Create a Simple and Healthy Smoothie Station

Mar 16

Written By Julie

Plus a build-your-own plant-based smoothie recipe and a tried and true favorite

Whether you eat a plant-based diet or you’re just exploring a healthier lifestyle, smoothies are a great way to introduce more nutrients into your diet.

And once you create a simple and healthy smoothie station, you can easily include smoothies in your morning routine.

You can make them as healthy or treat-like as you prefer, and they’re a great way to start or end your day.

Years back, I started making a green breakfast smoothie each morning. I’d often make another smoothie or smoothie bowls in the evening as a sweet treat. It’s such an easy way to get the rainbow into our diet.

Kids and adults love them the same, and it’s a delicious way to boost your health. We tend to crave more of what we eat, so start slow with the greens, and soon you’ll be enjoying Swiss chard and kale, even if it’s hard to imagine it right now.

Getting all our fruits and veggies in every day can be a challenge at times. But when we pack our smoothies with healthy plant-based ingredients, we’re setting ourselves up for a powerful and impactful healthy lifestyle.

Once I realized smoothies were in our family to stay, I knew I wanted to make it easy. Life is busy, so I try and simplify and create shortcuts in the kitchen as much as possible.

I feel like doing more if I don’t have to search and remember where I put something.

Creating a smoothie station for our kitchen is one of the best kitchen shortcuts I’ve done.

Create your perfect station

Equipment

One of the first things I did was invest in a good blender. With green smoothies, you don’t want to have chunks of greens; it takes away a lot of the appeal.

The best blender I’ve found are Blendtec and Vitamix—both are great options. It makes smoothies so easy. It’s a bit of an investment upfront, but it pays for itself. I’ve had my Vitamix for more than five years, and it’s still as good as new.

Not only is it good for smoothies, but I also use it for cashew-based dressings, almond milk, and almost everything else I can come up with.

Get the most high-quality blender you can; it’s a worthwhile investment — especially if you’re planning on eating more plant-based foods or healthy plant-based smoothies.

Storage

I love using airtight glass containers and mason jars for storing the add-ins. I have a shelf in my pantry dedicated to smoothie-making. I also have a superfood mix premade with a combination of ingredients I use every day.

Variety is good, and I love switching things up. But I know each day I’ll add certain additions. So I make a mix of flax, chia, pumpkin, and hemp seeds, along with bee pollen, amla, and goji berries. I simply measure out a scoop each day.

Easy.

I also have a section in the fridge and freezer dedicated to fruits, vegetables, and greens. I wash, precut, and store everything during meal prep, so it’s ready to go each day.

Liquids

I often use plant-based milk for the liquid: cashew, oat, soy milk, or almond milk. I also use water, juices, and herbal or sun teas for the liquid in smoothies.

Fresh-squeezed orange juice is one of my favorites, especially in green smoothies.

I also make homemade nut milk for smoothies, especially if it’s more treat-like. I do like the convenience of store-bought almond milk, but I prefer knowing exactly what’s going into it.

The more you make smoothies, you’ll learn your favorite complimentary combinations.

Your station

There is no right or wrong way to build a smoothie station. We all have different outcomes and priorities in our kitchen. Some might want every option available, while others will just want the basics.

It doesn’t matter what it looks like; what matters is that it’s functional and works for you and your lifestyle.

Experiment until you find exactly the right fit for you. The most important part of a simple and healthy plant-based kitchen is that it makes you feel to create and inspires you to eat healthy.

It can be as simple or elaborate as you like. Variety matters, as does enjoying what you’re drinking. Eating more plant-based foods doesn’t have to be hard.

Setting up a smoothie station will make your morning and days start the right way, nutritionally and productively.

Here’s a perfect place to begin.

Build-your-own smoothie recipe + additions

Julie https://becomingyouwithjulie.com

Create a Simple and Healthy Smoothie Station

Plus a build-your-own plant-based smoothie recipe and a tried and true favorite