5 smoothies to make before leaving for class

If there’s one thing we have in common as college students, it’s that we are constantly on the go and running out the door. Sometimes, it may feel hard to get in a full, nutritious breakfast when you’re rushing to make it to your 8am class. Smoothies are a surefire way to have your cake breakfast, and eat it too.  

These recipes are great for on the go and can be made anywhere – all you need is a blender. Not only are smoothies quick and easy to make, but they are very nutritious and you give you all the benefits of eating whole foods. Sweeeeet! My #1 tip is to pack as many veggies into your smoothies as you can because it will help keep you fuller longer (plus, eating more veggies is never a bad thing!). If you live on campus, just make sure you have a blender and then you can obtain almost all of the ingredients at a store or in the campus dining halls. If you live off campus like me, just add them on your weekly shopping list. Enjoy!

Kale and Apple

-Handful of fresh or frozen kale
-Half of a large apple, or a full medium or small apple—chopped
-1/4 cup of Greek Yogurt
-1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
-1/2 cup almond milk

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

 -1/2 cup pumpkin puree—get one with no sugar added just pumpkin
-1/2 cup almond or coconut milk
-2 tbsp of cinnamon
-1 scoop of vanilla protein powder

Pumpkin pie in a cup ^^^

Blueberry and Spinach

-1/2 cup blueberries
-Generous handful of spinach
-Protein powder of your choice (vanilla and chocolate are both yummy)
-1/2 cup almond milk

Mixed fruit smoothie

-1/4 cup pineapple
-1/4 cup raspberry
-Handful of spinach
-1 scoop protein powder
-1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
-1/4 cup almond milk

The recipes above are just the baseline to my smoothies; from here, I usually add some things to my smoothies for that extra kick of nutrients to keep me healthy and strong. Here are some of the things I will add that aren’t listed above (or that I use for substitutions):

-Ground up flax seed
-Chia seeds
-Turmeric powder (strong and antioxidants)
-Green Smoothie Powder (I buy mine at Trader Joes)
-The milk doesn’t always have to be almond or coconut, those are just what I like the best. Some other milk options are: cashew milk, soy milk, rice milk **buy the unsweetened one to avoid unnecessary added sugar

If you need to make a smoothie dairy free, just take out the Greek Yogurt! There are a lot of different ways to craft a smoothie. If I don’t follow those by the book, I just use whatever fruits or veggies I’m feeling. I’ve added celery and cucumber to my smoothies before because I was out of spinach, and couldn’t even taste it! I like using frozen fruit so I don’t have to add ice and I can just add the good stuff. Get creative because smoothie making is a perfect way for college students to stay healthy, fit and happy!