It’s National Smoothie Day. To celebrate, I’ve got a delicious seven-ingredient smoothie recipe that’s packed with healthy ingredients. There’s no easier way to get your recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. So grab your reusable straw and enjoy!

This post was originally published in August 2020 as “Build your own nutritious breakfast smoothie”.

Smoothies are my go-to option for an easy breakfast. They are quick and delicious, and a fantastic way to start the day.

For years, I struggled to get in my daily servings of fruit and veggies. Smoothies solved that for me. I love that I can drink my breakfast smoothie at my desk in my home office, or in the car on the way to work. What’s not to love about smoothies?

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Plastic-free tips for your smoothies

Most people sip their smoothies through a straw. Non-recyclable plastic straws are a problem for anyone trying to adopt a plastic-free lifestyle.

I’ve been happy to see paper straws appear in many restaurants over the last couple of years. I’m old enough to remember when all straws were made from paper, but those old paper straws used to get all soggy and mushy. The new paper straws are a huge improvement.

But, even paper straws create waste that has to go somewhere. These days, I’ve replaced plastic with metal and silicone straws. 

Another area where I’ve reduced plastic is in the ingredients I use in my smoothies. I used to thicken my smoothies with yogurt. When I did the Plastic Free July Challenge for the first time, I realized I had to find other options, instead of yogurt in plastic containers.

My delicious smoothie recipe has several options you can substitute in place of yogurt. I hope you’ll give it a try and let me know what you think.

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Michelle’s Build-Your-Own Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

My nutrition-packed breakfast smoothie is flexible so you can swap out different ingredients every day to add a bit of variety.

Here’s how I make my smoothie with seven ingredients.

• 1 cup of leafy greens. Spinach is my go-to choice but kale is another good option. I started freezing my spinach because I found I wasn’t eating it fast enough and ended up throwing it out. Frozen spinach works great in smoothies.
• 1 cup of berries. This is where you can get creative. I normally use a three-berry blend of frozen raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. I have also substituted strawberries and pomegranate seeds. Honestly, anything goes. Because our growing season is so short, I usually use frozen berries but I do use fresh berries when they are in season.
• 1 or 2 tablespoons of seeds. Seeds are packed with nutritional value. Hemp seeds are a great source of protein, but I’ve also used flax or chia seeds to change things up. Lately I’ve been using the Super Seed Mix from Bulk Barn—it’s a mix of hemp, flax and chia seeds.
• 1/3 cup of large flake oats. This is a change I made during Plastic Free July. With the exception of oatmeal raisin cookies, I’ve never been a fan of oatmeal but I love oats in my smoothies. Oats add a little bulk to the smoothie and thicken it up. Other options to thicken and add bulk: 1/2 of a fresh or frozen banana, 1/3 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 an avocado or 1/2 cup frozen avocado.
• 1/2 cup of your favourite juice. Whatever your choice, make sure it’s unsweetened. I’ve been using a mango and carrot smoothie blend, but I’ve used orange juice, pomegranate juice, and cranberry juice. Be creative. This is another area where anything goes.
• 1 cup water. And, of course the water comes from the tap, not a plastic bottle!
• 1 teaspoon of matcha powder. Matcha is high in antioxidants and cancer-fighting catechins. It also contains a boost of caffeine to jump start your day.

Throw everything in the blender cup in the order listed, and you’re good to go! I replaced my old Magic Bullet with a more powerful NutriBullet Pro, but any personal blender will do.

Blend it up, pop in your reusable straw, and enjoy!

What’s your favourite smoothie recipe?

The best thing thing about smoothies is there are so many delicious and nutritious flavour combinations.

I’d love to hear your ideas. Do you love smoothies? Tell me your favourite ingredients below!