not that healthy at all.
The trick is to keep it simple and use the right ingredients to balance the flavor and keep it nutritious.
If you’re looking for more of a dessert-like smoothie as a snack check out this amazing Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie. Super chocolatey and delicious.
The Secret to Healthy Breakfast Smoothies
The formula for a healthy smoothie needs to have one ingredient of each of these categories:
- protein
- healthy fat
- healthy carbohydrate
- fiber in the form of fruit and vegetable
Many delicious smoothies are all fruit and thus high in sugar and carbs and not very healthy at all.
On the other hand, many healthy smoothies are all veggies and powdered superfoods and not yummy at all, plus, super expensive.
So how can we achieve the best of both worlds? Healthy AND yummy breakfast smoothies at the same time?
It’s much simpler than you think. Just follow the formula and you’ll nourish your body through and through. No need for expensive superfoods, unless you love them in your smoothies of course :)
The Best Protein For Smoothies
- Plain unsweetened yogurt: 1/2 cup = 5g protein
- Cashews: 1/4 cup = 6g protein (also 14g fat, so watch out for overall fat content)
- Protein powder: 2 Tbsp = 12g protein
- Egg white: 1 large = 4g protein
The Best Healthy Fats For Smoothies
- Ground flax seeds: 1 Tbsp = 3g fat
- Hemp seeds: 1 Tbsp = 7g fat
- Chia seeds: 1 Tbsp = 4g fat
- Cashews: 2 Tbsp = 9g fat
- Egg yolk: 1 large = 5g fat
- Avocado: 1/8 large avocado = 7g fat
The Best Carbohydrate For Sweet Breakfast Smoothies
Hands down the best carbohydrate for sweet and creamy breakfast smoothies is one half frozen banana.
It is essential that you use a frozen banana to achieve that delicious creamy consistency.
It is also the most natural “sugar” you can add to your smoothie.
If you don’t like bananas, replace them with ½ cup of frozen mango. That’s the next best thing.
The Best Fruits and Vegetables for Breakfast Smoothies
- 1/2 cup (frozen) blueberries
- 2 apricots
- 1/2 cup (frozen) strawberries
- 1 small fresh orange
- 1/2 cup (frozen) mango
- 2 fresh clementines
- 1/2 cup (frozen) raspberries
- 1/2 cup (frozen) pineapple
- 1 kiwi
- 1/2 cup (frozen) peach
- 1/2 fresh dragon fruit
- 1/2 cup raw baby spinach
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup raw red cabbage
- 1/2 cup blanched and frozen cauliflower
- 1/4 raw cucumber
- 1/2 cup blanched and frozen butternut squash
- 1/2 cup raw diced carrot
- 2 stalks celery
- 1/2 raw red beet
- 1/2 cup raw kale
The Best Liquid For Smoothies
Add water or milk to your smoothie depending on the other ingredients you are using.
Water is great when you use nuts or yogurt as protein.
Nut milk or dairy milk works best if you are using protein powder or egg white as protein, and seeds, yolk or avocado as a healthy fat.
Frequently Asked Questions
That depends entirely on the smoothie. As long as your smoothie contains protein, healthy fats, healthy carbs, and plenty of fiber and vitamins it’s a perfectly healthy breakfast.
It also depends on what you eat for the rest of the day. A smoothie might be enough or not depending on your complete day’s nutrients and calories.
Weight loss cannot be achieved by focusing on one meal only. You need to consider your overall diet throughout the day and week to reach weight goals.
However, smoothies are a healthy way of including fruits and veggies in your diet. They also make an excellent healthy snack.
As long as your smoothie is nutritionally balanced, it doesn’t matter when you drink it.
If your smoothie contains an ingredient of each of the categories mentioned above, it is considered a full meal and does not require any additional food.
Other Healthy Breakfast Ideas
If you like switching it up between liquid breakfast and something that requires a little chewing, these are amazing alternatives to healthy smoothies:
6 Recipe Ideas for Healthy Breakfast Smoothies
Green Breakfast Smoothie
- ½ frozen banana
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened yogurt
- ⅛ frozen avocado
- 1 kiwi
- ½ cup baby spinach
Purple Breakfast Smoothie
- ½ frozen banana
- ½ cup water
- 2-4 Tbsp protein powder
- 2 Tbsp raw cashews
- ½ cup frozen blueberries
- ½ cup raw red cabbage
Orange Breakfast Smoothie
- ½ frozen banana
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened yogurt
- 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
- ½ fresh orange
- 1 raw carrot
Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie
- ½ frozen banana
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- ½ cup frozen raspberries
- ½ raw red beet
Yellow Breakfast Smoothie
- ½ frozen banana
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup unsweetened yogurt
- 1 Tbsp hemp seeds
- ½ cup frozen mango
- ½ cup blanched frozen butternut squash
Rose Breakfast Smoothie
- ½ frozen banana
- ½ cup milk of choice
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- ½ cup frozen strawberries
- ½ cup blanched frozen cauliflower
Healthy Breakfast Smoothies
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
- 1/8 frozen avocado
- 1 kiwi
- 1/2 cup baby spinach
- ___ ___ ___
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup water
- 2-4 Tbsp protein powder
- 2 Tbsp raw cashews
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup raw red cabbage
- ___ ___ ___
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
- 1 Tbsp ground flax seeds
- 1/2 fresh orange
- 1 raw carrot
- ___ ___ ___
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
- 1/2 raw red beet
- ___ ___ ___
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
- 1 Tbsp hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup frozen mango
- 1/2 cup blanched frozen butternut squash
- ___ ___ ___
- 1/2 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup blanched frozen cauliflower
Instructions
- Add 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup liquid, 1 serving of protein, 1 serving of healthy fat, and 1/2 cup fruit and 1/2 cup vegetables to your blender and blend until smooth.Use at the very least frozen banana better 2-3 frozen ingredients in your smoothie.
- Hot Pink Smoothie: Banana, milk, egg white, chia seeds, raspberries, beet.Light Pink Smoothie: Banana, milk, cashews, strawberries, cauliflower.Green Smoothie: Banana, water, yogurt, avocado, kiwi, baby spinach.Orange Smoothie: Banana, water, yogurt, flax meal, orange, carrot.Purple Smoothie: Banana, water, protein powder, cashews, blueberries, red cabbage.Yellow Smoothie: Banana, water, yogurt, hemp seeds, mango, butternut squash.
- Serve and drink immediately.
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Nina Paul says
Hi Lorena!
Thanks for sharing these great recipes, about protein shake can I consume that before going to gym?
Lorena Grater says
Hi Nina, this all depends entirely on what you ate earlier that day or the day before. Nutrition isn’t a one-meal approach but rather a full day and full week approach.
Lily says
Is the egg white cooked or raw? Do you use the egg yolk for anything?
Lorena Grater says
It is raw. When I use egg white as protein I use yolk as fat so I don’t have to waste anything. Eggs aren’t my favorite protein/fat in a smoothie though. My favorite protein is yogurt or nuts and my favorite fat are seeds or nuts.
Anna says
In the video, did you use chocolate protein powder for blueberry/red cabbage smoothie or was it a plain protein powder that looked like chocolate?
Lorena Grater says
Yes, it was chocolate protein powder. I personally don’t ever use protein powder (it’s my husband’s). I prefer more natural sources of protein such as egg whites, yogurt, or nuts.
Vitamix Ann says
I have been trying out one recipe every two days. Easier for me to finish the prep for two days in one sitting for my family of 4. The whole family is raving about how good they taste and eager to try the next recipe lol. We have had fun with our new blender and these smoothies. My family are thrilled and excited to be part of it. Thanks so much for the recipe ideas.
Martha says
Can you do this with 1% milk and can you add oats to the smoothie
Lorena Grater says
Absolutely
Emma says
Hi, I am looking to eat a little healthier than I usually do. I am interested in your recipe but I had a couple of questions. Should a smoothie be the only thing eaten at breakfast? I feel like it wouldn’t be filling enough. And second, I don’t like bananas(I actually hate them) so what would be something else I could use in the base. Last question! I don’t like Greek yogurt or nuts, would regular yogurt work just as well?
Thanks!
Emma
Lorena Grater says
Hi Emma, it depends on what you eat for the rest of the day. A smoothie might be enough or not depending on your complete day’s nutrients and calories. You can easily replace frozen banana by frozen mango if you prefer. You can use regular plain yogurt instead of Greek. The important part is that it isn’t sweetened.
Samantha Petrus says
How fine do you chop the veggies to determine the 1/2 cup?
Lorena says
Not very small. You can see the exact size in the video :)
Elizabeth says
Hi I’m 36 obese woman with type 2 diabetes. I want to loose weight and get healthier would you recommend a smoothie every morning and if so which one? Please could you respond at your earliest convenience please as I need to plan a healthier lifestyle asap. Many thanks in advance.
Lorena says
Hi Elizabeth, no, I don’t recommend smoothies every day for weightloss. I recommend eating an all-clean-ingredient nutrient-dense diet that will keep you full and healthy at the same time. If you lack nutrients in your diet you will never feel satiated and go grab unhealthy things to eat even though you’ve hit your daily calorie-needs. It makes no difference if you drink a smoothie every day if the rest of your day doesn’t complement that breakfast. I have 21-Day Meal Plans that offer completely calculated days to reach your nutritional needs in terms of carbohydrates, protein, and fats and that are geared for woman wanting to lose or maintain or gain weight depending on their current situation. You can find them in the menu of my blog. All the best, Lorena
Rena says
So you can’t but fresh fruit it has to be frozen
Ruthie says
You can buy fresh fruit, just have to cut it up and put it in the freezer.
Yolanda says
I like a good smoothie recipe for weight loss
Deborah Bandos says
These recipes sounds really yummy. Just curious why everything needs to be frozen? Would the consistency be really different with fresh?
Lorena says
Hi Deborah, yes, the consistency would be a lot more like juice. If you want it to be thick like a smoothie you need at least half the ingredients frozen.
Angela Jackson says
Do you have any recommendations for getting the spinach smoother? Mine still seems to have pieces no matter what.
Lorena says
Are you using a high-speed blender? If not, you’ll have to blend a lot longer to get the spinach smooth. My Vitamix gets in smooth in a couple of seconds. But my old Oyster needed a couple minutes instead.
Ida says
Blend your water and greens first. Then add your other ingredients to your greens.
Alycia says
Hey Vance! I too have hypertension and diabetes. Cut down all carbs to less than 50 if you can. I’ve dropped 100 lbs in 9 months, no exercise, just cutting out as many carbs as possible. Meat and veggies, some cheese very little fruit.
nagendra says
They are really amazing to read them because I want to drink healthy breakfast smoothies.