This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Albertsons and Safeway. All opinions are 100% my own.

The best way to celebrate the end of the summer, in my opinion, is to soak up the last rays of sunshine and warm weather with a creamy and rich smoothie using late summer fruit. Strawberries are forever my favorite to use in smoothies, and when you combine them with thick Greek yogurt and bananas the result is amazing.

I love using yogurt in smoothies for added protein without having to use protein powder. By doing so you are reserving the full flavor of the fruit without overwhelming it with flavored powders.

When eating smoothies for breakfast, it is also important that it substitutes a filling meal so that it keeps me energized until lunch.  To do so, I always add a fat and a fiber to my smoothie as well.  For this recipe, I am adding chia seeds (fiber) and creamy cashew butter (healthy fats).

I am so happy I discovered Open Nature® products from, Albertsons and Safeway especially the Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt and Creamy Cashew Butter. They make the perfect addition to any smoothie to keep you full and satisfied for hours.

I personally love using O Organics® Unsweetened Almond Milk as a base as it provides a smooth flavor and compliments the fruit without being overwhelming.

This smoothie has been on high rotation at my apartment, and I have been loving making double the serving to have the second as a snack in the afternoon. Especially on busy days, knowing that I have a healthy snack in my fridge is so helpful.

If you want to make this delicious smoothie, here is how you can do it!

Ingredients

1 container of Open Nature Greek Yogurt Plain Nonfat

1 tbsp. of Open Nature Creamy Cashew Butter

1.5 Cups of O Organics Original Unsweetened Almond Milk

1 peeled, ripe and frozen banana

1.5 cups of frozen strawberries

1 tbsp. chia seeds

Method

Add all ingredients above into a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds until smooth. Pour into two glasses, top with fresh strawberries. Enjoy with someone you love or store the second smoothie in a mason jar in your fridge for later.

 If you are eating more plant-based or gluten-free for health reasons, your local Safeway and Albertsons stores have thousands of products to choose from. I especially love O Organics products because they are USDA Certified Organic and I can find all my favorites at affordable prices, and Open Nature products with simple ingredients and great quality. In the San Francisco area Open Nature and O Organics products are available exclusively at Albertsons and Safeway.

You can also find them at the other Albertsons Companies family of stores, including ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Shaw’s, Star Market, United Supermarkets and Carrs/Safeway.

Also, make sure to check out Grocery Delivery and DriveUp & Go™ for convenient ways to shop!

Try any of these clean, free-from 110 additives Open Nature products and USDA Certified Organic O Organics products exclusively at stores and online.

VISIT www.albertsons.com

VISIT www.safeway.com

I’m going there by saying that this is hands down my favorite smoothie combination that I have made so far in 2020. I wasn’t sure how the combination of pear and blueberries would turn out but it is heavenly.

This is why I love making smoothies for breakfast. Not only are they a nutritionally balanced breakfast but you can have fun and get creative with combinations.

I followed my own advice on How to Make the Perfect Smoothie by combining the right amount of veggies, fruit, fats, fiber and protein. The outcome? Creamy, filling and delicious.

Here is how you can DO IT:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 pear chopped and frozen
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen riced cauliflower
1 pitted date
1 tbsp. almond butter (use BBM25 for a 25% discount)
1/2 tbsp. chia seeds
2 scoops collagen peptides

Method:
Combine everything into a high speed blender and blend until smooth (longer that you think, you want it to be creamy).

Sip and say AHHHH!

FOR MORE SMOOTHIE RESOURCES:

My Top 5 favorite smoothie recipes (other than this recipe)

The best supplements to add to your smoothies

The best healthy fats to add to your smoothies

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When I make smoothies I follow my simple formula of 3/4 to 1 cup of liquid + 1/2 cup of fruit (or banana) + 1 cup veggies + 1 tbsp. fats + supplements. You can download my current favorite smoothie recipes here. The last piece to any good smoothie are good supplements. These vary from amount to add as well as what exactly the supplement boost is providing - from protein, fibers or added nutrients.

Let’s dive in!

PROTEIN POWDERS
The market for protein powders is a saturated one, mostly with brands and options that include a long list of unrecognizable ingredients, additives, chemicals, sugars and preservatives. For protein powders, I like to keep things simple, preferably with one or just a few ingredients for a chocolate or vanilla flavor when possible.

Here are my favorites that I personally use and rotate through:

Collagen Peptides - I love this supplement for many reasons. One, it is made with one ingredient (check the label of other brands to make sure) and two it has a whole list of benefits from gut healing and tissue repair for post work out thanks to the long list of amino acids.

For plain I like Vital Proteins, Further Food and Ancient Nutrition.

For flavored I like Vital Proteins Dark Chocolate Blackberry, Further Foods Vanilla, Ancient Nutrition Salted Caramel and Primal Kitchen Chocolate.

For another animal based protein, if you like Whey Protein, I strongly recommend buying one where the only ingredient is “grass-fed whey protein” like with this brand.

Vegan Protein

For vegan proteins I recommend sticking with one ingredient proteins like a pea protein or a hemp protein. You can also simply use hemp seeds! 3 tbsp. of hemp seeds = 10g of protein. You can then add a tablespoon of any nut butter to add more protein to your vegan smoothie.

I also love Philosophie Cacao Dream.

FIBER SUPPLEMENTS

I love adding fiber to my smoothies since it can thicken the consistency and also fiber digests slower than fruit and veggies, which keeps you full and satiated longer than just a fruit smoothie which will leave you hungry again about an hour later. Slower digesting foods such as fats and fiber are great for keeping you full until lunch. The first two fiber supplements listed below also contain Omega-3’s for a boost of fat.

1. Ground Flax Seeds. You could also use whole seeds but I find that ground flax seeds blend better. Be aware that these absorb liquid over time, so best to drink after making within the half hour.

2. Chia Seeds. These babies are such a powerhouse of nutrition. Same as flax seeds, they absorb liquid so best to drink within 10-30 minutes as it will thicken your smoothie.

3. Acacia Fiber. A great fiber boost as well!

OTHER SUPPLEMENT BOOSTS

To save on costs, I like to buy in bulk when possible and I don’t dabble in many adaptogenics as they can be expensive and I really don’t understand or notice any benefits of glamorously marketed products like Sex Dust. lol.

Maca Powder
I love this stuff. It adds a great malty taste to smoothies and it gives me a boost of energy when I want it without caffeine. It also can help with hormone-balancing, ask your functional MD about this if you are curious. I like this brand of maca powder.

Spirulina/Chlorella
I love using green powders when I am having an IBS flare and raw vegetables are hard to digest in smoothies. Spirulina and Chlorella are also green powerhouse providing a sh*t ton of nutrients and can draw out toxins from the body. I like this brand to add to smoothies.

Matcha Powder
So much fun to add to a smoothie! I like to add matcha powder to my Tropical Smoothie in my smoothie recipe download. I prefer ceremonial grade matcha powder.

L-Glutamine
Great for gut healing and also if you have been working out new muscles, running longer distances, or get sore after your workouts - it provides muscle recovery and reduces soreness. I use this brand.

Cacao Powder
If you want an amazing chocolate shake, combine 3/4 cup unsweetened nut milk, 1 frozen banana, one date, a handful of frozen cauliflower, 1 tbsp. of cacao powder and two scoops of chocolate collagen. You are welcome. The bomb diggity.

Alright! That rounds out my favorite smoothie supplements but let me know if you have one or a few I should add to my list!!

If you know me by now, you know that smoothies are my freaking jam. Especially in the morning after a work out. There is nothing more tasty and refreshing than a protein smoothie for recovery after moving your body.

This is hands down my favorite post-work out + recovery smoothie. I love using collagen peptides for protein in my smoothies, not only because it supports good digestion and enhances your immune system but also because it aids in the growth and repair of tissues, tendons, joints and muscles.

So, what’s the secret? Amino acids. Collagen peptides protein powder contains multiple chains of amino acids, including Glutamine which is a key amino acid for healing and cellular turnover and repair. I have linked below to a few of my favorite collagen protein powders.

(I get a v small kick back if you buy through these links, and appreciate the support as always!) 

Ancient Nutrition Multi Collagen
Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel
Further Food Collagen (women-owned!)

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened nut milk of choice, I like cashew milk
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 big handful of spinach
1 tbsp. almond or cashew butter
1/4 avocado
2 scoops collagen (or equivalent to 20g)

Method:
Add everything to a high-speed blender and blend until combined and creamy. I use a Vitamix and have been loving it five years strong! It has been the best kitchen investment I have ever made, I use it every day and it makes the creamiest smoothies EVER.

Want to get 5 more of my favorite smoothie recipes? Click here to download for free!

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If you can’t tell already, smoothies are my jam.  I am borderline obsessed. I pretty much make one every morning for breakfast, except when I go big with an egg, bacon and waffle breakfast. In my humble smoothie loving opinion, smoothies have it all.  They combine all you need for a balanced breakfast into one glass. You get your veggies, fruits, proteins, healthy fats and superfoods/adaptogens all together in a creamy morning treat.  In this post, I am breaking down each category for you, including how to prepare, store and use certain fruits and veggies to get the most out of this breakfast powerhouse.

LIQUID BASE
1 to 1 ½ cups

Alright, this is where the magic begins. I typically choose a non-dairy base for the morning, but I have including some options for full-fat dairy as well. For one serving I typically do 1 cup to 1 and ¼ cup of liquids. 1 ½ cup when working with all frozen fruits and vegetables and 1 cup when working with a mix of fresh and frozen. The amount of liquid will help determine the creaminess and thickness of your smoothie.

I find cashew milk to be the least disruptive in terms of taste but I also love any nut milks including almond, macadamia nut and coconut milk.  Oat milk and hemp seed milk are coming more out on the market now but it’s hard to find a good brand free of sweeteners. Personally I find it easy to make nut and seed milks from scratch. 

Cashew, hemp, sunflower and pumpkin seed milk only require soaking and blending with no straining.  Walnut, hazelnut, almond and brazil nut milks are my favorite to make, strained through a nut bag or cheese cloth. The nut pulp can be used to make energy balls! Fresh, homemade nut milks last in your fridge for 3-4 days.

If you are partial to dairy in your smoothies I suggest a good full fat milk made from grass-fed cows or using full fat regular or greek yogurt.

VEGETABLES
1-2 handfuls

The key to adding vegetables is to not use more than one or two. Due to the fiber content in vegetables and the addition of using fruits, combining too many vegetables in a smoothie may be hard to digest and causing you to run to the toilet. Oof.  We don’t want that. Below I have listed my favorite veggie combinations along with how to prepare and store.

Zucchini – wash and slice into 1-inch coins.  Zucchinis are easier to digest than more cruciferous vegetables and can be used in your smoothie raw or cooked.  For raw, simple toss into a reusable container in your freezer.  For cooked, you can blanch in boiling water or steam for 2-3 minutes. You cannot taste in smoothies and adds a nice thick texture.

Leafy Greens (Spinach, Romaine Dandelion or Kale) – can be added raw. I wouldn’t add more than a handful of each for easier digestion. For any leafy greens, store in your refrigerator wrapped in a paper towel to absorb excess moisture and keep fresher longer.

Cauliflower – wash and slice a head of cauliflower or buy pre-sliced in the frozen section. I suggest that you cook your cauliflower, you can blanch in boiling water or steam for 2-3 minutes.  Let cool before freezing or lay flat to freeze so the florets don’t stick together. You cannot taste in smoothies and adds a nice fluffy texture. I wouldn’t use more than a handful.

Beets – if you are buying your beets raw, you can roast in your oven or cook in boiling water.  When you are able to pierce with a fork, remove from oven or water and peel off the skin.  This is easily done by rubbing a paper towel over the skin. Slice into chunks and let cool before freezing or lay flat to freeze so that the chunks don’t stick together. Store in a reusable container in your freezer. You can also find precooked beets in most grocery stores as well.

Squash or Sweet potatoes – I love using squash and sweet potatoes in smoothies. They thicken the smoothie and add a creamy texture and sweet taste.  I have used both delicate and butternut squash. Both by roasted before hands and removing the skins.  Yellow squash is easy to use too, and prepared just like zucchinis. For sweet potatoes, I roast in the oven at 375 degrees until tender enough to be pierced with a fork.  Remove, let cool, remove the skin and slice into chunks to be frozen.

Carrots – Prepare the same way you would zucchinis as described above, but make sure you peel beforehand.  

You guyzzz, I didn't go to design school

FRUITS
1-2 handfuls

A few weeks back I posted about the fruits and veggies that are more important to buy organic than others. When buying fruits and veggies for your smoothies, I would follow the lists that I posted.

I have listed fruits from least to most sweet and like veggies, I believe that a combo of one or two is just enough.  Check to make sure when buying frozen fruit that the only ingredient is the fruit! Believe it or not, a lot of brands add sugar and color.

All berries – blueberries, strawberries, cherries, blackberries, raspberries

Green apple – I love slicing up a green apple and adding to smoothies with the skin on for the most fiber content. For my favorite green apple smoothie, subscribe to my newsletter to get 5 of my favorite smoothie recipes.

Papaya and Pineapple – Digestion powerhouses, both of these fruits are wonderful to aide in digestion.

Peaches and Nectarines – best when eaten in season but can be found frozen

Mangoes and Bananas – these two tropical fruits will help to make your smoothies more sweet and creamy. My tip for freezing bananas is simply to cut them in half and store in a reusable container.

Pitaya or Acai – will lend a bright color and creaminess and can be found in packets in the frozen section.

HEALTHY FATS
¼ to ½ ripe avocado
1-2 tablespoons of nuts or seeds

Alright, now we are getting to the best part of smoothies, healthy fats! These are so important in the morning to wake your brain up (the brain is made up of 80% fat, so feed it fat!) and to help keep you full until lunch.

When it comes to fats, I would stick to just one or maybe two in your smoothies.  Start with one and work your way up from there!  Fats are the most calorie dense foods at 9 calories per gram so they help to fill you up faster and longer.

Avocado – This powerhouse fruit is rich in fiber and healthy fats.  For one serving I recommend ¼ to ½ and avocado for a smoothie.  This is also the best ingredient to add in place of a banana for creaminess.

Coconut oil or coconut butter - Love adding coconut oil or coconut butter for a healthy hit of fat.

Seeds – hemp, chia and flax seeds pack in not only healthy fats but omega-3’s.  I always keep these in my fridge to last longer and use 1 to 2 tbsp. for one smoothie servings.

Nuts and nut butters – I love adding nut butters to my smoothies, they pack in protein and healthy fats. I love using creamy almond butter or cashew butter. I also love sunflower seed butter. Make sure to buy all of your nut butters with no added sugars or oils.  The only ingredient in your nuts should just be the nuts! 

PROTEIN
1-2 scoops

You can use 2 tablespoons of nut butter for your smoothie protein (about 7 grams) or you can go the protein powder route to get more grams of protein in the morning! Good protein powders will provide you with essential amino acids to help keep you fuller longer so you don’t have to snack before lunch!

I am listing my favorite protein powders below including links to buy. These are in heavy rotation for me as well as recommended to my clients. I like these brands for their minimal ingredients that are free of any added crap.

Nuzest Protein – I like the original, unflavored
Use code BALANCEBYMOLLY for 15% off

Sun Warrior – I like the vanilla flavor that I linked to

Collagen Peptides – I like Further Food brand best (not vegan)
Collagen is great for hair, skin and nails and also contains gelatin which is very healing for your gut!  Use code BALANCEBYMOLLY for 10% off

Philosophie – I like the Cacoa Magic or Green Dream

SUPERFOODS
Serving size on package

Last but not least, superfoods! There are a ton out there on the market, including adaptogens which are great for stress, anxiety and sleep.  Here are the ones that I use in smoothies but feel free to explore more for yourself! Click on each one for link to the product I use. 

MACA
CACAO POWDER
SPIRULINA
MUSHROOM BLEND

BLENDER
I use a Vitamix blender to make all of my smoothies. I get asked a lot which blender I use.  I bought mine refurbished on Amazon which saved me tons of money and I swear it was brand new! Never pay full price ;)

HERE IS THE BLENDER I USE

Happy smoothie making!