Smoothie Recipes for a Self-Care Summer

As the weather heats up, a refreshing smoothie not only helps keep us cool, but also energized, focused, and healthy. Check out these smoothie ideas from Lotus Sexual Violence Resource Center Program Director Amberly Haverstock.

Smoothies are a healthy snack, meal, or dessert that are full of nutrients that your body needs to thrive. Fueling your body with foods that nourish you is both physical and mental self care.

Strawberry Peach Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup frozen peaches
• 1/4 cup fresh sliced banana
• 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup orange juice

Method

1. Add ingredients into blender: Add ice cubes, strawberries, peaches, banana slices, yogurt, and orange juice to the blender.
2. Blend smoothie: Cover and process on medium speed for about 15 to 30 seconds, using the tamper as needed. Increase speed to high for 15 to 30 seconds until the smoothie is thick and smooth. Add juice as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
3. Serve: Pour smoothie in a tall glass and serve immediately.

Strawberry Peach Smoothie Swaps and Substitutions

• To make the beverage dairy-free, substitute the yogurt with coconut cream, or plant-based yogurt.
• If you’d like a sweeter smoothie, add in a few teaspoons of honey, agave syrup, or pure maple syrup.
• For a more tropical flavor, use pineapple, guava, mango or passion fruit juice as your liquid base.
• For a creamier taste, use coconut milk, oat milk or almond milk instead of orange juice.

Green Smoothie

All you need to make a tasty green smoothie is a blender, fruit and leafy greens. The right ratio of spinach to fruit makes it sweet, as well as helps you reap all the health benefits of a green smoothie. The key is to use recipes that actually taste good and follow my simple tips below.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup pineapple (frozen )
• ½ cup mango (frozen)
• 1 banana

Method

1. Blend 1 cup of spinach (or another leafy greens of your choice) in a blender. Adding leafy greens to your smoothie boosts the phytonutrients and fiber, which then slows down the absorption of sugars into your body.
2. Next, add 1 cup of liquid and blend well (until all leafy chunks are gone).
3. Toss in fruit, such as frozen mango, pineapple and bananas in the blender.
4. Next, blend again until smooth and creamy.

Tips and Tricks

Looking to turn your smoothie into a meal replacement? Add a clean protein + healthy fat such as hemp, chai, flax seeds, coconut oil, nut butters and/or avocados (for creaminess too).

Prep smoothie ingredients ahead of time by portioning individual servings of fruit into resealable zip-top bags. Go ahead and add the sliced bananas to save on time as well. When you’re ready to make your smoothies, just add the frozen items to the blender, along with your yogurt and juice (if applies), then blend.