Nine super healthy smoothie ideas

Yesterday I shared five of my favourite soup recipes – and today I’m turning my attention to smoothies. All these recipes are perfect if you’re looking to eat healthier now the festive season is over.

I’ve been a big fan of smoothies for a few years now. They’re a great way to pack loads of goodness into you and your family. I find that having one for breakfast keeps me going until lunch time, and is great for weight loss, cleansing my body and giving me loads of energy to start the day.

With the blender I’d been using on its way out, we finally invested in a Nutribullet back in the summer and yes, they are as amazing as everyone says. We use ours every day and my children love their smoothies as much as their mummy and daddy do. Even the ones with kale in them!

Here are nine of my favourite recipes. They’re all made with the Nutribullet, but any smoothie maker or blender will do. Just be careful when adding seeds and nuts if yours doesn’t blitz them quite as well as the Nutribullet does.

All measurements are approximate; the great thing about smoothies is that you don’t need to be precise, you can just play with the ingredients depending on what you have to hand. The method for making all of these is the same – just put all the ingredients in the cup and blend until smooth.

Let me know if you give any of them a go, either in the comments section below, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page or you can tweet me on @cardiffmummy

Or if you have a favourite smoothie recipe, do share. 

You can see more of my smoothie recipes on the Cardiff Mummy Says Instagram feed.

For all my healthy recipe ideas, see the food section of Cardiff Mummy Says.

1. Banana and oat breakfast smoothie

This is one of the simplest smoothie recipes I make – but it’s a great way to fill you up in the morning. I also find that making it with almond milk makes it slightly sweeter than regular cow’s milk, so it’s perfect for that mid-afternoon energy slump, which used to send me reaching for the chocolate. My children love this one.

1 banana, peeled

1 handful porridge oats

1 teaspoon chia seeds

200-250ml almond milk

2. Blueberry and banana blast

I absolutely love the rich deep-blue/purple colour of this smoothie; the more blueberries you add, the deeper the colour. You can make it without the banana too, but if you find the spinach makes it a bit bitter, add a dash of maple syrup to it.

1 banana, peeled

1 large handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen is fine)

1 handful of baby spinach leaves (or regular spinach leaves)

1 teaspoon of chia seeds

Top up with almond milk (to the Max line on the Nutribullet cup, or around 150-200ml).

3. Passion fruit, blueberry and spinach smoothie

I made this one up after picking up some passion fruits that had been reduced to just a few pence in my local supermarket. It smells amazing!

1 large handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen is fine)

1 handful of baby spinach leaves (or regular spinach leaves)

3 passion fruits (insides scooped out)

1 teaspoon of chia seeds

2 tablespoons porridge oats

Top up with almond milk (to the Max line on the Nutribullet cup, or around 150-200ml).

4. Energising orange, apple, carrot and ginger smoothie

This is one of my favourite smoothie recipes at the moment, it’s so zingy and refreshing and great to keep you healthy during cold and flu season.

1 orange, juiced

1 orange, whole

1 apple, cored

2 carrots

1 teaspoon chia seeds

2cm chunk of ginger

Topped up with water (to the line on the Nutribullet cup, or around 150-200ml)

5. Refreshing pear, spinach, cucumber and mint smoothie

I know a lot of people find green smoothies too bitter, but this one is great because the cucumber and mint makes it light refreshing, while the lime gives it a zingy kick.

1 large pear, cored

½ cucumber

1 handful baby spinach leaves (or regular spinach)

6 mint leaves

1 teaspoon chia seeds

Juice of ½ lime

Topped up with coconut water, or regular water if you prefer (to the line on the Nutribullet cup, or around 150-200ml)

6. Wake-me-up warmer of apple, pear, kale, carrot and ginger

Kale is brilliant in smoothies, not least because it keeps for a lot longer in the fridge than other greens such as spinach. Packed full of vitamin C, the ginger and orange give this one a lovely kick, making it perfect for a morning wake-me-up.

1 apple, cored

1 pear cored

1 satsuma, peeled

1 handful of kale

A 2cm chunk of fresh ginger

1 teaspoon chia or flax seeds

Topped up with coconut water, or regular water if you prefer (to the line on the Nutribullet cup, or around 150-200ml)

7. Blueberry, kiwi and spinach delight

Blueberries aren’t especially in season at this time of year – but they’re easy enough to buy frozen from the big supermarkets. They’re lovely when combined with the zingy sweetness of the kiwi fruit in this beautifully-coloured drink.

1 handful of blueberries (frozen or fresh)

2 kiwis, peeled

1 handful spinach

1 tsp flax seeds /chia seeds /linseeds

Topped up with coconut water, or regular water if you prefer (to the line on the Nutribullet cup, or around 200-250ml)

You might like to add a squeeze of maple syrup or honey if using frozen berries as they can sometimes be bitter.

8. Berry and banana blast

This is our go-to smoothie that we have most week-day mornings. We always have plenty of frozen berries in the freezer and kale in the fridge. It’s a great way to start the day.

1 handful mixed frozen berries

1 banana, peeled

1 handful kale or spinach

1 tsp flax seeds /chia seeds /linseeds

A drizzle of maple syrup

Topped up with almond milk (to the line on the Nutribullet cup, or around 150-200ml)

9. Tropical delight with mango, melon and pineapple

I love the tropical kick of this smoothie, it tastes like holiday. It’s also good if you chuck a handful of spinach or kale in, for extra vitamin C and a deliciously green colour, yet without the ‘green’ taste that can sometimes put people off.

½ mango

¼ melon

¼ pineapple

1 tsp flax seeds /chia seeds /linseeds

Topped up with coconut water, or regular water if you prefer (to the line on the Nutribullet cup, or around 150-200ml)

Variation: Add a handful of spinach leaves or kale.

Let me know if you give any of them a go, either in the comments section below, on the Cardiff Mummy Says Facebook page or you can tweet me on @cardiffmummy

You can see more of my smoothie recipes on the Cardiff Mummy Says Instagram feed.

For all my healthy recipe ideas, see the food section of Cardiff Mummy Says.