With Summer quickly approaching I find myself swapping out my heavier breakfasts for a lighter on the go options. One of them being smoothies.
The thing I love about smoothies is that they are portable, can be prepped in advance, and eaten on the go. While I was living and working in NYC this was my go to almost every morning from spring to fall. Over the years I’ve learned that they can be really healthy, or a health trap.
Today I want to break down building a better smoothie, from protein options to add on’s - you’re going to feel empowered to build your own breakfast by the end of this post!
Let’s start where all smoothies do - The Base.
My go to base options are - water, nutmilk, or coconut water.
A few things to keep in mind here:
Nut and Oat milks are obviously higher in fat and carbohydrates so you will want to balance the add on’s if you’re choosing these as your base.
To avoid using more than 1 serving of nutmilk measure out your liquid before pouring it into your blender/nutribullet
PRO TIP: Water alone can make for a very thin smoothie - I mix water with nut milk at a 3:1 ratio for a thicker smoothie without loading up my macros.
The Power Of Protein
Next up is the reason I drink smoothies - an extra hit of protein to start my day.
Before I share my top picks for protein I want to give you a run down of what to avoid when choosing a protein!
Soy Isolates - I avoid soy protein powders because I don’t think they are the best resource. If you are okay with soy look for organic and clean options of soy protein. Soy Protein Isolates are not clean sources of soy. It is extracted from soy beans using a chemical process and lots of chemical residue is left behind.
Avoid Natural Flavors - don’t let the word natural fool you, these flavors are just as chemically processed as their counterparts - I avoid this at all costs!
Lecithin, Gums and Fillers - these are often the source of inflammation, and leaky gut syndrome - you may have to do some digging but there are protein options available that do not use these to bulk up their products!
Sweeteners and Sugars - I like to be in control of the sweetness level of my smoothies and the source of it. Look for a sugar free version so you have a clean slate to start building your perfect smoothie!
Here are brands that making protein powders that don’t include any of the above ingredients! I have not taste tested all of them so look for samples sizes if you are not sure!
Four Sigmatic - Mushroom Protein - use code kaleismykarma to save 10%
PRO TIP: Don’t assume that all flavors or styles of proteins from the brands above are clean - each product is different so make sure to check ingredients before buying!
Add On’s
This is where you make or break your smoothie! It’s important to think about balance when it comes to add on’s. If you used nut milk as your base, don’t add nut butter at this point.
You also want to focus on building a smoothie that has Protein - Fiber- Fat -Greens
Things to keep in mind :
If using nutmilk avoid adding nuts or nutbutter at this step
If using coconut water don’t add additional fruit at this step to keep your sugar levels low and prevent an insulin spike
Limit fruit to 1 -2 servings per smoothie
Here area few of my favorite add on ingredients
Fruit
Berries
1/2 Banana
Mango
Pineapple
Greens
Kale and Spinach are neutral flavors that are easily masked
Almond Butter
Spirulina
Anima Mundi Collagen Booster
Chia Seeds
Hemp Seeds
Coconut Flakes
Avocado
Cacao
Cinnamon
PRO TIP: Ice will water your smoothie down - freeze your fruit and buy frozen kale or spinach and it will make it cold while thickening!
You don’t need a ton of fancy ingredients for your morning smoothie- instead focus on clean ingredients while you build your pantry.
I very rarely mix up my smoothies and usually on throw in 3 ingredients but I make sure they are organic, clean, and filling me up with protein, fiber, and healthy fats!