Our Favorite Way to Drink a Smoothie + 2 Smoothie Recipes

We know many families have the goal to fit in nutritious smoothies throughout the week but this can easily slip with the simple hurdle of time. Our go-to mug for drinking smoothies is the Eco Jarz 16 oz glass mug with stainless steel drinking top. Slip in a stainless steel drinking straw and sip in all the nutrients to start your day out right.

We asked a few of our favorite bloggers what their secret is for keeping smoothies in the mix of healthy eating for their families. Meg from vegetarian and gluten-free blog Beard & Bonnet devotes one hour each week to smoothie prep for the week. 

Meg's Smoothie System How-To 

1. Wash and prep fruits and veggies and store them in glass containers in the fridge. Not only is glass non-toxic, it also allows you to see exactly what's inside every container.

2. Freeze bananas and berries and store them in freezer-safe glass containers. Again, the transparency of glass is key! No one wants to open up mystery packages in the freezer.

3. Store any smoothie supplements in lightweight, durable glass containers. Another benefit to glass? Knowing exactly how much you have left so you know when you need a refill. 

4. Store all containers in their respective locations (fridge, freezer, pantry) so they're easy to access.

5. Enjoy your daily smoothie success!

Berrylicious Protein Smoothie from Beard & Bonnet 

Ingredients

• 2 cups cashew milk, or other plant-based milk of your choice
• ⅓ cup frozen raspberries
• ⅓ cup frozen blueberries
• ⅓ cup frozen blackberries
• 1 large frozen banana, cut into ½-inch rounds
• 3 tablespoons Protein Packed Super Seed Blend (see recipe below)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Protein Packed Super Seed Blend from Beard & Bonnet

• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup golden flax seeds
• 1/4 cup gluten-free oats

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in the order listed into a high-speed blender and process until completely smooth.

Paleo Tropical Green Smoothie w/ Coconut Oil

Our friend Arsy from the Paleo blog Rubies & Radishes shares her tip for including coconut oil into her smoothies.  "We love to pack our smoothies with healthy fats like coconut oil and avocado to get more nutrients in and to help us stay full longer."

Paleo Tropical Green Smoothie {with coconut oil}
serves 2

Ingredients
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1/2 large avocado or 1 small avocado
1 cup torn-up chard (can substitute kale or spinach)
1 cup coconut water, divided
2 tablespoons grassfed gelatin 
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon honey or more to taste (optional)

1. I re-purposed my daughter’s baby food warmer for melting coconut oil. It works like a charm. If you don’t have one of these laying around, you can warm it in the microwave or you can put it in a small glass jar and then put the glass jar in some hot water (like a makeshift double boiler).
2. Add the melted coconut oil, avocado, chard, 1/2 cup coconut water, and gelatin to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. If you try to add all the ingredients together, the coconut oil will end up in tons of frozen chunks that are not appetizing.
3. Once this is all blended, add the mango, pineapple, lime juice, the rest of the coconut water and honey, if using. Blend until smooth.
4. Serve and enjoy!
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Please share with us your ways to add nutritional boosts to your smoothies!