I’ve always been a big smoothie girl. I love ‘em for their refreshing texture, colorful palettes (aka Instagram abilities), & of course the taste. Guilty as charged, I used to only eat fruit in my smoothies which, at the time, I didn’t realize was basically the equivalent to eating a cookie or bowl of ice cream. Ok, maybe not as bad, but it was loaded with sugar causing me not to fill up & ultimately crash just a few hours later, relying on more food packed with sugar to fuel me back up again. I then read this book by nutritionist, Kelly Laveque, who my friend Lauren swears by (btw Lauren had a baby just a few months ago & is in better shape than I ever have been…). So ya, if Lauren swears by Kelly, so do I. Anyway, her book is super informative & everything is science backed (which, if you’ve ever tried dieting or eating healthy according to anyone, it usually is all opinions or fads) which made it very easy to understand why certain things were better for us than others. Since then, I’ve adapted my smoothie recipes a little bit. There are 5 things I always have on hand for making the perfect smoothies & they are:

Hamilton Beach Blender: Moving away from the foods, it’s super important to me to have a blender that actually blends. I swear I’m not being dramatic, you couldn’t imagine the amount of blenders I’ve been through that I have to constantly start & stop to mix everything or end up eating it instead of being able to drink it… This Hamilton Beach Blender is super compact yet manages to get the job done saving you time and counter space.

New Barn Almond Milk: Something that has always freaked me out about buying nut milk is that majority of the time, it has tons of added preservatives & hardly any nuts. New Barn Almond Milk however is made with only necessary ingredients aka tons of almonds which gives you more protein & healthy fats. Plus they come in 5 flavors so there’s no question in my mind you won’t love it (my favorites are original & vanilla which is sweetened with maple syrup!).

Garden of Life Protein Powder: Don’t you love when a product that tastes good also happens to be incredibly good for you? Oh & not to mention, it’s packaged portioned out making it extroidenarily easy to be healthy & save time. Clearly I’m obsessed with these Garden of Life protein powder packets which come in both chocolate & vanilla flavors. Adding protein to your smoothie helps you stay full for a longer period of time as it doesn’t cause a surge of insulin (which would ultimately shut down fat-burning for a period of time) that a fruit packed smoothie otherwise would. Plus these Garden of Life powders actually taste so good!

Navitas Organic Chia Seeds: Not only do chia seeds add an abundance of fiber to your smoothies but they also add loads of texture helping to make your smoothies thick & filling. I typically blend my chia seeds straight into my smoothie mixture & then let it sit for about 2-3 minutes before eating. This helps the chia seeds absorb the liquid making them smooth & soft. Navitas Organic chia seeds seem to absorb smoothies the best making them my go-to. Plus, I’m a sucker for the Navitas Organic website because it’s loaded with fun recipe ideas, shoppable products, & information on their products that is actually easy to understand… Another bonus about adding chia seeds to your smoothies is that the added texture prompts you to chew your smoothies instead of drinking them. This helps to prepare your stomach for digestion aka tricks your body into thinking your eating a full meal instead of drinking one.

BKR Bottle: If I’m being totally honest here, I’m super picky about what bottles I use for both water & smoothies. The BKR bottles are my absolute favorite for SO many reasons. One: the mouth of this bottle is the perfect sipping size. Perhaps it’s just my uncoordinated self but have you ever tried working out or even walking while sipping out of a large mouthed bottle? It’s a recipe for disaster. BKR’s signature small mouths are perfect for sipping or straws ensuring a mess-free drink. The second reason is their adorable design. With tons of different color & size options, there is truly something for everyone. AKA you should probably get this for everyones holiday gift. Another reason these bad boys are so great is their silicone sleeves keep the glass bottles from getting condensation on the outside. A bottle that can keep a drink cold but not leak water all over your hands, cup holder, etc? Ya, sign me up.