Hey Loves,
What’s one thing you can do on a daily basis that will pack some extra nutrition & goodness into your diet? Add in a green smoothie! Honestly, adding in a daily green smoothie is one of the easiest ways to ensure you’re benefitting your nutritional needs without spending so much time. Starting the day with a big green smoothie not only packs a nutritional punch, but also makes me feel like I’m starting the day right! I’ve mentioned before that I usually find it necessary to have a smoothie on the side of my breakfast because most days I’m pretty darn hungry in the morning, especially after a workout. SO, don’t feel like you can only have a smoothie if your body is telling you it also wants solid food! I always try to point this out because those hunger cues are super important to listen to. Anyway, today I’m giving my go-to green smoothie recipe! While some ingredients in this smoothie have changed throughout the years, the base has pretty much stayed the same. What can I say, when I find something that works I become a creature of habit!
The ingredients in my go-to green smoothie will fill your body with good-for-you nutrients and will promote glowing skin, healthy hair, improved gut health, and more! My smoothie has healthy fats, collagen protein, veggies, and minimal fruit. One of my main goals with this smoothie is keeping it as low on the glycemic index as possible. When something is low on the glycemic index, it means that it will slowly release into your blood stream rather than all at once. The way to keep a smoothie low GI is by adding very little fruit. Fruit is tricky because right when you blend it, it changes the glycemic index! If you’re really watching sugar, I recommend leaving the fruit out of a smoothie but do what’s best for you here! Depending on the day, I’ll add in frozen berries or if I’m throwing caution to the wind (haha), a banana or dates. Frozen berries are a great option because they are naturally lower GI.
Here’s my go-to green smoothie recipe:
- One huge handful of greens. I like to use spinach, kale, or a blend! I try and make sure I’m getting a variety here.
- A tablespoon of coconut oil to ensure I’m getting those healthy fats into my diet.
- A tablespoon of nut butter. I prefer my nut butter to be raw and have only one ingredients: the nuts.
- Frozen berries or fruit of choice.
- Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides in Vanilla or Mixed Berry. These babes are the key to my green smoothie! I switch off between these two flavors but my absolute favorite is the Mixed Berry. Something about the way it mixes with the nut butter in the smoothie is SO yummy! Adding in my Vital Protein’s Collagen ensures I’m getting 20g of collagen to promote healthy hair, skin, bones, joints, and is improving my gut health. I’ve used it in my smoothie for years now and it’s noticeably changed and improved my skin and digestion. It includes 28CFU of probiotics and is also gluten free and paleo friendly. I’ve been asked many times over on Instagram if it’s also good for a post-workout smoothie. My answer is yes! It’s the best.
- A sprinkle of chia seeds. To be completely honest, there’s a specific amount of chia seeds that I can handle in my smoothie. I like to get the fiber and protein that comes from chia but don’t like the smoothie to turn to pudding. I aim for just a few sprinkles! Don’t go overboard here unless you like really thick smoothies.
- A tablespoon of a daily greens powder to pack in those extra phytonutrients and vitamins!
- A sprinkle of shredded coconut. I buy my unsweetened shredded coconut from Trader Joe’s and like to add it into the smoothie for some crunch! It’s also good on the top.
- Almond milk or water and then blend it all together!
The thing I love about this recipe is that it literally takes under 5 minutes to create. I’ll throw this together to keep in the fridge for a busy day or make extra so Dylan can have some too! I make this when I’m traveling, when I’m home, and love the good it does for my body.
Do you guys have any secret ingredients that you throw into your green smoothie? I would love to know your favorite ingredients! If you haven’t tried Vital Proteins Collagen, find the flavors I use for my daily smoothie here and here.
As always, thanks for stopping by! Cheers!
Thank you to Vital Proteins for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own!
