I hate breakfast. For years I have said to my friends over and over: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I cannot believe you missed it!”. What a hypocrite I was!

I would always skip breakfast because I wanted that extra 15 minutes in bed, and no matter how justified I felt those 15 minutes were, my body was taking a hit. I would end up like a zombie, walking around yawning while my body was craving those nutrients to kick-start my day.

That was…until I found smoothies.

I’m no health expert. I’m really not. However, after drinking these smoothies over the course of April & May, I have really felt a difference in myself. I feel healthier because I know I am getting those vitamins in a morning. Just taking those 5-10 minutes before I go to bed to help my future self has really benefitted my mental health too.

I have also replaced caffeine. So instead of reaching for my morning coffee, which can cause gut issues, drinking smoothies makes me feel better! You do have to be careful how many sugary smoothies you have though. So do not be adding honey into the mix, but rather banana’s are the way to go!

I would like to quote the NHS on what they say, it is quite enlightening:

A 150ml glass of unsweetened fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie can count as a maximum of 1 portion of your recommended 5 daily portions of fruit and vegetables. In other words, limit the amount of fruit juice, vegetable juice or smoothie you have to no more than a combined total of 150ml a day (1 small glass).

NHS, Water, Drinks and your Health

So basically, just be balanced! I like to swap around what type of smoothies I drink, (such as the green smoothies I wrote about a little while ago) so they’re not constantly Berry smoothies which are my favourite. Here is what I like to put in my…

Very Berry Smoothie!

For this, you will need:

• 1 Banana
• 1 handful of Blueberries
• 4 small strawberries or 2 big strawberries
• Handful of raspberries
• 1 healthy glug of Oat milk or other plant based milk.
• 1 teaspoon of your chosen protein powder.
• (Optional: I use a splash of beetroot juice if I have it in as it is a good source of potassium and it helps to lower blood pressure.)

Method:

Chop all of the fruit such as strawberries and the bananas. Put all of the ingredients in the blender and completely blend until smooth. If needs be, you can pour some more liquid into the mixture.

(Featured image by: https://images.app.goo.gl/hHmFEhampRpy8LSs7)