Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day, but lots of us simply grab something quick on our way out the door, or wolf down a bowl of processed flakes and call it good. For years, that was our family's habit, and I knew it needed to change. I turned to a friend, Kristen Smith, whose blog A Better Way to Thrive focuses on healthy lifestyle choices, and asked for her input. Among other ideas, she suggested starting the day with smoothies, which would help us to get more food groups into our morning diet, as well as all those healthy bacteria from yogurt. I started out just using plain yogurt from WalMart, and then moved over to using homemade yogurt, made in our Instant Pot. Now it is a family favorite and a guaranteed way to get us moving with energy in the morning.
After exploring a bunch of recipes, we settled on a basic one that works for us. The first secret to our smoothies is using frozen fruit, which gives the smoothies and icy, almost-milkshake consistency that kids love. I know some love to add greens of some kind to smoothies, but that is not us. We use a variety of fruit, depending on what is in our freezer, along with fresh, ripe bananas. If I don't have bananas, I just add an extra half-cup of frozen fruit, plus a drizzle of honey to make up for the lack of sweetener that the banana normally provides.
The other secret is to add collagen powder, which gives an extra protein boost without changing the texture or the taste. We have tried two and like them equally: Bulletproof and Z!nt, both of which can be ordered from Amazon.
Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt
2 bananas, ripe but not too ripe
1.5 cups frozen fruit - our favorite combination is equal amounts of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but we also like blackberries and mango
2 scoops collagen powder
I've found that the order you put the ingredients into the blender matters, especially if you have an older model like mine. I put the yogurt in first, then the frozen fruit (bigger ones like strawberries first), followed by the bananas. Blend until smooth, and then add the collagen powder and blend once more.
Yield: 3-4 medium to tall glasses
Try this and let me know how you like it, and what fruity combinations work for your family!
The other secret is to add collagen powder, which gives an extra protein boost without changing the texture or the taste. We have tried two and like them equally: Bulletproof and Z!nt, both of which can be ordered from Amazon.
Ingredients:
2 cups plain yogurt
2 bananas, ripe but not too ripe
1.5 cups frozen fruit - our favorite combination is equal amounts of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but we also like blackberries and mango
2 scoops collagen powder
I've found that the order you put the ingredients into the blender matters, especially if you have an older model like mine. I put the yogurt in first, then the frozen fruit (bigger ones like strawberries first), followed by the bananas. Blend until smooth, and then add the collagen powder and blend once more.
Yield: 3-4 medium to tall glasses
Try this and let me know how you like it, and what fruity combinations work for your family!
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