As summer kicks in, it’s easy to get a little too relaxed with our routine. The mornings are slower, the kids are home, and breakfast sometimes ends up being a “whatever is easiest” grab.
But just because it’s summer, doesn’t mean your body should get a vacation from good nutrition.
Let’s make something as easy as toaster pastries but that packs a wallop of goodness — and tastes delicious, too! Smoothie packs!
Plus, these smoothies save you a ton of money compared with prepared breakfast foods, and they make the perfect snack or pick-meup between activities.
Smoothies check all the boxes: Healthy? Absolutely. They’re packed with nutrients to fuel your day. Ready and quick when you want one? Yep, just pop it in the blender and blend away! Customizable to suit any taste or dietary need? You got it. Lasts forever in the freezer? You bet.
Just spend 30 minutes every couple of weeks assembling a stash for the freezer, and boom — breakfast practically makes itself. Start with some building blocks from the list below, then here’s the formula for each 2-cup smoothie: In a quart-size freezer bag, combine 1 cup fruit, a handful of greens and about 1/2 cup of mix-ins (see ideas below). Squeeze out the air, seal, and freeze flat.
Smoothie Building Blocks: — Fruits: bananas, berries, pears, apples, peaches, melons, pineapple — Veggies and Greens: spinach, kale, chard, cucumber, cooked carrots or beets — Healthy Fats and Protein: nut butter, yogurt, oats, chia, flax, protein powder, tofu — Flavor Boosters: dates, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa, honey, coconut — Oats Mix it up to keep it fun; variety keeps things interesting without adding much cost. Wait. What? Oats? In smoothies? Yes! Adding oats to your smoothie is a smart (and budget-friendly) way to boost nutrition and stay fuller longer. They’re packed with resistant starch and soluble fiber, which help keep blood sugar steady and cravings in check. That fiber also acts as a prebiotic, giving your gut the good stuff it needs to stay happy. Plus, oats add a creamy texture and mild flavor that blends beautifully with just about anything you toss in.
When you’re ready to blend, just dump the contents into your blender, add your liquid (milk — dairy or plant-based, coconut water, juice, kefir), and blend away! STRAWBERRY KIWI SMOOTHIE Yield: 1 serving Total Time: 5 minutes
1 cup mixed frozen strawberry kiwi blend OR 1/2 cup each strawberry and kiwi 1 banana sliced and frozen 1/2 cup spinach leaves, loosely packed 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking oats 1 cup kefir OR 1/2 cup plain yogurt + 1/2 cup milk or non-dairy beverage 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place the fruit, spinach, and oats in your blender, add kefir and vanilla, then blend until smooth. Enjoy it immediately.
Want to give your smoothie a serious upgrade? Try Nutrition Bombs — my fun name for frozen cubes packed with good-for-you ingredients like protein powder, oats, chia, hemp hearts, flaxseed, spinach and coconut water. Just toss one into your blender for an easy boost of nutrition, no extra effort needed. Get all the details on how to make your own at divasonadime.com/ nutrition-bombs-for-smoothies.
Prep now and your blender (and your future self) will thank you. Start your day right with a homemade smoothie that’s easy on time, budget- friendly, and packed with nutrition.
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Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime — Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at [email protected]
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