Ready for a real simple treat? There are only 35 days left until Christmas, and even less before the holidays kick off with all the festivities. So today I am sharing one of my holiday season smoothie recipes that'll get you in the Christmas spirit and your body loving the nourishment. Let's get blending...
Smoothies are a quick and easy meal to prepare as the days get super hectic in the lead up to Christmas. There'll be no skipping breakfast only to binge later in the day on all the delightful holiday fare if you nourish first thing. Blending the goodness is also an excellent way to provide your body all the nutrients you need to combat stress, as well as keep your appetite in check. I love sharing my holiday themed recipes with clients at this time of year to also help them rebalance after any overindulgences.
What Goes In Smoothies?
You can add just about anything to your smoothies to create some of the most delicious and Instagram worthy meals. Typically, a smoothie contains a few fruits, leafy greens and a vegetable or two. This is combined with liquid from water, coconut water or dairy and plantbased milk. Health conscious people also add in extra dietary fibre, protein powder, and healthy fats to create a well-balanced meal out of smoothies.
Try preparing smoothies using all of these ingredients:
High fibre, low carb fruits such as berries, mango, citrus, and banana etc
Vegetables of all types either raw or steamed like sweet potato and cauliflower
Leafy greens such as beet and carrot tops, lettuce, kale, spinach, or watercress
Protein powder from organic, whey-based or plantbased sources
Added protein from natural sources like chia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds,
Healthy fats from coconut oil, nuts and seeds, or fruit like avocado
Superfood powders and ingredients to boost antioxidants and the nutrient profile
Plant extracts and edible-grade oils provide many benefits and wonderful flavourings
Why Are Smoothies Healthy?
Blending wholefood ingredients together retains all the dietary fibre found in plantbased foods. Fibre is a macro nutrient that is required daily for good health and can only be found in the foods you eat. Berries and bananas are excellent, nutrient-rich examples of a high fibre smoothie foods.
Enjoying smoothies every week can help you consume more essential fibre, and more vitamin-rich fruits and veggies than if you had to eat them all individually. Smoothies are also a great time saver, and as along as you don't go overboard with the ingredients, can support natural weight loss, better gut health and improve your overall well-being.
Key Ingredients Used
This recipe is a holiday favourite and for good reason. The ingredients used provide a big protein boost to purposely balance blood sugar levels with all the flavour of a creamy vanilla dessert. This recipe will keep you powering through your day with reduced food cravings and quite possibly, the ability to resist over doing it on all the festive fare. You can say goodbye to afternoon food cravings and brain fog!
Almonds: not only add a nutty flavour to smoothies, but they are also a wholefood source of healthy fats, fibre, clean protein, magnesium and vitamin E.
Cinnamon: is rich in antioxidants and contains beneficial compounds that help support blood sugar control. The popular spice is a staple in my diabetic-friendly kitchen.
Protein (powder): is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage and skin. You can only get this vital macro-nutrient in the foods you eat every day. Adding a little protein powder to smoothies creates a well-balanced meal and is helpful to diabetics to reduce spikes in blood sugar levels.
When you combine all these ingredients together, you end up with a deliciously good smoothies, that not only tastes good, but has many health benefits.
Food Sensitivities
Wait, what if I am allergic to nuts? If you have a sensitivity or are allergic to nuts, you will need to adjust the recipe to remove the almonds and swap out the almond milk. Instead, try the recipe with coconut, cow or goat's milk, oat or soy as healthy alternatives. If you want that nutty flavour without the risk, try flax seed, sunflower seed, tahini butter instead of the almonds used.
Try My Mini Wholefood Recipe Collection
Get this FREE recipe collection with healthy and delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes that nourish from the inside out. Each recipe is jam-packed with goodness and created by a qualified Nutritionist, for nutrition you can trust is good for you. Stop eating boring food to be healthy, come see how good healthy tastes – download your free recipes today!
Almond Vanilla Christmas Smoothie
My holiday Almond Vanilla Spiced Christmas Smoothie will become a fast favourite. It is high in lean protein, healthy fats and is densely nutritious. I enjoy making it with a heaping of ice to make a thicker, almost soft-serve ice cream-like smoothie, but it is also just as yummy served without in a festive mason jar with a cinnamon stick straw.
Ingredients
250ml almond milk, unsweetened
1 small banana, frozen
40g Vanilla favoured protein powder (I use vegan 'Nourish by @aussiebodies)
3 tbsp raw almonds, skin on, organic
2 tbsp psyllium husk, ground
1 tsp maca root, powder
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
1/2 all spice, ground
1/2 cup crushed ice (optional, gives a thick texture)
Method
In a blender, add all the ingredients and process on high until well combined. Add the ice if you want that thicker, more soft-serve consistency. Omit if you prefer a more drinkable smoothie. Pour the mixture in a mason jar glass or serve with a raw stick of cinnamon (as pictured) to be a little fancy, because why not!
Batch Cook & Meal Prep
Yes, you can batch cook and meal prep smoothies! Many of the ingredients used in smoothies can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the freezer until you are ready to blend. During the holidays, I cannot stress how worth it is to spend a little time on healthy meal prep to create fast, easy garb-and-go meals for you and the family. I love to prepare pre-portioned zip-lock sandwich bags with my favourite recipes ready to go. I store them in my freezer door for those crazy morning when I am hustling our five kids out the door. Its an absolute life-saver!
Make "Smoothie Drops"
These are an utter gamer changer. Using an ice cube tray you can freeze any milk, yoghurt or other liquids that you regularly use in your smoothies. You can even puree fruits and use them in the same way as well. Just add a few of the cubes to your blender to equal the liquid used in recipes. I also like to add the milk cubes or puree to the my smoothie zip-lock bags with all the ingredients (except the powders) ready to go. Do it for yourself and see, you'll go from freezer bag to bowl in less than a minute!
Emma Lisa, Nutritionist & Women's Practitioner
Emma Lisa is a Nutritionist & Women's Health Practitioner with over 12+ years experience in wholefood nutrition, meal planning and health coaching. She is a published cookbook author, passionate food recipe creator and lifestyle blogger, and an advocate for women's health and anti-diet culture. When she's not in clinic, Emma is mum to five kids, in her test kitchen and a wellness digital creator. She lives in Sydney, Australia.
Healthy + happiness,
Emma Lisa xx
HEALTH & NUTRITION PRACTITIONER
Just made this one for breakfast today, was so creamy and tasty. Saved!
This was so good, thank you!!! A new holiday favourite!