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Smoothies are a staple part of our diet in my house, so this gloriously green breakfast smoothie makes an appearance regularly. No matter the season.

There is something about starting your day with a huge chunk of your recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables that puts you in a great mood. It is a great way to start your day. You can read about 5 of the benefits of changing to a plant based diet here.

I love smoothies for this reason (and because they are so quick and easy), so I now have a collection of recipes. This one is one of my favourites.

I know there are so many green smoothies out there. A lot of them unfortunately taste like plants! Grass maybe! They are obviously healthy for you, but who wants to eat that? Who can stomach that and enjoy it? Not me! This recipe combines just the right amount of greens to give you a nutritional boost. Whilst adding sweetness at the same time to counteract the bitterness. Winning combination right there! You won’t be disappointed when you give this gloriously green breakfast smoothie a try.

This smoothie will give you 2 portions of fruit and 2 portions of veg and you will be forgiven for thinking that you only then have to get one more portion to be at the recommended 5 a day. Research has shown however that you should be eating more like 10 a day for optimal health. This recipe will however, give you a great head start.

Let’s talk ingredients

It is worth mentioning that this recipe uses a FROZEN banana! If you haven’t come across the use of frozen bananas in smoothies before, you are missing a trick! It turns a normal, mediocre smoothie into something more reminiscent of an ice cream smoothie. It is a must, not to mention the ice cold yummy-ness of it too. Who wants a warm smoothie?

I use gluten free oats in this recipe simply because it makes the smoothie thicker and more filling and will keep you from needing some more breakfast an hour later. Oats have a whole host of vitamins and minerals including iron and zinc. Among many health benefits, they can help to lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar control.

I also always put milled flax seeds in my smoothies. In fact, I try and put them in every breakfast I eat if I can. Flax seeds are a great source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. We need these in our diet for heart health and reducing inflammation. This is especially important if you eat a plant based diet and therefore do not get omega 3 from fish. We can get some from leafy vegetables and nuts but adding flax seeds to your diet is another good idea for overall health.

Spinach and kale are the leafy greens I use here and they are two of the best types of vegetables to put in a smoothie. They blend up beautifully, they do not have an overpowering taste and the nutritional benefits are in abundance. Spinach is a great source of vitamins A, C and K. It helps eye health and can help to reduce high blood pressure. Kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat. It is loaded with vitamin C, it is actually one of the world’s best sources of this and 1 cup has more vitamin C than an orange. It is also packed with anti-oxidants. Oxidative damage is one of the leading causes of aging and disease. This is just a few examples of the benefits these vegetables bring. Why wouldn’t you want to start adding them to your diet?

I also add a pear for sweetness but if you would prefer to add an apple, that would work too. Whichever is to hand is what i usually go for.

Onto the milk. I’m an oat milk fan. Mainly because it is inoffensive and very mild. It works wonderfully in this recipe but you could substitute for your favourite plant based milk if you wish. Alternatively you could use water but beware, it will not have the same creamy consistency.

Equipment

For this smoothie, and all smoothies. In fact for a huge proportion of my time in the kitchen I use my Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor. This machine is incredible and I really couldn’t be without it now. It makes the consistency exactly how it should be, smooth! No lumps in sight, even though I use frozen fruit. Amazing.