What’s in your morning routine? I make my bed, splash my face with cold water, drink a giant glass of lemon water, and try to forget about the giant bag of dark chocolate chips I’ve been meaning (and failing) to hide from myself. I try my best to start things off well, with some clarity and conscious eating… that’s because it’s easy to reason with my relaxed morning brain. By the time dinner rolls around it’s nearly impossible to talk my brain out of popcorn, wine, and handfuls of chocolate chips. Morning is my power hour. Dinner looks like a breakup rom-com where a heartbroken girl eats her weight in everything ever.
It’s a new Monday. It’s a new week. Let’s start things off feeling great! The morning is on our side in three major ways.
I love that three completely different smoothies can come from this display of ingredients.
It’s all about color! We’re talking about the deep green of kale, bright yellow of pineapple, pretty purple blackberries, and beets that are just dying to stain your fingertips magenta.
Our constants, our rocks, our anchors in the storm will be frozen banana chunks and cold Almond Breeze Almond Milk.
I’ve coaxed you into putting greens in your smoothie before, haven’t I? This Kale, Spinach, and Pear Smoothie started this whole green smoothie kick in my kitchen.
Pairing pineapple with kale really brightens the flavors and makes the smoothie feel like a tropical kale vacation. Wait. That doesn’t tempt you? Don’t worry. This smoothie doesn’t taste like a salad in a blender. The kale flavor really mellows when pulverized in the company of pineapple and vanilla almond milk.
Kale, Pineapple and Almond Milk Smoothie
makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies
1 banana, sliced into chunks, frozen is ideal
1 heaping cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 giant handful of coarsely chopped kale leaves, center rib removed from the kale
1 cup cold Almond Breeze Almond Milk
1 tablespoon honey (optional, but nice for added sweetness)
Remove kale leaves from their rough center stalk and coarsely chop. In a blender, combine banana, pineapple, chopped kale leaves, almond milk, and honey (if using). Blend until smooth and no big kale bits remain. Add more almond milk if the smoothie is too thick for your taste. Enjoy immediately.
We’ve gone down the green road, now let’s talk purple.
Blackberries are both tart and sweet. They’re moody, and I respect that. I paired blackberries with a vanilla goat’s milk yogurt, and oat flour. Oat flour is made by placing old-fashioned oats in a small spice grinder until pulverized into a powder. It helps make me feel full and totally eases any belly unrest. An extra kick of vanilla from the almond milk, and pure vanilla extract really bring home the vanilla and berry theme.
Vanilla, Blackberry, Oat and Almond Milk Smoothie
makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies
1 banana, sliced into chunks, frozen is ideal
1 heaping cup frozen blackberries
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (I used goat’s milk yogurt)
1 cup Almond Breeze Almond Milk
2 tablespoons oat flour (old-fashioned oats ground in a spice grinder)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In a blender, combine banana, blackberries, yogurt, almond milk, oat flour, and vanilla extract. It’s easy. Blend until smooth. Add more almond milk if the smoothie is too thick for your taste. Enjoy immediately.
Did you think for a minute that I’d leave you a smoothie with strawberries and bananas and call it a day? Noooo way. Not around these parts. I’ve added roasted, cooled, and peeled beets to this smoothie. It’s added fiber, folate, and major magenta coloring. I’ve also thrown in freshly ground flax seeds for some good omega action.
This smoothie is packed with good, but doesn’t taste like drinking a beet salad. It’s sweet, pink, and filling. It’s totally my new favorite.
Strawberry Beet Smoothie
makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies
1 banana, sliced into chunks, frozen is ideal
1 heaping cup sliced strawberries, frozen is awesome
about 1/3 cup steamed beets (I used two about half a large beet)
1 heaping tablespoon flax seed meal
1 cup Almond Breeze Almond Milk
In a blender, combine banana, strawberries, steamed and cooled beets, flax seed meal, and almond milk. Blend until smooth. Add more almond milk if the smoothie is too thick for your taste. Enjoy immediately.
Sponsored by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze.
Barbara
I have just discovered these beauties and am typing this one-handed, since I am thoroughly enjoying the beet ‘n berry smoothie that is in the other hand! I added some protein powder and psyllium, since I had no flax. Loving it, can’t wait to try the berry-oat one, too. No pineapple for me though. Seriously allergic. I will need to think up a flavorful substitute for it. Thanks for putting these out there!
Hayley
I’m so happy to have stumbled across this website. I’ve been making different kale smoothies, but have not yet tried anything with beets. Your strawberry beet smoothie looks fantastic. I’m going to have to try it out tomorrow morning!
Louie Winterrowd
Because almonds are naturally very nutritious, almond milk doesn’t need to be fortified. You can make almond milk yourself at home, and it will have the same nutritional value as the almond milk available commercially.
Sylvia
I have added these smoothies as part of my morning meal – great after a bowl of Kashi cereal. I cut up the fruit/kale ahead of time and freeze it and just throw them in a blender in the morning. I feel good about incorporating the greens (kale) into the smoothies – I never like the taste of it by itself. Great recipes. Thanks Joy!
Sara
If you are too restrictive in the mornings, you will not be able to get control of your cravings at night. If you deprive your body too much it has a natural response to get as much food as possible, something that might translate to eating too many chocolate chips at night :) Tic tacs and carrot sticks for lunch is the reason you can’t control yourself later! Eating sensible meals, and being totally mindful of what you’re eating is key. Being a chef I cannot imagine how much added stress there is because you have to constantly try your food as you cook, but basically the reason I wanted to comment is to say you should eat better lunches girl! Take care and love yourself!
Georgia
Hi Joy,
I LOVE your site! You rule.
What kind of blender do you have?
Thanks, doll!
-Georgia
Tika Altemoeller
I love the photos! The recipe also sounds great.
Mykelin Higham
Thank you so much for posting these recipes!!! I just got my wisdom teeth out and I’m enjoying these cold and delicious smoothies immensely :)
Elaine
Was wondering if you can make these smoothies in advance and freeze them? I am always in a rush out the door in the morning, even though I try to tell myself to just get up a little earlier( I have to be up at 4:45 already) , it never happens! To be able to make them and freeze them would be ideal, then I could throw them in the vita mix in the morning to drink! hmmmm
Paola Parsons
I’ve never tried, so I can’t really say. I think freezing all but the almond milk would be fine. You’ll need the milk to get your blender going.
Kelly
I just made the strawberry beet smoothie. Holy smokes it’s good! I was wary since I could still smell the beet, but it just tastes fresh and delicious. Thanks for the great recipe Joy! (been reading your blog for the past couple years and absolutely love it. Happy weekend!)
Coral
Made your kale smoothie this morning! I was silly and didn’t remove the stems – I added a lot of honey and tried my best to ignore the bitter flavor.
Lady ID
I bought some kale and it is still sitting in my fridge. My cousin loves it for smoothies but I confess my brain is struggling with the concept of veggies in smoothies. I’m totally fine with fruit but still trying to make the leap with leafy greens. Plus my first experience with kale was some kale chips that I did not enjoy at all.
I like blackberries and beets so I will try this. I’m sure it will be good.
India
Did it and LOVED it! The beet, strawberry, banana one is amazing. My husband said the color didn’t look natural, but it is! So amazing. We used stuff fresh from farmers market too, yum! Thanks
Melissa
Just made/currently enjoying the kale,pineapple almond milk smoothie and it is deelish. I added chia seeds for an extra boast. No bigs. Love the taste and it’s super simple. Thnx Joy!!
Mary
I mentioned that I couldn,t make smoothies with kale or dark greens but later saw other recipes that I can make do! Thanks
Mama Maria
Love, LOVE, L-O-V-E !!!
Susana DeVoe
Made the blackberry smoothie this morning. Delicious! I think I may just have to try them all.
Mirtha
my morning smoothie: pineapple, nopal (cactus), celery, parsley, kale, spinach,arugula, banana, mango, kiw, berriesi… any combination thereof depending what’s in the fridge, with a splash of o.j., a squirt of agave nectar and spoonful of flax meal. Natural detox and yummy!
Christina N
Currently drinking kale, pineapple, and almond milk combo (out of ripe bananas, sad day). Super fresh and delicious!! Thanks, lady!
Carly
Joy! I made the blackberry kale smoothie this morning. I did add a few oats and flax seeds to fill up the BF. Love your blog!!
joythebaker
you made it! that makes me so happy! right on!
robyn @ the freckled pie
hmmm…. i’m thinking that kale pineapple smoothie might be the best way to get the husband into kale smoothies. ;)
Michelle
Thank you! I’ve needed new recipies to add to my smoothie list. That pineapple kale one is calling my name.
Samantha
Those smoothies are SO BEAUTIFUL I could just stare at the all day. Visual therapy. ah……
And, of course, totes inspirash! Thanks for the continued reminder to DO THIS. Summer, and its great bounty of produce, is right around the corner…
joythebaker
thank you for saying ‘inspirash’!
taylor @ taylormade
these look so perfect for summer — can’t wait to try!
LIA @ DIZZY LOVES ICY
Thanks for this! I don’t have a juicer & I always feel like i’m missing out on some kale goodness because of it – not any more! Whoop!
Amy
They all sound so delicious – the Vanilla, Blackberry, Oat and Almond Milk Smoothie will definitely be something I try.
Thanks for this!!
http://yummei.blogspot.co.uk/
anna
mmm num num num mmmmm girl you crazy.
Maria @ Orchard Bloom
these all look delicious. My current smoothie fix has dates, hemp hearts and almond milk. So good!
Kristen
Cute picture! I love making kale smoothies!
Michelle
How do you get the smoothies to stay in the glasses upside down?? .. just kidding! Beautiful pictures as always. I just ate an entire pizza for dinner, so having one of these in the morning would probably balance it out somewhat, right?
xx
Karen Brightwell
I have canned beets, can I use those? Does any one else use canned if you don’t have the real deal? Also I read somewhere when first doing smoothies to not use milk as it messes with your stomach. Wrong or right?
Good
Depends on your sensitivity, but generally cowmilk and fruits are not a good match, exept bananas, no acidity.
T.J.
Any suggestions for a banana substitute? I hate to say this but- I really don’t like bananas :( Its hard to find another fruit that gives the same consistency. Thanks!
Jamie @ green beans & grapefruit
I’d try avocado! Seriously delicious and gives great body!
Vicki Bensinger
Wow these sound wonderful and the colors are so vivid.. Very healthy and I’m sure delicious.
Trinidad Pena
Hmm… beets…
tracy {pale yellow}
Mondays are hard, these smoothies look like great ways to make Mondays better!
Arqam k
Just the thing for me and its such a coincidence that joy posted this cuz i am in a total healthy eatin zone.
cheers
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
I love to begin my day with a good glass of smoothies!! Love almond milk and coconut water in my smoothies :)
pepperoncina
It looks very good!!
Ana Homayoun
These look delicious – and a vegan, gluten-free way to start a perfect week off. Making one of these tomorrow. Thanks Joy!
Jasmine
That first photo is such a trip! Awesome!
Anna
Yumm these look so delicious I cant wait to try the kale one
http://www.beblacknblue.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.bloglovin.com
amanda @ once upon a recipe
what a great way to start off the day. i love using almond milk and frozen banana chunks in my smoothies. delicious!
lauren
I need to get a morning routine down, stat. I’m expecting my first baby in July and right now my am consists of wake up, stall, get a drink/snack (hey, pregnancy!), stall, maybe workout, shower and then rush around to get out of the house.
I definitely need to make the kale smoothie for my husband. He tried drinking one recommended by a certain UFC commentator and it did NOT go well. He ended up sneaking out of work to get a bagel :) I told him he should’ve started running from it when he saw the words “pager sized chunk of ginger”…first of all, a pager? really! Second of all, ginger is SO strong! Boys!
Lisa @ Making Lifes Lemons
YUM! I’m having major smoothie cravings now!
xo Lisa
dixya@food, pleasure, and health
that beet smoothie is calling my name!
Rachel
I’m dying to make the last one, but beets take so much work! Do you ever make them ahead of time? I’ve bought the pre-cooked beets from Trader Joe’s before, but those are not as good as fresh roasted beets. Can you freeze them?
Katie @ Oh Shine On
I’m going to be frank here… I want to print out this post and plaster it on my wall for all eternity.
jane
Ho la la …. Looks delicious!!!
http://www.janesneakpeak.com/
Jamie @ green beans & grapefruit
But we can add chocolate chips to these too, right?
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
These look fabulous – allllll of them! I’m on a smoothie kick right now, so this is awesome!
allie@sweetpotatobites
these all look like great combos! I’m especially curious to try the beet one since I’m normally not a big fan of beets.
FashionEdible
I love the colors in all these smoothies! So pretty to look at. I’m a huge smoothie fan and I have to admit to liking the plain old strawberry/banana concoction, though your versions sound delicious!
Nabeela
Really love this post. I have a soya smoothie nearly every morning full of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, a little flaxseed and of course some banana! Been trying to get myself to try veggie ones, but I’m going to try the beets with strawberry one tomorrow morning for sure!
Louise @ Kitchen Fiddler
Thanks for the encouragement to ignore the bag of chocolate feves that is open on MY counter this morning! These all look wonderful–and that first mirror shot is particularly cool!
Amy
Drinking a green smoothie as a I read this this morning! I am the same way – morning time is healthy time. When I come home from work, hand me a glass of wine.
Nicole
The vibrant colors of these smoothies against the black background is just stunning. I’ve been on a smoothie kick lately due to the warmer weather, and I’m so glad to have found some inspiration for new fruit/veggie combos! Thanks, Joy!
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking
You inspired me to make a smoothie for breakfast! Now which one to make???
Katy @ Katy's Kitchen
I can totally relate to that feeling of trying to hide that bag of chocolate chips in the morning. It’s definitely a lost cause by dinner! I love the colour those beets add to that smoothie, and that first pic is so cool!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie
Awesome flavors! I have been making the same smoothies for awhile now it’s good to have a new one to try!
Caitlin
HAHAHA I JUST DIED… “Dinner looks like a breakup rom-com where a heartbroken girl eats her weight in everything ever.”
Also, this is the perfect post for me to read this morning. This morning involved a 2.5 lb weekend weight gain from straight up cake (we had our wedding cake tasting and the sweet girls from the bakery sent us home with little mini cakes.. thanks a LOT!)
so i made a monday morning smoothie of kale and coconut milk to counteract all the cake. (the coconut milk went all over the kitchen when I shook it. and i wanted a bite of cake..help)
Lydia
Do you mean “beets that are dye-ing to stain your fingertips magenta”?? *cracks self up*
Lydia
lupinelydia.blogspot.com
Susana DeVoe
I’m starting tomorrow! That’s it, I really am.
Thanks joy.
Belinda @themoonblushbaker
I am not a big smoothie fan but the last one with beets has captivated me. I make my own almond milk with southern Chinese almonds, which I blend in the morning for the next day. So there is always almond milk in my house!
Hannah Jade
Breakfast smoothies are the very best wake up. I believe in spinach.
Tieghan
These are beautiful and so fun!!! I LOVE the colors. LOVE them! I am so making these next chance I get!
anna @ annamayeveryday
Love this, I too have strong resolve in the morning which slips as the day progresses. These smoothies may be just what I need!
Monica
I’d love to try the strawberry, beet, flax and almond smoothie, but they all sound like divine combinations!
Pam
YUM! That’s all.
Quinn Cooper
So into the second one., blackberry oat almond. I mean who doesn’t love all three of those ingredients. I’m also a sucker for berry smoothies, they are by far my favorite. They are just so delicious.
I would be willing to try out the other two to switch it up a bit, I’m sure they are just as good.
xo Quinn
Quinn Cooper Style
Amy
Huzzah for creative smoothie combinations! The other day I smoothied spinach, watermelon, and yogurt. Thanks for mixing it up!
Ericka
Ha! I have the same problem. Mornings are fantastic – I have a smoothie or fresh fruit and yogurt and I feel stellar…then dinner rolls around and I’m sneaking handfuls of chocolate chips. Ugh. Oh well, we do our best!
I can’t wait to try these smoothies, especially the beet one – they look so bright and delicious!
Good
I have irregular work schedule at the moment, but my morning routine usually is: jump out of bed when the alarm goes off, kiss boyfriend, stoke cat, take a shower, get dressed, make our tisanes for the day, have breakfast, (homemade granola and soymilk for him, fruits, homemade bread and butter for me), prepare my tupperware lunch, brush my teeth, say goodbye to cat and informing him what time I will be back( bf already gone before me) and that’s it. I would love those smoothies, but I have no blender and can’t have cold food/drinks :(
Miss Kim @ behgopa
I start my mornings by waking up and laying in bed for an hour or two. If I don’t go to the gym, I just jump in the shower (on days I go, I shower after gym), wash up…try not to have that cup of coffee, but I do anyway…then eat something (not breakfast but lunch since I don’t wake up until 11am or so). On some days I’ll just go back to bed and lay around some more until it is time to go to work. I’m so not a morning person, so luckily I don’t need to get in until the afternoon. I love my schedule. I’m such a night owl.
Anyhow, I love Almond Milk. This smoothie recipe sounds so refreshing. What a creative recipe to make something so delicious. Once again, great photos! I admire the pretty colors of the smoothies with a black background. The smoothies are just screaming “drink me. I’m delicious”.
Caitlin
The first image of this post is so stunning! I love the vibrant colours of these smoothies, my breakfast looks so dull right now!
Ellen
Woohoo! I’ve been on a smoothie kick recently. I like the adding oats idea. I added some wheat germ and nutritional yeast once and that was tasty.
And I love the colors of these!
Catherine
If you put some protein powder in there, you would have a balanced meal1
Caz
Those smoothie’s look amazing. I love the colours. I have been in a smoothie rut of kale and blueberry lately so it is great to get some new inspiration. :)
Averie @ Averie Cooks
I have a carton of that almond millk in my fridge at all times (well vanilla unsweetened) and always have smoothies ready to go. I pre-make them, freeze them, and then nuke for 30 secs when needed. Such an a.m. timesaver when things are going crazy. I love your flavors. Love beets. Yes, I do. Nature’s candy!
Sherry Thornsberry
What do you store them in when you freeze them? I work full time as a nurse and my days are usually 10-12 hrs long.
thanks,
Sherry
jenny
i love smoothies for breakfast and will try aaaall of those!
wanderingsofalittlesoul.blogspot.de
ElisabethSpace
Beets in a smoothy?! How very exciting and ding dang colorful!. :)
Ever since I bought a stick blender thingamajig, I’ve been much more apt to make smoothies, since cleaning out the blender pitcher seemed like something of a chore. Thanks for the ideas.