Rachael Zarda

Summer feels like the easiest time of year to make healthy choices. I crave cold smoothies, crisp, seasonal fruit, and simple meals straight off the grill. Last year, I started the habit of drinking a smoothie each morning and noticed I felt so satisfied and full well into the afternoon. Listing our home and having the blender packed away derailed my morning routine and I sadly wasn’t able to keep up with that habit. Now that we have a fully-functioning kitchen again they’re back in full force!

The main reason I love doing a smoothie in the morning is for setting the tone of my day. Especially if I get a workout in beforehand, I feel like it helps me make better decisions throughout the day by starting on a healthy note. They’re also just great for packing in loads of nutrients all at once. I love Kelly LeVeque’s fab four philosophy (fiber, fat, protein, and greens) when making my smoothies. It’s also just a great reminder for any meal.

I don’t go very heavy on the fruit in my smoothies, to avoid overdoing it on sugar. Zach won’t drink them because of it ha! But I think they’re delicious.

Blueberry Smoothie
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (this is my favorite plant-based option)
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp flax
Handful of spinach
Ice

Strawberry Mint Smoothie
Handful of mint
1/4 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp MCT oil
Ice

Green Smoothie
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 frozen zucchini
Handful frozen broccoli
1 scoop peanut butter protein powder
Unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp peanut butter
Handful of spinach
Ice

I sometimes add in a scoop of collagen peptides if I have it on hand. And I love these metal straws that are especially great for taking my smoothie on the go!