Ten Easy Smoothie Recipes
When summer schedules get hectic and the glorious weather days are abundant, we’d rather spend less time in the kitchen and more time outside enjoying the weather we’ve waited so long for! To celebrate the last month of summer (and before fall school schedules ramp up), we’re sharing ten of our favorite smoothie recipes using fresh flavors for hot days.
Before we jump to recipes, we should explain why we’re so crazy about protein shakes and smoothies. At our sister company, Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we always suggest eating in balance: a mix of protein, quality fat and a good carb. Smoothies and shakes are a perfect fast and delicious vehicle for all of those important ingredients. Balanced eating keeps your blood sugar stable, which directly impacts your mood, brain, waistline, and the list goes on.
Balanced Meals
Protein + Quality Fat + Veggie/Fruit Carb = Balanced Blood Sugar
Balanced blood sugars help stabilize your mood, mind, energy, and so much more!
Almost every morning at my house starts with a smoothie. With three kids, my mornings are usually busy. A smoothie is a great way to ensure my family is getting in nutrient dense foods and starting their day with balanced blood sugar. It’s also easy to take on the go, which is really helpful if we run out of time to eat at home. Varying the types of fruit and adding vegetables, like riced cauliflower, spinach, and cucumbers, is an easy way to add more fiber and nutrients to our day.
I usually make a little extra smoothie and freeze it in a Mason jar. It’s nice to have something with protein, fat and carb already made, especially when I haven’t been to the grocery store in a few days. I can grab a frozen smoothie in the morning, and by the afternoon it’s dethawed and ready for lunch or a snack. I’ve saved myself from resorting to snacks at the baseball concession stand many times this summer, because I brought a frozen smoothie in the morning on my way to a game!
Smoothie Recipes
Depending on whether you like your shakes and smoothies fruity or chocolatey, we’ve got a delish line-up for you to try:
- Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie Recipe
- Cherry Blossom Smoothie Recipe
- Chocolate-Mint Shake Recipe
- Mint Shake Recipe
- Chocolate Covered Berry Smoothie Recipe
- PB&J Smoothie Recipe
- Coconut Mango Smoothie Recipe
- Strawberry Basil Smoothie Recipe
- Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe
- Classic Protein Shake Recipe
More About Our Protein Powder
As you get ready to make your shakes, here’s a plug for thinking about your ingredients. Not all protein powders are created equal, and we want to give our bodies the best we can afford. When shopping for a protein powder, look for ones that don’t have a lot of added sugar and a decent amount of protein per scoop. To be considered a complete protein source, a protein powder should contain all nine essential amino acids. It’s also important to look for a protein powder that is third party tested, so you know the ingredients and amounts of nutrients on the label are accurate and there’s no contaminants. Ingredients to avoid when looking for a protein powder are refined oils, such as soybean, corn or vegetable oil, and artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium.
Because protein shakes are such a staple for our clients at our sister company, Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we wanted to make sure there’s a nutritionist and dietitian approved protein powder available in our NutriKey label. The NutriKey Wellness Whey Protein is derived from dairy and easy for most people to digest with no harmful or unhealthy ingredients. It mixes nicely and tastes great. Whey protein also contains a complete amino acid profile, which is important for maintaining lean body mass, burning fat and supporting good moods. Our Wellness Whey comes in both chocolate and vanilla flavors sweetened with stevia and are great pairings with the Key Fruits & Greens for an added antioxidant and flavor bonus.
Can’t do dairy? No problem! NutriKey Paleo Protein is a great dairy-free, lactose-free, paleo-friendly powder made from beef protein, so it contains all the nine essential amino acids a body needs for building and maintaining muscle. It also comes in both chocolate and vanilla, mixes well in water, and is lightly sweetened with stevia.
Protein For The Win
Quality protein is essential for a lot of the functions in our body: metabolism, energy, moods, neurotransmitter production, tissue and muscle growth, and keeping us satisfied. Protein shakes and smoothies, especially with a quality protein powder, is a great staple to add to a healthy meal plan because it’s an easy way to get in the grams you need in a day. Try out a few of these recipes and see how you feel!