Healthy Breakfast Smoothie Recipes

Simple and healthy smoothie recipes can be a godsend, especially if you’re prone to skipping breakfast following a few too many missed alarms. Keep in mind, that skipping breakfast can put extra stress on you and your body and you may find it difficult with stress management as is. There is a reason the saying goes, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, you know.

And the great thing is, you don’t have to wait in line and spend $7 every time you want one. Or even settle for some instant coffee. With these easy smoothie recipes, you can put together a convenient and healthy breakfast in under 5 minutes—for as little as $1.50 per serving. Just toss some of your favorite fruits, veggies, and maybe a little protein powder into a high-powered blender and you’re ready to go.

• Breakfast Smoothie Recipes
  • Peanut Butter Banana Protein Smoothie
  • Mixed Berry Protein Smoothie
  • Banana Blueberry Avocado Smoothie
  • Classic Strawberry Smoothie
  • Mocha Espresso Smoothie

• Tips to Create Your Own Smoothie Recipes
  • Best Liquid Smoothie Ingredients
  • Healthy Fruit Additions
  • Best Vegetables to Add to Smoothies
  • Top Peanut Butter Brands for Smoothies
  • Chia and Flax Seeds
  • Best Protein Powder for Smoothie Recipes

Breakfast Smoothie Recipes

The recipes below are meant to be healthy ways of making smoothies. A smoothie today, can mean many things, from a blend of ice and fake sugars to a concoction of healthy superfoods. These smoothies are definitely on the healthier end of the spectrum, but are a nice tasting mix for people who want to eat healthier, but don’t want to sacrifice flavor either.

Keep in mind – you can substitute or adjust the amount of pretty much any ingredient in these recipes to taste or to avoid allergies. You’ll only need to consider how easily the smoothie blends. Add more or less liquid to the mix in order to achieve your desired texture.

After the recipes, we’ll show you some healthy ingredient options and direct you where to get them. Hope you enjoy it.

Peanut Butter Banana Protein Smoothie

This smoothie is packed with protein, probiotics, fiber, Omega-3, potassium, and natural fats to give you energy and enhanced nutrition to start your day. We particularly recommend this one after a morning workout.

Ingredients:

• 1 Banana
• 2 Large Spoonfuls of Natural Peanut Butter
• 1 Serving of Protein
• 1-2 Spoonfuls of Whole-fat Yogurt
• 1 Tablespoon of Chia or Flax Seeds
• 1 Cup of Soy, Almond, or Coconut Milk
• Sugar-free rolled oats, about a spoonful (optional)
• A handful of greens mix (optional)

Directions

1. Put banana (or other fruit) into your personal blender cup
2. Pour in nut milk, or another liquid base (adding this first will help to keep other ingredients from sticking to the sides of the container)
3. Add in protein, yogurt, chia/flax seeds, peanut butter, rolled oats, and greens mix.
4. Cap and blend. Serve plain or topped with additional banana slices.

Mixed Berry Protein Smoothie

If breakfast smoothie recipes usually leave you feeling hungry by mid-morning, chances are you’re not getting enough protein in your blend.

This berry smoothie has some yogurt and protein powder incorporated, which will help keep you feeling full all the way through lunch.

Ingredients:

• Soy, almond, or coconut milk, 1 cup or adjusted to preference
• 1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries
• A scoop of protein powder (adjust to taste)
• Whole-fat yogurt, 1 to 2 spoonfuls
• Tablespoon of chia or flax Seeds
• A handful of greens mix (optional)
• A spoonful of sugar-free rolled oats (optional)

Directions

1. Add mixed fruit into your personal blender cup
2. Pour in 1/2 of nut milk (this keeps other ingredients from sticking to the sides of the container)
3. Add in protein, yogurt, chia/flax seeds, peanut butter, rolled oats, and greens mix.
4. Cap and blend. Top with additional fresh berries, if desired.

Banana Blueberry Avocado Smoothie

Avocado for breakfast?  Believe it or not, this superfood is perfect for your morning blend. Not only is it rich in healthy fats, but it also adds a silky-smooth texture that lets the berries and bananas linger a little bit longer on your tongue.

It’s heavy on vanilla flavoring, but feel free to cut back by using regular almond milk or plain yogurt, instead.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup vanilla almond milk
• banana, peeled and cut into pieces
• cup of blueberries, more to taste
• half an avocado
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder or 8 oz vanilla yogurt
• optional: cinnamon, and vanilla extract to taste

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into the blender.
2. Blend well. Add flaxseed or oats if desired and if the blender is powerful enough to properly mix all ingredients.
3. Pour into a glass and top with additional blueberries, or a sprinkling of cinnamon if desired.

Classic Strawberry Smoothie

You just can’t improve on the classics. This strawberry smoothie is one of the simplest recipes out there, delivering a nutritious breakfast with minimal prep.

It’s also a great blank canvas if you’re feeling adventurous. Experiment with new proteins, sneaky veggie additions, or whatever else you feel like throwing in.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen or fresh sliced strawberries
• 1/2 banana, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 cup ice; slightly more if using fresh berries
• 1 cup almond milk or milk of choice
• Optional: container of greek yogurt

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into the blender.
2. Blend well. Ensure all ice has been thoroughly incorporated before serving.
3. For an even stronger strawberry flavor, add a tablespoon of strawberry jam or strawberry syrup to the blending process.

Mocha Espresso Smoothie

For a morning kick that’s as good for you as it feels, try this protein-packed espresso smoothie.  While most breakfast smoothie recipes focus on that fresh-fruit taste—which is definitely delicious—this ones all about indulgence.

Chocolate and coffee make it every bit as delectable as your usual Starbucks go-to, but Greek yogurt and banana replace all that unnecessary sugar.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 Tbsp cocoa powder, adjusted to taste
• Vanilla to taste
• 1-2 tsp instant espresso powder
• Optional: chocolate protein powder, 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Milk, as needed

Directions

1. Place all ingredients into the blender.
2. Blend well. If the smoothie is too thick, add milk to achieve desired consistency.
3. Ensure all coffee and chocolate elements are incorporated thoroughly before serving. Top with a dusting of cocoa or sugar-free whipped cream, if desired.

Tips to Create Your Own Smoothie Recipes

There is a big wide variety in the quality and types of ingredients that can fit in a blender. Just because it can go in a smoothie, however, doesn’t necessarily mean it should.

If you want to make your own smoothie recipes for breakfast, post-workout snacks, or even to pack on the go for a bike or hiking trip, this mini-guide can help point you toward the healthiest ingredients to get started.

Best Liquid Smoothie Ingredients

Smoothie drinkers can go in a number of directions with the liquid they choose to use in their smoothie. Here are some of the top options for smoothie liquids:

• Dairy Milk
• Natural Juice (Orange, Apple, etc)
• Soy Milk
• Almond Milk
• Coconut Milk
• Cashew Milk

The list goes on, but these are the most common. You could likely find some of these ingredients in a convenience store on the way home.

You can really use any liquid you prefer, as long as you can stand the taste. It’s best to start with a little bit and slowly add more, tasting frequently as you go.

Whatever you choose, make sure it’s loaded with vitamins and nutrients whenever possible, and contains few to no added sugars.

Healthy Fruit Additions

There are several fruit options to choose from, and each have different tradeoffs between convenience, cost, and environmental impact.

What’s more, not every fruit blends well.  If your blender is on the weaker side, pineapple can produce a stringy, pulpy smoothie that’s fit for the trash can.

Cut fruit into manageable pieces, to ensure your blender can handle it.  A good rule of thumb is bite-sized pieces or smaller.

• Standard “Fruit-Aisle” Fruit – Normal fruit that you purchase at the grocery store will normally have a shelf life of about a week. Of course, it depends on which type of fruit you’re buying and where from. For buyers who want to avoid pesticides, this may not be the best option, unless you investigate your sources beforehand.
• Organic Fruit – Organic fruit is about as healthy as inorganic, but it contains no pesticides or preservatives and is typically grown sustainably. It will cost a little more, but should be available in a lot of the same places that sell normal fruit. Shelf life will be even shorter than standard fruits.
• Frozen Fruit – Frozen fruit is probably the cheapest and most convenient option for smoothies, depending on where you buy. Since frozen fruits are processed and washed, most pesticides used in their production have been washed away. Additionally, frozen fruits are approximately as healthy as standard fruit—so there’s no need to feel guilty about choosing convenience, here.

Best Vegetables to Add to Smoothies

Most first-time smoothie drinkers steer clear of adding veggies to their blends, fearing strange textures or flavors.

While some vegetables will overpower a smoothie if you add too much, most go completely undetected with enough milk, fruit, or other additions to round things out. The result is a nutrient-rich superfood blend and guilt-free treat.

Try sneaking a few of these vegetables into your favorite smoothie recipe—you might not even taste a difference.

• Cucumber.  Since it’s mostly water, this vegetable barely has any flavor on its own, let alone in a blender full of more powerful ingredients.
• Beets. While you’ll definitely notice the bright red hue beets will add to virtually any smoothie recipe, you won’t notice their bitter flavor if you add citrus or berries.
• Spinach. Very few smoothie ingredients can’t cover up the flavor of fresh or frozen spinach. Throw a couple handfuls into any recipe—other than a green tinge, nothing will change.
• Kale. Similar to spinach, kale can slide into any smoothie recipe and feel right at home. It’s a bit stronger than spinach, of course, so try a little at a time and taste-test your blend frequently until you find the sweet spot.
• Carrots.  Paired with apples, pears, or just about any tropical fruits, carrots are undetectable in both flavor and color after the blender gets to them.  On the other hand, if you love carrots, there’s no reason they can’t be the star of the show: pair with greek yogurt, almond milk, vanilla, oats, walnuts, cinnamon, and a banana to create a blend deliciously reminiscent of carrot cake.
• Cauliflower.  This vegetable tastes like absolutely nothing in a smoothie, even when you add a lot. Its subtle nutty flavor when raw blends right into your other ingredients, and can even thicken up a drink after you’ve added too much liquid.

Top Peanut Butter Brands for Smoothies

Peanut butter can be a healthy source of protein, but only if you choose a peanut butter that minimizes or completely eliminates the following ingredients:

• Sugar. Any sugar in peanut butter is added only for flavor, and is often unnecessary—especially if you’re putting it into a smoothie with fruit ingredients or sweetened milk/yogurt.
• Oils. These can often contain trans fats or saturated fats, which are bad for your health in excess. They’re only added for texture, which might come in handy when spreading PB on a sandwich, but doesn’t really matter once it’s chucked in a blender. Try a natural brand and give it a good stir before scooping.

Chia and Flax Seeds

Chia and flax seeds are both a healthy source of Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, which can help satiate you longer.

Not everyone enjoys their texture, however, so make sure your blender is powerful enough to pulverize these ingredients properly.

Best Protein Powder for Smoothie Recipes

There are many protein options available, but most contain ridiculous amounts of sugar. Furthermore, many contain ingredients to enhance weight gain—not overall health.

An excellent brand of whey protein is Gold Standard, which keeps things simple with minimal additions and sugars.

If you aren’t sure you need much protein added to your diet, it’s okay to skip powders or supplements. Natural sources of protein, like milk or yogurt, can make your breakfast smoothie recipes just as satisfying, with a lot less nutritional guesswork.

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About Post Author

Mike

Mike is a world traveler from Portland, Oregon. He surfs, climbs, competes competitively in skateboarding, and loves horticulture.

Find him catching waves in Southern California or road tripping the country in search of the sickest skate parks.

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