How to make simple breakfast smoothie

I know breakfast smoothies aren’t revolutionary. I was myself introduced to this idea after years of strong resistance to milk and sweet and milkshake-adjacent anything. I mean I still gag at the smell of milk (well, full-fat milk anyway). The whole concept, be it with veggies/protein shots/just fruits, has so much nutritional and energy value. So let’s dive into basics of any breakfast smoothie recipe.

The daily recommended portion for fruits and berries is quite a bit and it can get difficult to fit all of it in our diet. Fruits in the morning time are known to give energy and help with sugar cravings. My absolute favourite thing about smoothies and an absolute MUST, is a mix of nuts that I stir through just before drinking my smoothie. Some also add avocado to the smoothie and I totally cannot do avocado as anything but savoury. I mean when most places say “oh, you want avocado? that would be extra”, I wouldn’t exactly be getting it lost in the smoothie! I eat all the veggies being a vegetarian, so I prefer the veggies in my salads and curries rather than the smoothies.

Ask husband to buy:

– Bananas
– Apples
– Oranges
– Pears
– Berries frozen or fresh
(I personally prefer frozen ones since they are convenient and cheap. Evidence on if frozen fruits are any less nutritional, is divided)
– Nectarines, peaches, pineapples and any other exotic/seasonal fruits you like
– Watermelon
(beware that it gets watery if you add watermelon and it may not go with many other fruits in a smoothie)
– Grapes
– Cherries
– Chia seeds 1 tbsp
– Unsalted and raw Almonds, cashews, walnuts/pecans, goji berries/raisins, pumpkin kernels
– Rolled oats
– Re-usable silicone zip-lock bags for meal-prepping like a pro
(I use the containers of my bullet processor)
– Preferred milk (full fat/lite/almond/soy etc.)
– You could also add yogurt instead of milk. or even pure coconut water
– Add your protein or beauty supplement shots if you take those
– Powdered cinnamon
(can enhance the flavour of certain simple smoothie combinations that include bananas, apples and blueberries)

This is how we do it:

• Firstly, you DO NOT NEED sugar in a smoothie if you are adding bananas and berries. No need to add any nonsense sugar-free/coconut sugar/honey. These are some of the hoaxes that try to pass off as acceptable sugars but in this case, they are absolutely not required. Even for taste. A date or two can be added for its nutritional value. For me it makes the smoothie too sweet.
• Adding oats makes the smoothie filling and increases its bulk without actually making much difference to the taste.

• For the nuts, I use one of the bags that the nuts come in, and put 1 tbsp or so of almonds/walnuts/cashews, one item at a time. Then gently beat them with a hammer (or rolling pin or something similarly heavy to break it into chunks). Separately because the almonds need a longer time and intensity of beating, cashews a little less and walnuts/pecans need it the least. Mix the goji berries and the pumpkin kernels to the chunky nuts and make it a mixture. Store it in an air-tight container.

• As per your tastes and liking, use different combinations of fruits. Orange actually adds interesting flavour and for those of you who like pulp, it goes quite nicely with the berries and the bananas.
• Pear is a great fruit to eat in the morning, and this makes it a great addition to your smoothie.
• You could add your fruit portions and combinations in separate silicone re-usable zip-lock bags and keep in freezer/fridge.
• Every morning, just chuck all the contents from one zip-lock bag to the grinding jar. Add in the chia seeds and milk just before grinding the mixture into a smoothie.

• If you prefer, add in pieces of fruits as topping.
  (I never have time for this beautification because I legit grab the bullet jar I make the smoothie in, and run out the door to drink it on the drive to work.)
• DEFINITELY add a spoon-full of the chopped nut mixture to savour the bite of nuts in each sip.
• You may also grind some nuts in with the smoothie, but I enjoy biting into them. I would go as far as to say that they are the only reason I love my smoothies to be honest. DO NOT under any circumstances grind the pistachio into the smoothie because that will turn the smoothie bitter and ruin your entire morning. True story. The pistachios also may or may not go with all fruit combinations. I wouldn’t mix them in with the others. Keep them separate and only add carefully to recognise what combinations they work with.

Many people complain that they can’t eat anything soon after they wake up and they are more likely to miss breakfast. A smoothie first thing in the morning, enjoyed slowly, will solve this issue to a big extent. I have my smoothie at 7-ish and then my Indian AF taste-buds demand something savoury. So I have a savoury breakfast by 9-10:00 a.m. This helps towards having 5 substantial meals a day too.

Pro-tip: do not add fresh banana that has been sitting outside and then immediately blend the smoothie if you do not wish for the smoothie to go room-temperature. I like mine cold so all the ingredients have to be in the fridge/freezer overnight for the right kind of cool and refreshing results.

Cheat Sheet:

Husband does the grocery in our household and is often seen calling the wife from the grocery store checking which grapes did I mean when I added them to the list.

All images by Jack Mohr.

Where’s the hygge?

If I am being honest, the absolute hygge for me, is purely the crunch from those crushed nuts in each sip as I drive to work each morning! The energy my smoothie gives me, gets me going each morning. I look forward to it and it makes me feel grateful and just simply…happy. Not to mention, it has made my skin glow. Berries are known to have anti-oxidant properties that may help prevent cancer. I mean, need I give more reasons?!