Hazelnut & banana smoothie

Breakfast today! But this smoothie would also work really well as a healthy mid-afternoon energy boost or post-gym with a spoon of protein powder added. I would probably use whey protein as it has a neutral taste, but if you want to keep the smoothie vegan then use pea protein - it does have a distinct taste though which will change the overall flavour if you use too much!

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 400ml hazelnut milk

• 160g banana, frozen

• 2 tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed

• 2 tbsp oats

• 1 tbsp maple syrup, optional

Method

• Blitz!

Spinach, banana & hemp smoothie

Great for breakfast for an afternoon energy boost!

Ingredients

Serves 1

• ½ banana

• 50g spinach

• 200ml nut milk or organic whole

• ½ tbsp hemp protein powder

• 1 tsp honey or maple syrup, optional

Method

• Blitz!

Energising blueberry smoothie

Sunny days make me want to drink smoothies, so here’s my spring favourite so far. It’ll give you an energy boost any time of the day as it’s packed with protein, iron and Vitamin C!

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 150g frozen blueberries 

• 20g fresh spinach 

• 2 tbsp oats

• 250g nut milk or organic whole

• ½ tbsp white chia seeds

• ½ tbsp maple syrup, agave or honey

Method

Blitz well and drink!

Energising strawberry smoothie

I know I always say it, but this is my new favourite breakfast smoothie!! I probably should say, this is my latest smoothie obsession…. loving the strawberry for a change as I haven’t had any in the freezer for a while.

By the way, I always use frozen fruit in smoothies as it naturally chills the drink and is way cheaper than buying fresh. I also freeze all my brown bananas that no one will touch, so they don’t ever get wasted anymore. I added a medjool date for a little sweetness, but this is optional if you want a lower sugar drink. Personally I think it brings out the flavour of the strawberries though, so my advice is - chuck it in! Also, I always use plant milk in my smoothies, but you switch for cow’s if that’s what you have in or you prefer the taste. The same goes for all my smoothie recipes.

Anyway, hope you enjoy, it made me feel all cheery and spring-like today, along with my new green hoodie!

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 160g frozen strawberries

• 60g frozen banana

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 420ml nut milk or organic whole

• 1 medjool date, optional

• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, optional

Method

• Blitz really well, especially if you’re adding the date.

Banana & peanut butter smoothie

I love this kind of combination for breakfast - creamy bananas and nuts are where I’m at in the morning! This smoothie tastes really good and is full of protein so it keeps you going all morning.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 100g banana (about 1 whole / frozen if possible)

• 1 tbsp peanut butter

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 250ml nut milk or organic whole

• 1 medjool date, optional

method

• Blitz!

tip

• Switch the Oatly for any plant milk or cow’s if you prefer.

Cherry & coconut smoothie

Changing things up this morning with a cherry smoothie. Loved this kinda tropical combination! Dreaming of sunny skies….

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 150g frozen dark cherries

• 3 tbsp coconut yoghurt

• 200ml coconut milk drink

• ½ tbsp maple or honey, optional

Method

• Blitz

Tip

• Use frozen fruit if you can as it’s cheaper and means your drink will be chilled without adding ice.

• Switch coconut yoghurt for plain or cherry.

Mango, kale & ginger smoothie

This is a lovely fresh tasting smoothie that’s full of nutrients and is a real energy boost. It’s the perfect antidote to winter comfort food or refreshing on a summer’s day! God I can’t wait for a summer’s day!!!

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 120g frozen mango

• 60g frozen banana

• 30g kale

• 2 slices ginger

• 200ml water

method

• Blitz all the ingredients in a smoothie maker!

Tip

• Use frozen fruit if you can as it’s cheaper and means your drink will be chilled without adding ice.

• Don’t waste bananas that are going brown, freeze them and use in smoothies.

Raspberry, mango & oat smoothie

I like to work out in the morning, but I can’t do it (or anything for that matter) on an empty stomach, so a smoothie is a great way of getting some energy without feeling too full. I’ll quickly blitz and then get on with my HIIT class!

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 120g frozen mango

• 40g frozen raspberry

• 40g frozen banana

• 400ml nut milk or organic whole

• 2 tbsp oats

• 1 tbsp honey, optional

Method

• Blitz!!

Tip

• Buy bags of frozen fruit to save on the cost, plus they naturally chill your drink down so you dont need to use ice.

• If you’re wondering why there is more mango than raspberry, it’s because the raspberry is a much stronger flavour and it takes over if you don’t balance it out.

Berry power smoothie

If you’re a regular on my blog, you’ll know that I love a smoothie for breakfast. Today I threw together berries and nuts with creamy oat milk and added protein powder to keep me going until lunch. I always use frozen fruit as it’s so much cheaper and works better in a smoothie as it naturally chills the drink without the need for ice.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 60g strawberries

• 60g blueberries

• 60g raspberries

• 1 tbsp chia seeds

• 1 tbsp almond butter

• 1/2 tbsp protein powder (I use unflavoured planet organic)

• 350 ml nut milk (I like Plenish drinks) or organic whole

Method

• Blitz!

Almond & oat protein smoothie

This is a protein packed smoothie that I’m loving at the moment. I use unflavoured pea or organic whey protein.

If you have a flavoured powder it will obviously change the balance of the smoothie, but even if it doesn’t taste like mine, you’ll still get the same nutritional benefit.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 250g banana (frozen ideally)

• 2 tbsp almond butter (or any nut butter you prefer)

• 2 tsp pea protein powder

• 2 tbsp oats

• 1/2 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)

• 400ml nut milk or organic whole

Method

• Blitz really well as the oats take a bit longer to break down

Blueberry breakfast smoothie

If anything is going to power you through the morning it’s this smoothie! It’s loaded with vitamin C, B6 & 12, potassium, Omega 3, fiber and protein making it a super healthy start to the day.

I hope you like it as much as I do; this is one of my favourite smoothies that I’ve made recently!

Ingredients

Serves 2 

• 200g blueberries

• 80g banana

• 1 tbsp chia

• 1 tbsp flaxseeds

• 1 heaped tbsp oats

• 350ml nut milk or organic whole

Method

• Blitz!

Mango, pineapple & coconut smoothie

As I’m always saying, I love a smoothie for breakfast, especially at the weekend before exercise and then I’m ready for a big brunch. But I also like to quickly make one if I’m rushing out in the morning (remember those days?!), or even to give me an energy boost in the afternoon. This recipe has a lovely tropical flavour to help you forget at it’s October and transport you to a sunny beach somewhere. Ok so that’s probably stretching the limit of it’s capabilities, but Covid is shit and this tastes good, so at the very least it might just be a little highlight in your day!

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 90g mango

• 90g pineapple

• 60g banana

• 2 tbsp chia seeds (white look a lot nicer)

• 400ml coconut milk drink - my favourite is by Rude Health

Method

• Put all the ingredients in the blender and blitz well, so the chia seeds have all broken down and have thickened the smoothie.

Tip

• Where possible use frozen fruit so you don’t need to add ice. Most supermarkets sell a good range of bagged frozen fruit which works out way better value than fresh. If you need to chill your smoothies then just add 2-3 ice cubes to the blender with the rest of the ingredients.

• I never throw away bananas that are a little past their best and going brown, I peel and break them in half then freeze in a sealed bag for smoothies. They’re naturally sweeter when they’re browning and taste really good in smoothies.

Banana & almond protein smoothie

This is one of my favourite breakfast smoothies, it’s quick, easy and the perfect if you need breakfast on the go or before exercise. I often make one on a Saturday or Sunday morning to keep me going until brunch as it’s just the right amount of energy I need to do a workout without feeling too full.

Ingredients

• 250ml nut milk or organic whole

• 1/2 banana (70g)

• 1 tbsp chia seeds 

• 1 tbsp almond (or any nut) butter

Tip

• If you’re using a plant milk, check the label to make sure there are only two ingredients in it: nuts and water! Many contain hidden emulsifiers, preservatives, seed oils and sugar.

Desert Island Disco smoothie

This is a lovely tropical blend that’s great for breakfast or a mid-morning boost! I always try to use frozen fruit for smoothies as it means you don’t have to add ice.

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 70g mango

• 40g banana

• 1 tbsp oats

• 200ml coconut drink (my favourite is Rude Health)

Method

• Add to the blender and blitz well

Clean green smoothie

I’m just going to put it out there now that I’m not a fan of veggie smoothies. I know, I know, I should like them, but in general I find them far too hardcore! I’d much rather eat an actual vegetable. Anyway, I don’t like to be defeated so I’ve been on a mission to create a green smoothie that I actually like rather than drinking for health (medicinal) purposes and I think I’ve cracked it.

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 30g spinach

• 70g banana

• 20g avocado

• 3-4 mint leaves

• 5g fresh ginger

• 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice

• 210ml cold water

Method

• Add all the ingredients to your blender and blitz throughly

Strawberry & mango smoothie

This is my daughter’s favourite flavour combo and we’ve been making it a lot recently. We only used a little banana so it didn’t take over the taste and just added a bit of creamy texture. If you want to add some protein you could put in 1 tbsp of chia seeds and a little water (as they’ll thicken the mix). I always buy bags of frozen fruit for smoothies as they’re cheaper and they chill the drink without using ice, but if you only have fresh go ahead, but add a couple of ice cubes.

Ingredients

Makes 2 medium glasses

40g strawberries

40g mango

30g banana

320ml apple juice

Method

Put all the ingredients in the smoothie maker and blitz!

Blueberry, coconut & maca smoothie

I love this smoothie. Super quick and easy to prepare too, but I appreciate not everyone has raw maca powder in their cupboard, but it’s pretty easy to find these days, even Aldi stocks it! You could always leave it out though, the smoothie would still taste great.

Maca is an ancient Peruvian root crop from the radish family, which has a malty, slightly caramel-like taste. It's a great supplement to add to your smoothies or porridge as it won't change the original flavour too much. Maca is well worth having in stock as it's high in antioxidants, nutrients such as Vitamins B1 & 2, calcium and iron, and energy-boosting compounds called macamides and macaenes. It is called Peruvian 'ginseng' as it is said to improve energy levels and help to restore hormone imbalances.

Ingredients

Serves 1

• ½ frozen banana

• 1 handful frozen blueberries

• 250ml coconut milk drink

• 1 tsp maca powder

Method

• Just put the ingredients in a blender and blitz!

Tip

• I keep a stock of frozen fruit in my freezer for smoothies as it's so much better than adding ice, which waters the flavour down. When I find bananas in the fruit bowl that are going a bit too brown, I peel them and add to my freezer bag.

• The coconut milk drink I prefer is made by Rude Health - it doesn't contain any additives or thickeners, unlike other brands, just coconut milk, rice and water.