Do you ever go on a Pinterest spree, only to realize that your lovely boards collect dust for eternity? Or am I the only one? Being the avid pinner that I am, (and seriously, if pinning were a job I would be a millionaire by now), I have an impressive stash of smoothie inspiration from around the web…colorful, vibrant, mouthwatering…and languishing unseen because I somehow end up making the same 2 smoothies… every….single…. time..

So my new challenge, which I choose to accept (cue Mission Impossible Theme) …is to execute at least two new smoothie ideas each week. Time to bust out of the rut!

And because I’m aaaall about spreading the loooove, I’m starting this weekly feature for you! Saddle up your blender and bag some fruits & veggies…It’s time for the Crispy Cupboard’s Saturday Smoothie Roundup…yeeeeee-hawwwwwwww!

Ahhhh smoothies…

Although I prefer to use the Spanish name for these frosty meals-in-a-glass: licuado. Which quite literally means: blended. Pretty self-explanatory.

My lifelong love affair with luscious licuados, began as a child. Back in the days when adding sugary Quik(tm) powder to your milk was never given a second thought…because fortified! vitamins! the label says so! (is it bad that I still think fondly of the strawberry stuff?).

Every now and then, my mom would throw milk, a banana, and Quik powder in the blender, with possibly an egg or two, and whip up a tall glass of velvety, fruity (or chocolatey), deliciousness. It was always exciting to have milkshakes for breakfast. One time she ran out and used strawberry jam instead…and my brain exploded. That was the day I realized that smoothies and I belonged together like banana & peanut butter. BFFs I tell you!

Eventually, mom realized that two heaping tablespoons of colorful flavored sugar did NOT belong as part of a complete breakfast. With the advent of the health craze of the 80’s & 90’s, the smoothie routine changed. All kinds of things ended up in the blender. Yummy things like papaya, yogurt and honey….and not so yummy things, like brewer’s yeast and wheat germ. (both of which I have sworn never to touch again, and which are not allowed within 5 miles of my kitchen.)

Then there was the juicing phase. Carrot + apple = YUM.  Greens + pineapple = DELISH.  Carrot + parsnip = NO BUENO. (just because they look similar doesn’t mean they should be juiced together)  Ahem…

But I digress…

Here’s the Crispy Cupboard Smoothie Roundup guidelines:

This weekly feature is meant to provide some on-the-go complete meal options. (Note to self: Self, ice cream milkshakes don’t count, sorry)

Comments, suggestions, and links to favorite recipes are hereby cordially requested, encouraged and welcomed! To qualify to star in this section, the recipe must provide (or be modified to include):

• a full serving of fruit and/or veggies (bonus points if it includes both)
• some healthy fat
• only natural sweeteners
• at least 20 grams of protein.

So to kick things off, (and get you excited for the weekend’s post, cuz I’m sneaky that way…) Here’s one of my own creations. Don’t miss out on the upcoming excitement. Sign up for crispy updates in your inbox by clicking the “Follow” button at the bottom of the page. 🙂

Blueberry Pepita Smoothie

• Servings: 1
• Time: 3 minutes, plus overnight soaking time
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Blueberries are the nutritional powerhouses of the fruit world. Bursting with antioxidants and vitamin K, they’re quite the bang for your buck nutritionally speaking. And they make food purple! And purple food is fun!

Pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas) are immune-boosting protein bombs, containing a wealth of trace minerals and vitamin E (which will help absorb the vitamin K from the berries). Overnight soaking makes them digestible so we benefit from all the nutrients (How so?)

Plain Greek yogurt rounds this out with abundant protein (twice as much as the regular kind!) and vitally important probiotics. (Why probiotics rock). But not all brands are created equal. Make sure you use a brand with a short ingredient list: milk & live active cultures are the only things you should see on the label.

This shake is not low in carbs, but the natural sugars from the fruit make it a great post-workout recovery meal.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked overnight in warm water. (or 2 tbsp pumpkin seed butter)
• 1 banana, frozen
• 2/3 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp raw honey
• 1/2 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries
• pinch of unrefined sea salt
• a tiny pinch of pure stevia powder (optional if you need additional sweetness)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in blender.
2. Add cold water to 2/3 the way up the pile of ingredients (about 3/4 cup or so)
3. Process in blender until smooth.
4. Pour into a tall glass or to-go cup and enjoy! (bonus points if you have a fun straw)

Nutrition Breakdown: 400 Cals.; 24 g protein; 17g fat; 45 g Net carbs; 7 g fiber.