The Simplicity of a Morning Smoothie Ritual

I think smoothies are life. I have grown very attached to my morning smoothies, much like many cling to their first and last sips of coffee each morning, I have come to crave my morning green smoothies.

I think we all love the idea of starting the morning with a smoothie. It sounds healthy and refreshing. Makes us feel like we deserve a pat on the back for making such a healthy choice, right?! But without planning ahead, smoothies are never going to happen.

Here are some tips that have helped me make smoothies a regular part of my mornings.

Frozen fruit is your friend

My favorite go to frozen fruit is the Cherries and Berries from Target. It has no sugar added and is packed full of strawberries, tart cherries, sweet cherries and blueberries. I love it because the antioxidant blast is fantastic, but also, none of these fruits have stubborn seeds that never seem to fully blend. By using mostly frozen fruit, you also eliminate the need for ice in order to make your smoothie cold, thus making every last sip a nutrient blast.

Buy in bulk

I buy my bananas, coconut water, spinach, carrots and cucumbers at Sams Club or Costco. Their produce is great, and so much more cost effective than trying to stay stocked up from a regular grocery store. Smoothies use up ingredients fast, so the fewer trips you have to take back and forth to the store, the more likely smoothies can remain a staple part of your day.

Wash your blender out Immediately

The biggest bummer when you want a smoothie is to realize your blender is dirty from the day before. The old lazy trick of leaving it in the sink full of water to "soak" pretty much guarantees that there will be no smoothie tomorrow. The fresh, wholesome visions of fresh fruits and veggies are obliterated when you look at the murky brownish water of yesterday's soaking aftermath. Just say no to soak! As soon as you finish blending, pour your smoothie into your cups completely and go straight to the sink and wash the blender and lid. Then dry them and put the blender back, ready for it's next use. This step will take you 3 minutes or less and it is crucial and worth it.

Use disposable cups

This is not environmentally friendly, and I am sorry about that part, but it is practical. Often times I am making my smoothie to take with me as I walk out the door. I drink it in the car on my way somewhere, sometimes on my way to be out all day. Coming back to a hot car with dried old smoothie bits on a cup you now have to go home and ...soak..creates the same problem as the above mentioned unappetizing motivation killer of the soaking blender. Fresh smoothie, fresh cup, fresh ingredients.

There are hundreds of smoothie recipies to choose from, so make whatever you like. I will share with you my go-to recipe that I use most mornings. I have landed on this recipe for a few reasons. The ingredients are easily accessible to me, I like the taste, I can get my family to drink it, and it covers a spectrum of nutrients that I want to incorporate into my breakfast.

My Favorite Green Smoothie

• 2 bananas
• 2 individual boxes of coconut water
• Very large handful of spinach
• 1 baby cucumber
• 6-8 baby carrots
• 1/4 cup of flax seeds
• 1/3 of the blender full of frozen Cherries and Berries mix
• 1 dropper full of Chloroxygen

This recipe makes enough for a family of 4 to drink about 8 oz each, or fewer of us to drink more depending who is around when I make it. It's delicious, it's easy. Other than chopping the ends off of the cucumber, it's all straight from the bags to the blender. I can make it in about 5 minutes or less.

So to all you smoothie lovers out there, I hope this helps you enjoy the smoothies you love in a simpler and more consistent way.
Cheers!