Sometimes, you just wanna drink your breakfast…or lunch…or snack without adding a lot of processed sugar or chemicals.

Smoothies are an easy, healthy way to begin your day, or provide a little pick-me-up in the afternoon. You can take the basic recipes here and add stuff like protein powder, chia seeds, and nuts to turn it into a meal.

The directions are easy:

Layer the ingredients in your high-powered blender beginning with the liquid. This makes it easier for your blades to chop and puree everything perfectly.

You can store in mason jars and freeze to enjoy later in the week. To serve: Just place in the fridge to defrost overnight, or set on the counter for a few hours. Shake, add straw, and sip to your heart-healthy delight!

Here are 3 delicious smoothie recipes to get you started using apples and non-sweetened, plain almond milk (you really don’t need added sugar for these!)

Apple-Banana Power Smoothie

1 Banana, peeled

1 Apple

2 Tbsp Peanut Butter

½ cup Almond Milk

4-6 Ice Cubes

Apple-Orange Smoothie

1 Apple

1 Banana, peeled

1 Orange, peeled

½ cup Almond Milk

¼ cup Rolled Oats

1 Tbsp. Flaxseed (optional)

4-6 Ice Cubes

Apple-Kale Smoothie

1 cup Almond Milk, unsweetened, plain

1 cup (packed) Kale Leaves, chopped

1 stalk Celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 Gala Apple, cut into chunks

1 Tbsp Flax Seed, ground

4-6 Ice Cubes

Did you Know?

It’s easy to experiment with smoothies. You can easily add those green vegetables your body loves.

Consider adding:

  • Fresh Mint and Parsley (they are not just pretty garnishes)
  • Cucumbers (they contain silica which is wonderful for your skin)
  • Lemon (Vitamin C…do I need to say more? Plus add the clean rind as well because there are nutrients which studies have shown may help with combating some tumors).
  • Whey Protein Powder – muscle building, collagen supporting, overall good-for-you macro nutrient

My Blender of Choice:

We purchased our Vitamix Blender over 20 years ago at a county fair where it was being demonstrated in a barn right next to the goats, pigs, and deep-fried elephant ears. (They didn’t have Amazon back then!) Today, after much use, it’s still chopping and dicing and blending and puree-ing like nobody’s business. Ice chunks?…what ice chunks! For these drinks, I use the whole apple – skin, seeds, sweet flesh and all. Talk about saving time and adding a full load of nutrients to your smoothies!