Over the past 8 months I have experimented with a raw vegan diet. I’ve learned so much about my inborn potential. Nourishing my mind and body with nutrient dense raw food has helped me drop twenty pounds, increased my energy ten fold, clear out accumulated toxins, and blossom with heightened clarity.
I’m in the midst of writing a full length article on my endless nutrition tinkering and history. It’s extensive to say the least!
I’ve been twittering a lot about my breakfast green smoothie obsession and getting lots of questions and requests for filling recipes. I hear you. Not all smoothies are created equal! A cup of fruit smoothie would never get me through a dance class or teaching four hours of clients in the morning.
We are busy people, who need filling nutrient dense smoothies that will give us unlimited energy, rev up our metabolism and keep us satisfied until a mid morning snack or lunch.
Here are five of my favorite breakfast smoothies with the addition of a few key satisfying ingredients.
Glow Inside and Out Ultimate Green Smoothie
via Kimberley Synder’s fantastic health, beauty, raw blog
It takes only a few minutes to prepare this amazing green smoothie:
- 1 1/2 cup of water
- 1 head of organic romaine lettuce, chopped
- 3-4 stalks of organic celery
- 2 organic apples, cored and chopped
- 1 organic banana
- 1/3 bunch of organic cilantro
- 1/3 bunch of organic parsley
- Juice of ½ fresh organic lemon
Add the water and chopped head of romaine to the blender. Starting the blender on a low speed, mix until smooth. Gradually moving to higher speeds add the herbs celery and apples. Add the banana and lemon juice last.
Kevin Gianni’s Signature Smoothie
via the Renegade Health king himself.
- A bunch of Frozen Fruits (Strawberry, Cherry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, etc)
- Hemp Seed
- Cacao Powder or Nibs
- Maca (1Tbsp)
- Coconut Water or Filtered Water
- 1/2 Avocado
- 1/2 Cucumber
- Head of Bok Choy
Kevin doesn’t measure..just dumps it all in a Vita Mix and enjoys. Maca is a powerful hormone regulator. Toss it in for an extra vitality boost.
Summer Splendor Smoothie
via Sergei Boutenko of the Raw Family
- 4 leaves chard, stems removed
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 head fresh parsley
- 6 apricots
- 3 peaches
- ½ vanilla bean
Yields 2 quarts. Eating what’s in season is best for you and the planet!
Green Hemp Smoothie
via Kevin Gianni again! I can’t get enough of this guy! For all you muscle building protein lovers…
- 2 tbsp hemp protein powder or hemp seeds
- 1 handful greens
- 1-2 dates
- 1 cup berries
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
Adding hemp seeds, flax seeds, coconut oil or nuts will make any smoothie filling and satisfying. I like how Kevin doesn’t go over board on the nuts, but goes with hemp instead.
Lime-in-the-Coconut Smoothie
via Gena on Choosing Raw.
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 lime, pit and skin removed (if you don’t have a VitaMix, just use lime juice)
- 3/4 cup pineapple, chopped, or 1/2 banana, chopped
- 1 tsp agave, or stevia to taste
- 1 cup water
- 6 ice cubes
Blend all ingredients on high until creamy. Add more ice or water as needed, and enjoy.
Key Filling Ingredients
While the fruits and veggies packed into each recipe above should stimulate and deeply satisfy every cell due to all the nutrients, for a more filling breakfast smoothie add one or more of these protein and healthy fat dense goodies:
Nuts- almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, macadamia
Seeds- sunflower, sesame, pumpkin, flax, hemp, chia!
Mylk-nut/seed/oat mylk…all non dairy 
Oil- flax, coconut, hemp, avocado
I find that just two tablespoons of a nut butter or chia seeds does the trick for me. The additional fat and protein slows down the absorption of sugar into the blood stream keeping your energy levels stable and your tummy satisfied.
It’s also important to understand that maybe a cup of smoothie just isn’t going to do it for you. Sip your morning smoothie mindfully, allowing time to “chew” the nutrients and stomach to give you feedback.
I usually drink two cups of smoothie throughout the morning and may even have a crisp snack of celery or apple to satisfy the crunch factor. A lot of times I just find that I want to really chew and eat something rather than just slurp down nutrients. Find what works for you!
Challenge: Run to the market for the ingredients and set yourself up for a week of delicious morning smoothies. Try my faves for this week and then find your own for next week. I can’t wait to hear back about how incredible you feel.
Do you have any green or otherwise splendidly filling smoothies recipes? Leave em’ in the comments so we can all try.
{ 61 comments… read them below or add one }
i have a green smoothie each & every morning – so delicious! two of my favorites –
1. spinach, peaches, banana, pineapple, spirulina powder
2. kale, peaches, honeydew, mint leaves
wow those sound awesome Katrina. Peaches are perfectly in season and who can live without mint? I always toss in green powder as well.
Not only are your photos beyond mouth-watering, I can definitely use the help in the green smoothie department – I fell off this habit, I was doing it for a while and then I could not get the smoothies to come out too exciting. I will start again. Thank you for the inspiration! So much!!!
Farnoosh- Glad I could help inspire you again. I understand the variety issue. I find myself digging through raw smoothie recipes books and online resources to keep me going. I honestly wake up every morning excited to concoct something new. Planning and stocking up on produce over the weekend is how I stay on track. Let me know how it goes.
Recipes sound awesome but I am really excited to read your full length article on endless nutrition. I thrive on knowledge.
Michelle- it’s in the works. I am putting together kind of a run down of what I have learned and how to apply it to your life. Hope LA is treating you well girly
Amber, I first need these items which I have never consumed:
!
# Hemp Seed
# Cacao Powder or Nibs
# Maca (1Tbsp)
I hope to find them soon – probably from Whole Foods – and I shall so keep you posted. THANK YOU for these great recipes. Did you take these gorgeous photos yourself?
Farnoosh- You can definitely find those three at whole foods. Cacao nibs or powder and maca can usually be found in specialty packages but try to find a place that sells them in bulk. Hemp seed or powder is really common now days in CA at least.
Visiting from The Daily Brainstorm
I’m new to green smoothies and my family loves them. Our favourite is banana, greens, frozen peaches, flax, milk, honey and yogurt. I’m still learning about raw foods. The recipes above look fantastic. I would’ve never thought of adding avacado, lemon, herbs or nuts!
Sarah- yay! Yes avocado’s make a smoothie nice and creamy like a banana. Nuts add creaminess and satisfy those who are using a smoothie like a meal. Experiment with parsley, mint and cilantro! They make some wild concoctions. Lemon is used in a lot of detox recipes to help with elimination of toxin. So glad you and your family are going more green.
I am trying the signature smoothie from Kevin as breakfast…good idea, bad idea, is there a better smoothie to start the day? P.S. Are you into the lemon water cleanse thing in the morning? I have been reading about it and a lot of people like it. Do you do it? Thanks for all the advice:) You actually inspired me to go to my first farmers market this wednesday ! (hopefully come home with some great organic produce and my wallet )
Rabah- There are millions of combos to try. A lot of it is pure experimentation. These are just a few that I liked and found satisfying. The lemon and water cleanse is awesome every morning! It’s a great way to hydrate and kick start your metabolism. I don’t do it every morning especially because I don’t always have lemon laying around. Aloe vera in water is great cleanse as well that promotes easy digestion.
I am so glad I inspired you to hit up the market and buy from organic local farmers. Keep an eye on that wallet!
For the past 2 days I’ve been mixing Chocolate Shakeology powder along with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 1 banana, 3/4 c water, 1 c ice, and 1/2 c Silk vanilla soymilk. I’ve been using this shake as a lunch meal replacement or an after-workout meal. It tastes like a chocolately dessert and it gives me soo much energy! It also helps with digestion and is perfect for anyone who is trying to LOSE WEIGHT.
I also love mixing spinach leaves, vanilla soymilk, 1 banana, and strawberries together to include more veggies throughout the day. I think your green smoothies have way more good for you ingredients, so I can’t wait to try them!
You should definitely check out my Shakeology site. It’s such good stuff that’s so good for you
http://shakeology.com/JessicaRodgers
Great recipes and yes I have been hearing a lot about Shakeology, but I am not a fan of synthetic processed food. The only “processed” thing I buy is organic superfood green powder. Greens and veggies will give you plenty of energy as well! Wheat grass is amazing.
I read this post while drinking my morning green smoothie!
My usual recipe is: frozen mango chunks, a big handful of spinach, half an avocado, some cilantro and parsley, a chunk of fresh ginger, a little coconut milk, ground flaxseed, water, and cinnamon. Sometimes I add a little brown rice protein powder, too.
I feel so energized and clear after I drink it.
Denise- wow that smoothies sounds so richly satisfying. I will have to try it. I am a hemp protein and maca gal. That maca gets me going! I have a bunch of cilantro this week so you bet I’ll be trying this recipe. Mango makes such a smooth consistency as well. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Amber,
These smoothies will come in handy for when I do my 30 Day raw food challenge. They look totally amazing.
Thanks for sharing!
Evelyn- fantastic! glad I could help you in your raw food challenge. Are you doing a specific program?
Ooh! This is just what I’ve been looking for
Thanks for this!
Great Post full of useful information. The recipes and photos are fantastic !! I have been having smoothies everyday for breakfast for many years. I find that my energy levels & my heath are better as a result. it is wonderful to feel satisfied not ‘stuffed’ and the smoothies do that for me. My favorite is : coconut water, blueberries, bananas, spirulina and cinnamon*
jeff golfman
the cool vegetarian
Jeff- glad you liked the smoothie recipes! I love you smoothie recipe and agree that you feel the best when you start your day off right with a power smoothie. I think it’s important to note the cinnamon in your recipe. Very warming for winter!
Hey everyone, I’ve recently decided to go raw for more then one reasons but one main one is because ever since I have been young my body could never probably digest meat or dairy right I get sick almost overtime I eat and I feel sluggish and disgusting. Could you tell do you’ve smoothies through out the day or once or twice a day what is a normal daily intake cuz I am not quite sure lol I’ve heard ppl just eating raw smoothies everyday 4 to 5 times and that’s it and through out the day eating raw veggies or fruit. please help I’m tired of being sick and none of my drs are not helping nor can they pin point anything to it other then I have a food intolerance but thanks for sharing your recipes they look tummy and I can’t to start it all after my lemonade cleanse for 10 days or so to purge my system.
sincerely
kitten
Ashlee- I’m excited to hear you are eating more raw and incorporating smoothies into your day. I am not a doctor, but I have a lot of resources to share with you that will open your eyes to the forefront of medicine and raw food nutrition. Check out the Hippocrates Institute in Florida and Dr. Gabriel Cousens. I know a lot of people who live on smoothies, fruit, veggies, nuts and seeds. Diana Stobo is another great resource with amazing recipes to share. Remember that every body is different and you have to discover what works for you. In my experience most Western doctors look at me like a number giving me the same diagnosis as the next person in line. We must take responsibility for our own health and vitality. I hope these resources help and feel free to contact me further.
I’m a very lazy smoothie maker sometimes… I’ve a bad habit of throwing the following the blender for breakfast:
Three bananas, five to seven spoonfuls of raw cocoa powder, two to four spoonfuls of hemp seeds with a half cup of water… Chocolate yum!
Although, recently I’ve discovered I can make a thick creamy pudding like this:
One papaya, one mango, one banana, juice of one lemon, sprinkle of hemp seeds and a drizzle of water. This is excellent with fresh blackberries on top!
@rawraederle- your smoothies sound delicious! I love your desserts lately girl. Keep it up!
My smoothies just not satisfing me.. I still wanting more
Smoothies every morning for 2 years. Curious if you think it’s “too packed”? When I go without I have a bit of a reaction…
the norm:
1c bluberries, 1/2c mango or banana, handful greens (1 of these-chard,kale,parsley,cilantro), 2-3Tbs Maca, 1Tbs Caco, 2-4Tbs ground Goji berries, 2tsp cinnamon(blood sugar balance), 1Tbs BSMolasses (blood sugar), maybe 1/2 apple, 1-2 Tbs ground flax, 3-4 Tbs hemp protein, 1c juice (1 of these: pomegranate(heart etc), elderberry(immune), black cherry) & 1c water.
I drink the whole thing- 1 pitcher a day, really don’t have to eat until 1pm or later.
Lately I feel a bit bloated sometimes so I nix some of the sweet. wondering if I’m overdoing the maca or something.
Any ideas on that?
Cheers!
I would say reduce the sugar. no need for molasses or cacoa. Also try taking maca out. Sometimes maca can act as a stimulant. Cacoa is definitely a stimulant so try to take that out first. I would also say way more greens! You have a lot of high glycemic fruit and only a handful of greens. All that fat with the fruit isn’t a could combo. Add more greens, seaweeds and algaes like spirulina and chlorella. Wheat grass too! Also what type of reaction are we talking about?
Wow, thanks! Wasn’t getting it about the fats w/fruit and the high glycemic thing. I have imbalanced blood sugar & hormones so this is really good to know!
I will make the smoothies mostly greens now.
The reaction I had 2x was a mini-anxiety attack, frantic. It was nuts. sounds like a drug addiction!
I’ll cut the Cacao and use 1Tbs Maca? -really want the hormone balancing element, I’m older than you ~:-))
If u don’t mind?
1) how would I add seaweed to the drink? Moisten my dulse and add it? I know about spiru/chlorella so I’ll add that.
2) i’ve heard adding the blueberries with all the greens is fine, cut the mango. do u agree?
Thank You, love EpicSelf, found it today from ur FB post.
If u come to AZ while I live here, I hope to join the retreat
Awesome! Chocolate was probably the anxiety thing coupled with too much sugar. Blueberries and low glycemic fruits like apples, pears, citrus and all berries are best. Tropical fruits are great but I would eat them alone. Buy spirulina in a tab or powder form. I religiously use vitamineral green by healthforce nutritionals as my green powder. It’s got everythin in it!
Thanks Again! Drinking my super green smoothie w/out cacao, mango, bsm, less goji’s & maca. feels great! really glad I wrote to you ~:-))
awesome Erin! Glad you are feeling your best.
Funny, I’m sitting here drinking my green smoothie as I came across this post.
I’m having Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie this morning…..water, romaine lettuce, spinach, celery and an apple.
ok- so, i was just informed that i can not mix veggies and fruit in a smoothie? what? why? confused! I have been mixing them for mths.. help… plzzz
What can and can not be mixed?
Liz- food combining rules can be a challenge to understand. Some people don’t think you should blend fruits with veggies and greens. For people who are transitioning to raw foods and need to get more greens into their day green smoothies with a few pieces of fruit are the best way to hide the greens. As your taste buds change you’ll crave more greens and less fruit. Unless you are having problems with bloating or uncomfortable digestion don’t stress too much. The main no no is high glycemic fruits with nuts. Do what feels right for your body.
Oh my goodness, I tried adding fresh ginger to my green smoothie this morning and it was glorious! The ginger really gives it a bit of a zing. I’m also a big fan of adding fresh mint leaves, but definitely ginger is a must from now on!
Saukyn- agreed!! Ginger is so warming as well for the Winter months.
been on a smoothie journey which i call it for the past 4 days. i just made a breakfast smoothie
1/2 banana
1 /2 cucumber
small slice of honeydew melon
handful of watercress
handful of spinach
3 kale leaves no stem
1/2 cup of ice water
& BLEND sooo goood!
Holy! Green hemp smoothies, now thats an idea! Some very good ideas Amber.
I love how people are still commenting on this post, over a year later! Definitely some yummy green smoothie ideas. I’ll have to try them.
I am just starting out… really just wanting to boost myself some with a green shake in the mornings. What is a good starter shake?
I did baby spinach with banana and blueberries OJ (with calcium) to lighten it up since I am currently sick with an ear infection..
hey! new at the smothies.. and I have some questions…. does the green smothie have enough protein to take it as breakfast? say you blend a handful of kale and a cup of fruit… is that enough? my brother tells me to add some other source of protein like protein powder to make it a complete breakfast.. and i would love to know if this is a good opcion (:
Dark leafy greens like kale have 17% protein by volume and deliver 92 % of the 9 amino acids. To make a complete protein for that meal you can add a power packed nut like Brazil. You don’t have to worry about getting a complete protein in every meal. If you eat enough variety of foods like dark leafy greens, vegetables, nuts and seeds you’ll have plenty of protein! Keep in mind that Americans eat way too much protein. Vegans and vegetarians don’t suffer from protein deficiency. Watch my latest interview with my doctor, Michael Klapper, to get clear the protein myth from your thoughts:
The addition of hemp protein powder, and nuts and seeds to your smoothie is to simply feel fuller longer. It’s not necessary to keep your protein levels high.
Also read this article on the complete protein myth: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/09/the-great-protein-myth/
Thank you so much that information was very helpful for me i´m really looking forward to taking a daily green smothie for breakfast. Also, knowing about the protein and aminoacids i´ll take makes me think about food in a more conscious way so thank you
I’m on an elimination diet so I’m very restricted. Here’s my breakfast smoothie:
1 cup fresh rice milk with added calcium
1 organic banana
2 tsp golden syrup
1 tbsp cashew paste
2 tsp Benefiber
It’s smooth, frothy, delicious, filling and gives me the energy I need for about 3 hours.
I will try adding a small can of Four Bean Mix to make it more substantial so I can power through to lunch time.
I’ve been doing a green smoothie mon-fri for 5 eek just stepped up to @ cups of leafy greens today i made a spinach with tofu apple banana and ginger with a sprig of prsley for breakfast then lunch was spinach kale, tofu apple banana tofu parsley with hia and flax seeds
Nicole! Awesome recipe. Don’t you feel like a million bucks after sipping a green smoothie
?
My spinach,Apple, Banana, tofu an ginger smoothi
2 bananas
1 red apple chopped
1/2 cup silken tofu
2 cups spinach
grate abouta teaspoon or 2 of ginger the add
1 cup ice
and a 1/4 cup of water and enjoy
My question is this: I have a regular Oster blender – some of the ingredients you are mentioning in these smoothies seem like they would only work with a Vitamix or another expensive blender/juicer. What kinds of recipes are there for those of us money-conscious people who just can’t swing for a Vitamix at the moment and have a regular blender?
I just bought a blend tec and my boys and I have been making smoothies of sort. My lastest breakfast smoothie consisted of red grapes, apple, orange with out rind, hemp protein, spinach leaves with a small bit of no sugar cranberry juice. It turned it out great!
Toni!
. Keeping the sugar low is key. Happy to have you join the conversation.
Sounds fantastic
Just stumbled onto your article from a friend’s Twitter retweet. I am enjoying all the recipe ideas! Every spring for the last three or four years I have gotten on a smoothie kick for several months, especially for breakfast. This year my husband joined me and we have been thoroughly enjoying it. Our smoothies typically consist of: 1/2 to a full banana, ~1/2 – 1 cup of frozen berries, milk, and a little yogurt a lot of times. Recently my husband reminded me about the idea of adding spinach, and after reading your article and all the great recipes I remember that I have flax seeds we can add, too. This is really awesome because I’ve recently realized how much my body just does NOT like refined sugar, and these smoothies taste great, satisfy my sweet tooth, and help keep my digestion regular (the opposite of sugar)! I really appreciate the boost of energy and clarity of mind, and I believe it is helping our bodies not break down during an intense time of personal stress we are going through. Thank you, Lord, for all the healthful, nutritious food You have given us! And thank you for helping we to take care of my body, which is Your temple!
Karisse- Wonderful to hear from you. I’m so glad smoothies have made such a huge impact on your health and clarity. Keep up the awesome self care!
Hi Amber. Thank you so much for hightlighting these 5 green smoothies and for your insightful replies to people’s comments. I am new to Raw Food but have been trying in pretty full-on these past 6 weeks. Very exciting to make my own nut milks, crackers, cakes, sprouting etc. But I am still struggling to sustain myself, especially as I do not want to overdose on nuts. And so I really need a way of quickly making myself a meal/drink that can get me back on an even keel so I don’t grap a regular sandwich. A bit like you I think, I feel I need more sustenance, more oil or protein or something. And so I was wondering if a heavy duty smoothies might help me and that’s how I found your site. I tried Katarina’s spinach-peach one early this morning and was delighted to find the taste so fruity and light, despite all the spinach, and it was so easy to drink (2 cups worth). But that did make me wonder about having to much fruity sugars. – do you go by 60% vege, 40% fruit, and it that by weight or?? And even with HEmp seeds and green powder added, it didn’t sustain me for more than 1 1/2 hours. Then I tried Kevin’s Signature smoothie and that held me for about 1 hour. Are you guys really able to be happily sustained on smoothies for a whole morning? I found I wanted to have one glass then another half an hour later and then again. And then I started wondering about my teeth. Is it okay to drink smoothies every 40-60 mins all morning (say 4-5 hours from rising to lunch time)? Do people on greensmoothies have trouble with their teeth? I am probably also concerned cause I started drinking the juice of one grapefruit or lemon every morning as I heard it would help me assimilate some all-vege minerals I have been taking these past 6 weeks (Raw Purely-Min). (Recently diagnosed with low iron stocks by doctor so am trying these and lots of parsley etc). And my mouth feels so different after starting the raw food; kinda squeeky clean almost as if a protective layer, or maybe just a nasty food residue layer, has been taken off. My teeth kinda feel exposed if that makes any sense and I am not entirely sure that is a good thing?? Sorry think this email is a bit rambling… -I am feeling hungry again!! Gotta get some oil, avocado something inside me. Thank you again Amber and sunny greeting from Karen, Switzerland
looks like im the only guy here, but im trying new raw green smoothies at the moment and incorporating fruit as well, im enjoying them and find that they are quite filling,.ive been on a low sugar, high protein, lower carb diet lately and lost 10kg and want to lose more, my appetite is down due to no more sugar addiction and appetite control is working. you have to adjust your taste buds, i did a green smoothie this morning of 1 green apple, 1/2 avacado, some kale, spinach, brocoli, 1/2 cup of water, and 1 tble spoon of chia seeds, added a couple of drops of tabasco sauce for a kick, i got used to it after a few sips, felt good after drinking it.
i’ll experiment more its fun.
Great recipes! I eat my biggest meal at lunch time, so I was google searching vegan dinner smoothie recipes and your site came up. Would love more recommendations on smoothie recipes for dinner.
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