A quick breakfast shouldn’t mean missing out on important nutrition to start your day. Even if you’re rushing out the door with kids, smoothies and juices with chia seeds are a fantastic way to get the nutrients you need.
Chocolate Chia Smoothie
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 serving
2 tablespoons whole chia seeds
3/4 cup water
1 cup 2 percent milk
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 cup ice cubes
Create a chia gel by mixing the chia and water; set aside.
In a blender, put the milk, cacao powder, cinnamon, maple syrup, and ice and blend together.
Add the chia gel to the blender and blend again until the desired consistency is attained.
Per serving: Calories 278 (From Fat 120); Fat 13g (Saturated 5g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 121mg; Carbohydrate 28g (Dietary Fiber 9g); Protein 13g.
Green Fruit and Veggie Smoothie Combo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 3 servings
2 medium apples
2 kiwifruits, peeled
3 tablespoons whole chia seeds
1-1/8 cup water
1 banana, peeled
1/3 cup spinach
2/3 cup pineapple juice
1/3 cup frozen pineapple pieces
1 cup frozen mango pieces
2 cups ice
Chop the apple and kiwi into smaller pieces, leaving out the apple core.
Create a chia gel by mixing the chia and water; set aside.
In a blender, place all the ingredients, including the chia gel, and pulse to mix. Blend until all the ingredients are liquefied.
Per serving: Calories 242 (From Fat 35); Fat 4g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 9mg; Carbohydrate 52g (Dietary Fiber 11g); Protein 3g.
Standard Protein Smoothie
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana, peeled
2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
2 cups almond milk
2 tablespoons milled chia seeds
In a blender, place all the ingredients and blend until smooth.
Per serving: Calories 252 (From Fat 49); Fat 6g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 245mg; Carbohydrate 40g (Dietary Fiber 6g); Protein 13g.
Green Protein Smoothie
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 serving
1/2 cup frozen broccoli
1 cup spinach
1 cup kale
1/2 celery stalk
1 tablespoon milled chia seeds
1 cup cold water
1 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder
In a blender, place all the ingredients and pulse.
After the ingredients are well mixed, blend until the desired consistency is attained.
Per serving: Calories 297 (From Fat 30); Fat 3g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 209mg; Carbohydrate 56g (Dietary Fiber 8g); Protein 17g.
If you don’t particularly like broccoli, spinach, or kale, change the green produce to something else. If you have pea protein powder, you can use this instead of the vanilla protein powder to add more green power.
Summer Fresh Smoothie
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
2 tablespoons whole chia seeds
3/4 cup water
2 cups frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup apple juice
1 cup strawberry sorbet
Create a chia gel by mixing the chia and water; set aside.
In a blender, add all the ingredients, including the chia gel, and blend until the desired consistency is attained.
Per serving: Calories 288 (From Fat 30); Fat 3g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 7mg; Carbohydrate 68g (Dietary Fiber 10g); Protein 3g.
