Alright lifestyle crew, I’m back. Among weekend travel, gushing about my marriage, and the rouge skincare post, I also enjoy writing about things that people can relate to—or even better—use.

I try to be healthy. I really do. Both as a resolution (“I aim to make health a resounding priority,” I believe I said) and means to get to my goals, eating right is a huge factor for achieving overall health.

One way I cram in some extra nutrients and protein is by drinking them. Sometimes I opt for a smoothie, other times I’ll blend up a shake. Now that I’m working from home, I’ve had more time to add these into my morning routine more often—maybe 2-3 times per week.

Here are my current go-to’s.

5 Healthy Blended Drinks

1. Green Smoothie

The green smoothie has become my default, and I love it. Though usually tinted a green color, the taste of the other ingredients always wins. Don’t worry, it’s actually really delicious. Here’s what I put in my smoothie:

• Almond milk. Unsweetened vanilla is my favorite!
• Spinach. Or mixed greens or kale or even arugula. I just put a handful in, or as much feels right.
• Chia seeds. A small handful or hefty pinch does the trick.
• Flax. I free-pour some flax seed into the blender for that extra fiber. I try for about 2 tablespoons.
• Collagen. I put in a tiny little scoop of powder (from Amazon). Good skin and hair, here I come.
• Half a banana. Fun fact, bananas are great for pretty much any blended drink. They’re good fresh or frozen, though half of one has plenty of sugar.

—- first blend—-

• Any available fruit. I like strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, blackberries (though there will be seeds), kiwi, mango. Sometimes I’ll mix, sometimes it’ll be 100% just one type of berry. Fresh, frozen, it doesn’t matter. I’ll usually go through a fruit medley package from the freezer aisle, just for these.
• Ice. I typically get less than a handful, but it depends on how thick I want it to be. Usually I like my smoothies pretty liquidated.
• Optional: stevia. Or agave or honey even sugar if that’s what you’re into (though the healthiness drops a bit). If I use a partial packet of stevia usually depends on how much fruit I have. More fruit equals less artificial sweetener.

—-additional blends, until smooth—-

2. Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake

I stan a good chocolate shake, especially when it tastes delicious. Here’s my go-to mix:

• Almond milk. I’m sure regular milk or soy or rice or coconut or any variation would get the job done here. This is just my preference as a dairy-sensitive being. Again, I prefer unsweetened vanilla.
• Chocolate protein powder/shake. At the moment, I’ve been enjoying 18 Shake. A lot of people enjoy Shakeology (honestly, it’s too expensive for me and I don’t always like the taste). Really, any kind of protein powder will do the trick.
• Banana. 1/2 of one works great here as well.
• Peanut butter. 1 TSP does the trick. I prefer the all-natural kind, with as few ingredients as possible.

—- first blend—-

• Ice. Yesss, thicken up.

—-additional blends, until smooth—-

3. Strawberry Banana Smoothie

A classic, am I right?! This entails pretty simple ingredients. I’ll for sure still have the base of my green smoothie (spinach, chia seeds, flax, collagen), but I’ll make sure the two main flavors are strawberry and banana. Another fun way to mix it up is to use Greek yogurt (or, in my case, a non-dairy vanilla version) as a base, rather than almond milk.

4. Cinnamon Vanilla Protein Shake

Okay, this one is fun! Though chocolate is typically my go-to, there’s nothing wrong with a little vanilla every once in a while. It’s pretty simple, too.

• Almond milk. You knew this was coming.
• Vanilla protein powder/shake. I have GNC brand in my pantry at the moment.
• Vanilla extract. A few drops won’t hurt.
• Cinnamon. Go ahead, sprinkle some in there. Be generous. This spice will be a nice addition and add a kick of flavor.
• Optional: stevia. This may or may not, depending on the vanilla powder you have. Sometimes stevia compliments the flavor, other times it’s too much.
• Ice. You know the drill.

—-blend it, baby—-

5. Coffee

Okay okay okay, this is clearly not a protein, super healthy, or even blended drink. Oooops. But I did want to give an update on the status of my coffee drinking.

A few months ago, I never ever drank coffee. I disclosed this in my Coffee Over Cardio review; I didn’t like the taste, so I just never went there. Since trying those two flavors (I think they were Messy Bun and some kind of chocolate?), I developed a taste for the bean juice. My taste buds have evolved, and now I’m good with black coffee of any normal variety, on a daily basis. It’s honestly a great way for me to wake up and jump into the day.

If you’re not a coffee drinker but would like to try it out, I’d recommend the Coffee Over Cardio blends. I’ve got a discount code if you’re interested: 10savmarie for 10% off. (At this point I’m not sure if I get a commission for it or not, but it’s still a great deal!)

If you’re like me and coffee is one of your love languages already, cheers.

Bonus: Pre/Post Workout Drinks

I’m a rule-breaking roll! When I started preparing for my wedding, I got into fitness on a new level, and tried out pre-workout for the first time. It’s typically a powder to mix with water to give you a burst of energy and tingles to propel you into your workout. Then post-workout essentially has protein and helps to relieve soreness and muscle fatigue, and can even help for better sleep that night.

At the moment, here are my faves, which I will definitely be reordering:

Essential Amino Energy, peach lemonade flavor, made by Optimum Nutrition

• This pre-workout rocks. I just ordered my second batch on Amazon. I use about three scoops to get going, and it gets the job done. I like that it’s healthy and doesn’t break the bank. Highly recommend!

Sport Recovery, tropical flavor, made by Vega

• I can definitely tell a difference when I take this after my workouts. My favorite thing is that it’s vegan, and I don’t have any weird tummy issues with this.

 

What are your favorite healthy drinks??