Tasty and Healthy Summertime Smoothies

It’s summer; the kids are out of school. It’s HOT outside, And you’re trying to juggle a lot! You may love spending time with your kids, but you also realize that you have less time for yourself. Knowing some quick, healthy recipes and having some self care tips in your pocket can go a long way to helping you stay cool and keep your cool. These tasty and healthy summertime smoothies will hit the spot!

Here are some of my favorite summertime smoothies that you can make in a jiffy for you and the littles. I also love sneaking in healthy greens and other ingredients that increase their nutritional value. You can even freeze them into healthy pops for the kids. You will just need to start with a base. Here’s what I do:

FRUIT SMOOTHIE BASE INGREDIENTS (quantities for 1 -2 smoothies)

1. One or two ripe bananas
2. One cup almond or other milk (I sometimes use water; almond or coconut milk gives a creamier texture)
3. One tsp or two of hemp protein
4. A handful of ice cubes

Hemp protein? Yep! I have found that it nearly flavorless and it adds a bunch of nutrition to my smoothies. In my opinion, it’s much better than either whey, soy, or pea proteins.

TO THE BASE, ADD:

1. A cup of frozen berries for a wonderfully refreshing berry smoothie
2. PB Fit or a scoop of peanut butter or Nutella for a chocolatey/nutty treat.
3. A cup of diced watermelon or mango for a delightful summery treat.

SNEAKY, HEALTHY ADDITIONS (veggies)

1. Zucchini
2. Cucumber
3. Kale (remove stem)
4. Baby spinach

The only drawback with the veggies (if you’re making for the kiddos) is that it alters to color of the smoothie slightly, particularly with the deep green veggies, not so much with a zucchini or cucumber. If you or your kids dislike bananas, you can just double up on whatever fruit you’ve selected, and it’s just as yummy! This is just a base that I’ve found works really well with a variety of flavor blends.

Remember also to take care of YOU. Don’t neglect your self-care. It’s more important than ever. One cool way to identify your unique way of recharging is to pause and think about what you did as a child to feel good. Did you run barefoot in the grass? Did you love getting lost in a good book? Did you dance your head off to music? Did you love to just sit in your yard, listen to the birds chirping and feeling the sun on your face? Obviously, as adults, we do other forms of self-care like exercise, yoga, a hot bath, etc, but there’s something energetically special about our childhood relaxation practices, perhaps because they just came organically to us.

Enjoy these tasty and healthy summertime smoothies. Stay cool, and keep your cool!

As we transition into fall, make sure to check out my quick and easy soup recipes.

As always, feel free to get in touch with any questions you have about parenting or self-care.

XXOO