Why Breakfast Smoothies Are Important (And How to Make Them)

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There’s something attractive about the idea of breakfast smoothies, for me anyway.  I’m not an enthusiastic breakfast eater – a bowl of cereal is my fall back position.  But the idea of making smoothies or preparing the ingredients to quickly whip one up has definite appeal – quick, easy and full of taste.  But are they really a good option for the first meal of the day?

Why breakfast is important

It is one of those sayings we have all had drummed into us since we were kids – breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  I went through the teenage phase of refusing to eat breakfast (I have no idea why now) and this was what my mum regularly battered me with to try and convince me otherwise. 

There is actually solid basis for the old saying.  Breakfast is the best way to kick-start your body and get your metabolism into action.  It gives you the fuel to burn during the day, to keep going and get stuff done, to stay awake and alert until you get a refill at lunchtime.

Many experts have connected breakfast with general good health including lowering level of bad cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease and diabetes and boosting the memory.  Skipping breakfast, on the other hand, means you are depriving your body of the blood sugar that it needs to get going – and often leads to overeating at lunchtime.

Why breakfast smoothies work

So what about breakfast smoothies?  What makes them a better option than my (slight high in sugar) bowl of cereal?

For starters, there’s the solid nutrient content.  The body needs the nutrients provided by dairy, grains and fruit to produce all that energy and a smoothie is a simple and direct way to get all of this.  You can also mix in foods that are slow to digest so that the full feeling lasts longer and reduces the risk of needing a mid-morning snack.

They are also a great idea for kids who need plenty of good stuff in their breakfast or they often get tired, restless or can’t focus during the morning session.  In fact, studies have shown kids do better on their tests when they have a nutritious breakfast and a smoothie can be an easy way to do this.

How to prepare breakfast smoothies

The one thing that puts me off the idea of breakfast smoothies is all that peeling and prepping first thing in the morning.  But that’s where a bit of preparation can pay off and make for a simple and nutritious breakfast.

Plan out what you want to put in your smoothies and grab some freezer bags while you are at the supermarket.  Mason jars or freezer boxes would be another idea.  Then take a period of time when can hit the preparation hard.

Decide how much of each ingredient you are going to put into the smoothie and how many you need for the week.  Prepare the ingredients and put them into the freezer bag or box.  Don’t be afraid to use frozen ingredients as well – a good blender can cut up frozen food or you can take the bag out the night before to defrost.

Put all the fruit, nuts, grains and other ‘dry’ ingredients into the bags.  You will only add the wet ingredients such as juice, milk or yoghurt when you make the smoothie on the morning to avoid it getting pretty messy (and a bit weird, some stuff just doesn’t like being frozen!)

Ideas for breakfast smoothies

There’s no set rule about what to include or what not to include in your breakfast smoothie.  Pretty much any recipe can be a breakfast smoothie if that’s what you enjoy.  But here are a few ideas to get you started.

Tropical Cinnamon Smoothie

Healthy breakfast smoothies are always based on balancing flavour with nutrition and this is a great example.  This recipe uses a frozen banana, coconut milk or water, almond butter and ground cinnamon.  You can also add some Medjool dates for extra goodness.  

It is also a minimum preparation smoothie – the banana is the only real preparation needed and that takes seconds.  So if you aren’t into the whole meal prep idea, this could be one of the perfect balanced breakfast smoothies to try.

Banana Pineapple Smoothie

This one is for juice fans and you can either use pineapple juice, from a can or even chop up a fresh one if you are very keen.  It is a good energy boosting recipe that adds a frozen banana and orange juice.  If you use fresh bananas, then add some ice to cool everything down.  If it is a bit thin, then just add some more banana.

Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie

I like chocolate – I sometimes have those granolas with little bits of chocolate in them as a nice alternative.  So for me, this has real merits.  Take vanilla almond milk and unsweetened cocoa powder with vanilla extract then add some chocolate chips and oats.  Breakfast smoothies with oats are great to fill you up and give you a boost.  You can also mix in bananas and peanut butter as well.

Coffee Smoothies for breakfast

In our house, there’s a rule – don’t talk to mum until she’s had at least two coffees.  Or at least, not about anything more than a few words long!  Now while I’m not going to try and convince her to swap her coffees for a breakfast smoothie with coffee, these recipes are ones I would try.

Cherry coffee blast

Cherries are full of antioxidants that help boost the immune system and keep us healthy.  For this recipe you need:

• 1½ cup freshly frozen or store frozen cherries
• 1½ cup of almond milk
• 1 coffee ice cubes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Add it all to the blender and mix thoroughly.

Caramel Macchiato Frappe

This is a coffee breakfast smoothie in disguise as a fancy Starbucks type coffee.  And it does contain some really good stuff for that morning boost.  You need:

• 2 cups of milk
• 2 cups of coffee ice cubes
• 2 dates

Mix in the blender and serve.  If it is a bit weak, you can always add a bit more coffee (my mum would!)

Chocolate Hazelnut Heaven Smoothie

This recipe makes two portions so if you are friendly, you can share it with someone or you can just put it in one of those travel mugs and enjoy a double shot.  You need:

• 2 cups of almond milk
• 1 cup plain Greek yoghurt
• 2 Tablespoons of chocolate hazelnut spread
• 1 frozen banana
• 1½ cups of coffee ice cubes

Mix in the blender and serve.  Again, if you want a bit more of the coffee flavour, just add a little more to the mix.

The perfect breakfast smoothies

You might have to experiment a bit to find the perfect breakfast smoothies for your morning routine but when you do, you have a simple and nutritional huge start to the day.