Clean Eating Smoothies Get a Boost With These Simple Tips

Give your morning a boost with clean eating smoothies.  Why? Because breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. I know you hear that all the time, right? But who has time to make healthy breakfasts when there are kids’ shoes to find and a dog puking in the bathroom? 

Well, healthy smoothies are the solution to your breakfast needs! Of course, not all smoothies are created the same! If you really want a boost of nutrition in the morning, you need to start making clean smoothies loaded with a few seriously healthy ingredients like the ones I list below!

What is the Clean Eating Diet?

I am not going to go hugely into detail on the clean eating diet here. Basically, you are looking for whole food ingredients, as unprocessed as possible. Here are a few posts about clean eating that will give you more info:

• Tips for Clean Eating to Help Take Control of Your Health
• What Does Clean Eating Mean and How Hard is it To Do?
• Clean Eating Meal Planning Tips for Busy Moms

The key to making clean eating smoothies is the ingredients you add. You want minimal added sugar so juice is not really an approved liquid. You want loads of greenery, nuts, and seasonal fruits. A clean eating green smoothie is honestly the best way to start your day, nutrition wise.

What You Need to Eat Clean

In order to eat clean, you need more than just the food. You need recipes, food preparation tools, and a few key appliances. It is much easier to whip up a box of packaged mac and cheese than it is to make clean eating smoothies. Here are a few items I suggest buying before you get started:

Invest in a few good Clean Eating Cookbooks

Investing in a few good clean eating cookbooks will help you understand the sort of foods you need to be eating on this diet. You want to stick with dairy that is organic, grass-fed, and local if possible.

Seeds and nuts should be raw and unsalted. Start a grocery list based on the recipes you would like to try and make sure you take it to the grocery store with you!

Buy the Best Cutting Boards

You will be eating a TON of fresh fruit and vegetables on your clean eating journey and most of it will have to be chopped. Investing in a few good wood cutting boards will make your life a lot easier.

I prefer a natural wood cutting board rather than plastic. And buying quality matters. Do not put wood cutting boards in the dishwasher and clean it regularly with my DIY wood butter. You should also invest in a good set of knives as well since dull knives are a hazard in the kitchen.

Buy cutting boards in multiple sizes so you are prepared for all different sorts of fruits and vegetables. Cutting a whole pineapple on a small cutting board is difficult. And cutting berries on a huge cutting board makes a lot more work for yourself when it comes to cleaning up.

Buy the right appliances

There are several appliances you should have on hand before you start on a clean eating diet. A high-powered blender is very helpful for making clean smoothies.

Investing in a high-quality juicer will allow you to DRINK your vegetables without all the bulky fiber that may upset your stomach. Juicing is a wonderful way to boost your nutrient intake without eating 10 servings of fruits and vegetables at every meal. You can then use this juice for clean eating smoothies if you want a thicker texture.

Best Ingredients for Clean Eating Smoothies

Not all smoothie ingredients are healthy or clean eating approved if you are following the diet strictly. Here are a few items to include in your clean eating smoothies to boost nutrition and flavor:

Essential superfoods

You can get a boost of energy and immunity with superfoods. Some to consider are Maqui Berry, Moringa, Reishi Mushroom, or Maca.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is an approved food for your clean eating smoothies and adds both texture and nutrients. It is high in fiber and is actually a good source of protein.

Nuts and seeds

As long as nuts and seeds are raw and unsalted, you can include them in your clean smoothie recipe. Try chia seeds or walnuts as well as healthy nut butters like almond and cashew butter.

Fresh herbs

Bet you never thought about putting herbs in your clean smoothies, right? Here are a few great herbs for your next healthy smoothie:

10 Herbs for Smoothies

• Rosemary is high in antioxidants.
• Cilantro is known for having antibacterial properties.
• Mint will make your breath minty fresh and is easy to grow yourself. Check out my tips for growing mint if you love the flavor in smoothies.
• Basil helps with kidney detoxification.
• Parsley is packed with vitamins and nutrients and minerals.
• Thyme has been shown to have anti-fungal properties. Check out my post on how to grow thyme and you will have tons of it.
• Dill promotes good digestion.
• Oregano is supposed to be good for urinary tract disorders.
• Lemongrass boosts metabolism. Grow your own lemongrass and you will learn to love it in so many recipes!
• Fennel has a strong flavor and supports heart health.

Greens

Greens are incredibly healthy and you really don’t have to be picky about what type. Spinach and kale are easy to find but you can use beet greens or anything else you have on hand.

Fruit

Obviously, fruit is a popular and healthy ingredient for clean eating smoothies. Try to buy in season and organic if possible but fresh is better than frozen. If you are making clean smoothies in the winter, however, frozen may be your only option.

Healthy Liquids

Juice really just adds way too much sugar to your smoothie and isn’t always clean eating approved (some of the organic and natural ones are ok in moderation).

Some healthier options that ARE on the clean eating foods list are things like coconut water, herbal teas, kombucha, nut milk (the more natural the better), and coconut milk. Plain water works will in a smoothie, depending on the other ingredients. Small amounts of regular dairy can be added if they are organic and grass-fed.