NOTE: PLEASE READ ENTIRE POST TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT ADDING SUPERFOODS
One of the questions I get the most is what goes in my morning smoothie and what’s the best way to start the day for children. I’m a busy mum, we certainly don’t have time for fancy buckwheat pancakes or beetroot waffles every day! But it is so important to me that my kids start their day with as many nutrients as possible, especially as Braxton’s sensory aversion to food means he doesn’t get enough nutrients throughout the rest of the day. The best way to start the day is actually with protein, not, as previously thought, carbs that make blood sugar levels spike, or sugary cereals that add little nutritional value.
I find the best way to start our day, every single day, is with a superfood smoothie. This way not only can I add a heap of plant-based OR animal protein, and fat (essential for starting the day right), I can also get as many nutrients in there – and hidden! – as possible.
I’m a nutritionist and health coach and my son has a sensory aversion to food – how’s that for irony? He really picks and chooses what he wants to eat and there are very few things he will eat BUT… he LOVES his smoothie in the morning and that really is my saviour because I can send him off to school knowing that even if he doesn’t eat much (or if what he is being given isn’t great) when he’s there, he has a bunch of nutrients in him keeping him healthy and energised, such as proteins, fats, omegas and vitamins, as well as trace minerals. so it’s a great way for me to get heaps of nutrients, protein, fats and omegas into him right at the start of the day, and for this I’m so thankful that he likes it.
I’ll do another post soon on the supplements I give Brax and take myself, although it’s worth noting that I’m very much into a personalised approach. We all respond differently to different foods so an individualised approach to health is key.
Long story short, this smoothie is really the best thing to start the day for you and your little ones. I use almond milk or unhomogenised, organic cow’s milk as a base (I never use commercial dairy), dates for sweetness and fibre, banana for extra energy and sweetness for the kids (not for me) and peanut butter or almond butter (depending on how I feel. Also, almond butter is a lot more expensive) for those essential fats, anti-oxidant properties and immune boosting goodness. The above give it the nice taste that makes kids drink it. Then we add superfoods.
Superfood Options
We have a cupboard full of superfoods such as acai berry powder, maca powder, lucuma, chia, hemp seeds, hemp powder, greens powder, spirulina, bee pollen, camu camu, flax seeds (and golden linseeds – although no more than 3-4 times a week with flax, especially for children approaching puberty, as they are high in phyto-oestrogens), beetroot powder, red phenol powder, mushroom blend, psyllium husk and baobab and we choose about 4 at a time to add to our smoothie. You can choose whichever ones you want depending on what you feel you need that day. They all have different benefits and properties. It’s worth noting here that generally bee pollen should be chewed to release the enzymes necessary to produce the vitamin B6, so I don’t often add it to a smoothie, instead I sprinkle it on food, but I wanted to add it to the list in case you want to begin your superfood purchases.
Another option is to add bone broth protein powder, a complete amino acid profile protein or collagen peptides if you’re not vegetarian or vegan, or a plant-based one if you are. If your child gets ample protein throughout the day, don’t worry about this, but for adults I always recommend a bit extra. You can also mix protein powder (good quality organic whey or plant-based) with collagen peptides, or alternate them daily.
Many of you know about my journey with vegetarianism and how I’ve had to loosen the reigns as my health dictates, because it turns out that my genetic makeup and blood type dictate that I do need some animal proteins. Bone broth is one of the healthiest elixirs around, and a good quality bone broth protein powder adds another dimension to your morning smoothie.
For today’s smoothie I’ve created a generic, everyday smoothie that’s good for starting the day off (and tastes great for those fussy little ones), but you can choose whichever superfoods suit you from the above list, remembering not to use too many at once, to allow the body to process each one accordingly, so please see above for list of all the available options.
Another top tip is to use beetroot powder or red phenol powder. It gives bioavailable iron but more exciting than that, it makes the smoothie look like a strawberry milkshake!
Ingredients (I’ll explain what each ingredient does for the smoothie)
-150ml good quality almond milk (or any other high quality milk of your choosing)
-150ml filtered water
-1 banana (potassium, fibre and sweetness to make smoothie more palatable)
-1-2 medjool dates (for fibre and low GI sweetness. For my own smoothies, I skip the banana and just add half a date to keep sugar to a minimum)
-1 tbsp peanut or almond butter (I use Meridian or Biona) (healthy fats and makes it taste good. Almond lower in lectins)
-Handful organic spinach (fibre, iron, essential nutrients)
-1/4 avocado (healthy fats)
-1 tsp maca powder (natural energy booster and immune booster)
-1 tsp chia seeds (anti-oxidants, fibre, protein, immune health)
-1 tsp ground flax or golden linseeds (omegas – but read above for caution when using)
-1 tsp camu camu (VERY HIGH source of vitamin C)
-1 tsp red phenol powder (high in bioavailable iron, helps gut bacteria and antioxidant, and to make it pink!)
-1 scoop medicinal mushroom blend (Immune support, strengthens nervous system, anti oxidant – I use Hifas da Terra – use code LAUREN15)
-1 scoop protein powder (explanation above – I use this one specifically formulated for MTHFR) OR Collagen Peptides – I use this one, or Hunter & Gather do a good collagen peptide powder available at Ocado. You can sub the collagen (not protein powder) for Bone Broth powder also. I tend to keep all 3 at home and alternate.
-1 tsp Udo’s Greens (super blend of greens that actually tastes nice too! Or Spirulina or Organifi Greens or Athletic Greens
– Udo’s oil or flax oil
– One scoop Creatine
-Turmeric & cinnamon (optional but for added health benefits – fresh turmeric for a huge immunity boost – only do this if adding avocado or an oil as turmeric needs to be eaten with a fat)
-I also add this wholefood vitamin c powder (for the kids especially)
– For the kids you can also use this Greens Powder
For adults omit the dates and banana so you can start your day without glucose spikes, and use a handful of organic blueberries instead, and a few spoons of organic natural yoghurt for more protein and thickness, if desired.
Method
Simply put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Love & health,
Lauren
