Are you busy in the morning and unsure of what to eat? Do you find the thought of solid food too much when you wake up? Do you want something that is simple yet nutritious to kickstart your day? Whip up a smoothie first thing in the morning for a super simple breakfast!
A smoothie is a great delicious and nutritious drink for breakfast that is full of protein, nutrients and energy. It is one of those meals that can be experimented with time and again. It can be convenient and portable which makes it an ideal fuel on the go for breakfast, lunch or snack. This is a perfect option if you want variety, taste and nutrition.
Benefits to a Smoothie
- Convenience: I know that if you eat muffins, bagels and toast first thing, then you will crave more carbs than anything else the rest of the day. However, if you make a protein smoothie, the rest of the day will more likely be successful. We will get into the benefits of protein in a minute. You will feel better about yourself, and your body will feel better all day. Smoothies take 30 seconds to 5 minutes at the most depending on how creative you are. How much more convenient than that can you get?
- Simplicity: When you take a look at the recipes you will see how simple they are to make a truly delicious protein smoothie. There may be as little as 4 ingredients in a shake and all you have to do is blend them together. You can’t get any simpler than that. This approach leaves no excuses for no breakfast!
- Health: The beauty of making a smoothie is it allows to you add many nutritious foods to your breakfast without spending a lot of time doing it. If you struggle to eat lots of fruit and vegetables a day then this may be a great option for you to get your daily fix of nutrients and fibre.
- Delicious: Forget about the green smoothies that taste like grass. You can create an incredibly tasty smoothie; all it takes is a little experimenting with ingredients. Start with the recipes provided below.
Feel Great with a Smoothie!
Benefits of Adding Protein to a Smoothie
- Increased protein intake triggers the hormone glucagon. This, in turn, prevents the spiking of your insulin (which is also a hormone) levels, which simply means you minimise the chance of storing blood sugar as fat. In other words, eat more protein and you bust the belly fat. Sure, there’s more to it than that, but as long as you understand the basics, you can KEEP the belly fat from coming back.
- Our tissues, nerves, and bones are made up mostly of protein. Proteins help give structure to our cells and is used for growth, tissue repair, and to make essential hormones and enzymes. Essentially, it helps repair and build muscle.
- Protein provides satiety. That’s a fancy way of saying you feel fuller for longer when you eat protein. Of course you still want to eat carbohydrates and fats, but ensure you add protein to your breakfast to kickstart a great day ahead!
Smoothie Recipes
The base for all smoothies is the protein powder, water and ice. After this you can add anything. Just keep in mind that the things you add to the smoothie continue to stack up calories. The tradeoff is that when you add wholesome fruits and vegetables these boost the nutrient content dramatically!
STRAWBERRY AND BANANA
1 cup of ice
1 cup of water
1 scoop protein powder
1 cup of frozen strawberries
½ banana sliced
Mix in a blender and enjoy!
BANANA AND CHOCOLATE
1 cup of ice
1 cup of water
1/2 – 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 scoop protein powder
1 frozen sliced banana
Mix in a blender and enjoy!
CHUNKY MONKEY
1 cup of ice
1 cup of water
1 scoop protein powder
½ frozen sliced banana
1-2 tbsp. natural peanut butter or almond butter
Mix in a blender and enjoy!
ICED COFFEE
1 cup of ice
1 cup of water
1 scoop protein powder
1 shot of espresso
Mix in a blender and enjoy!
BERRY GREEN
1 cup of ice
1 cup of water
1 scoop protein powder
1 cup of frozen mixed berries
1 handful of spinach
Mix in a blender and enjoy!
Start your day with a fantastic boost of nutrients and energy!
Rebecca is a personal trainer and health & wellness coach who is passionate about helping women to feel healthy, happy and LOVE life. As a coach with a huge passion for vegan nutrition, holistic health, enjoying exercise and self care, Rebecca is on a mission to help women thrive!
[…] 1. Breakfast – Start the day with a comforting delicious breakfast that is packed with nutrients and great taste. By providing the body with fantastic nutrition to start the day you will feel good on the inside and if you have a less than ideal meal later in the day there is no need to worry too much! By doing this it will help with ridding those sugar cravings, and simply enjoying those festive delights as a one-off rather than all day, every day. For example, make porridge with warming spices (cinnamon and nutmeg) and add a variety of fruit on top with a drizzle of honey, enjoy scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, or make a smoothie. […]