A single, 24-ounce glass of a healthy breakfast smoothie gives you the required nutrients for the day.
A healthy breakfast fuels you up and kick-starts your metabolism as you begin your day. But when you are in a perpetual hurry, breakfast can be the one meal that gets skipped more often than other meals. Waking up early to cook an elaborate breakfast can be inconvenient for some, especially if you are living alone and used to slogging at work or binging on Netflix at the end of your day. So, what is a power-packed, easy, breakfast option for working individuals? The answer – a tasty breakfast smoothie!
Smoothies are so versatile. They can be made with your favorite fruits, veggies or nuts. They are also the best way to include vegetables or fruits that you dislike in your diet. Just toss your least favorite item in the blender along with the fruits or veggies that you like. For instance, many people dislike spinach, but you can actually add a ton of it along with fruits such as avocados or berries which will help mask the scent and taste of spinach.
Although you can mix and match most fruits and vegetables to make your own smoothie, it is important to remember that not all smoothies serve as healthy breakfast options. For a smoothie to become a replacement for actual breakfast, it must contain a good amount of protein and fat. It is not enough to replace refined sugar with naturally occurring sugar because at the end of the day, sugar is just empty carbs. Ensure that your smoothies contain milk or yogurt for your morning protein requirement, and add a dash of oil, a nut butter of your choice, or even heavy cream for the right amount of fat, so that your stomach doesn’t start rumbling half an hour into your day!
Since they are healthy, delicious and serve as the perfect breakfast on the go, here is a list of breakfast smoothies you can easily make at home as long as you have a blender.
The Hulk: Blend banana, kiwi, spinach and green apple with some yogurt and you are ready to sip your way to a healthy day. Green apples are an amazing source of fiber, especially when consumed on an empty stomach.
Peach Princess: Peaches contain antioxidants and are high in fiber. They also have anti-obesity properties that come as an advantage if you are trying to lose some extra pounds. Toss a few peach slices, yogurt, and some orange juice into the blender and whip up into a creamy smoothie in just minutes.
Tropical Queen: This smoothie made of pineapple, frozen bananas and mangoes is the perfect way to start your day. Add milk instead of yogurt if you are using frozen fruits—especially frozen bananas—to thin down the smoothie a bit.
Avocado Glory: Another refreshing green drink to begin your day with. Blend bananas, spinach, avocado and chia seeds and your breakfast-on-the-run is ready. Avocados are the perfect fill-you-up food, especially if you are on a diet. It will keep the hunger pangs away until lunchtime.
Time Machine: Who said you can’t have chocolate for breakfast? You can, if it is in your smoothie. Treat yourself to this luscious blend of bananas, cocoa, honey and milk to jump-start your day. Remember that cocoa offers anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant qualities, so it is not simply an indulgence.
Blues Away: Monday morning blues are real. We feel for you. That is where this smoothie gets its name—-Blues Away. One tall glass of this indigo smoothie combines the goodness of bananas, blueberries and oats.
Cinna-Money: If you are one of those people who throws a Cinnabon in the microwave and calls it a breakfast, you are going to love this special smoothie. It has bananas, peanut butter, granola, honey and a dash of cinnamon to up your mental performance for the day.
Magenta Monster: Get your hands on some pink dragon fruit and this exuberant smoothie can be all yours. Blend pink dragon fruit with bananas, milk and any natural sweetener of your choice. Not only do dragon fruits make for a peppy drink, they also boost your immune system.
Pista-lina: Add some spirulina to any smoothie and you can have Instagram-worthy breakfast smoothies every day. These blue-green micro algae are a natural detoxifier that will cleanse your body of toxins and elevate your spirit, while improving the functioning of vital organs. Combine the benefits of pistachio and spirulina and you have one super-smoothie in your hands!
Nutty Berry: Most seeds are nutritional powerhouses and pumpkin seeds are no exception. Combine frozen strawberries, yogurt, a small piece of ginger for some punch (and to aid proper digestion), a few walnuts and a handful of pumpkin seeds for a very nutty, berry-licious breakfast smoothie.
If you feel that finding the right choice of fruits and vegetables every morning is inconvenient, you can always prep the ingredients in advance, put them in labelled Ziploc bags, freeze them and just empty the contents into a blender every morning. You can also mix-and-match your fruits and veggies and create your own delish smoothies.
