, ,

2 Easy Smoothie Recipes | 4 Simple Ingredients + Tips

, ,

I don’t know about you, but I’ve noticed over the last several years that when I start my morning off right, I’m more productive and make better food choices throughout the day. 

One of my absolute favorite ways to get a healthy start to the day is by making juice or smoothies. Now, I know we’ve all seen on social media complicated smoothie bowl recipes with a long list of ingredients–and to be honest, I’m not sure how we managed to make something as simple as a smoothie into a whole big thing.

So today, I’m sharing with you my two go-to simple and healthy 4-ingredient smoothie recipes to get your day started off right. 

This is a great place to start if you are looking to eat more plant based or want to become a vegan. These smoothies are quick, hassle-free, and packed with flavor and nutrients.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Smoothie Recipe

This healthy breakfast smoothie is perfect for anyone that loves the classic PB&J flavor and wants a healthier whole-foods version. It’s slightly sweet, filling, and creamy because of the plant based milk.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups frozen blueberries

  • Half of a banana

  • 1 tsp peanut butter

  • 1 cup non-dairy milk

Instructions:

  1. Put all ingredients into a high powered blender and blend until smooth*



Green Smoothie Recipe

This nutrient-dense smoothie makes getting your greens SO easy and delicious. It’s refreshing, light, and healthy.

Ingredients:

  • 2 handfuls spinach

  • Half of a banana

  • 1 cup water

  • 2 cups frozen mango

Instructions:

  1. Put all ingredients into a high powered blender and blend until smooth*

*Notes

I really recommend using a high powered blender to make your smoothies creamy and smooth. If you don’t have a high powered blender, you may need to add a bit more liquid to these recipes. 

I recommend using frozen fruit so you don’t need to add ice.

These 4-ingredient smoothie recipes are so simple and delicious. My personal favorite is the green smoothie because it’s refreshing and sweet, but the Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie is my go-to because I always have blueberries and peanut butter on hand.

Which one is your favorite? Tag me at @brownvegan on Instagram so I can see your healthy morning smoothie creations!

Video Links:

Vitamix blender

Shirt is from Healthy Whole Alive - amazing quality and you're supporting a dope cause with your purchase.

This Is What Happened…Life Update

Years ago, I read something by Danielle Laporte where she shared that when you’re going through something difficult, it’s important to wait till you're on the other side to really start talking about it.

I feel like, for me, things have been tough for a long time and I am finally getting myself on the other side of it all and recognizing the struggle. In fact, I didn’t even realize how much I was struggling until I really started really working on the issues I was facing. 

If you’re a part of my community here, you know that I am passionate about making veganism and wellness accessible and fun for everyone. You’ll also know that I think wellness is so much more than our physical and nutritional health, and that I want this space (my podcast, my blog, and my YouTube channel) to talk about all the important and realistic parts of ‘wellness’. There is no denying that mental health is the cornerstone of true wellness. I hope that in sharing my story and some of what I have struggled with over the years, I can help my community here see the importance of talking about these issues transparently.

When I was 20 years old, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. My anxiety and depression were debilitating–I truly could hardly function at times. When my doctor prescribed me antidepressants, the stigma of medication (especially in the Black community) was so strong that I remember refusing and thinking “they’re always trying to push a pill.” I denied medication for my diagnoses and denied help for decades, instead relying on holistic remedies that promised to solve my problems.

I tried to manage my depression and anxiety in all the holistic ways people tell you to: getting outside, unplugging, exercising, journaling, reading, eating well, getting enough hours of sleep. None of it ever worked for me personally. I spent years of my life being SO up and down. Sometimes I’d be doing really well and feeling energetic and happy, followed by feeling the lowest I’ve ever felt and disappearing in some form for weeks, months, YEARS on end. Consistency in any way professionally or personally was impossible. I felt like the flakiest person and I was ashamed by it.

It wasn’t until something tragic happened to someone I love due to their own mental health struggles that I woke up and realized I had to figure this out for myself. 

Having to sit still during a pandemic also has a way of putting things into perspective. 

In October 2021, I decided to start taking antidepressants for the first time. There was a lot of shame and still remnants of that stigma to move through, but I did it. And while I still have plenty of growth to work through, the last 6 months of my life have felt more steady and hopeful than any other time. I’m showing up consistently with my work, with my podcast, with my goals. I’m getting right financially. I finally feel empowered to work towards bigger visions.

I try not to fall into the trap of regret, but when I look back on my life it’s easy to see that had I known 10 years ago what I know now, a lot of my life would have turned out differently. But we can only do the best we can when we can, and so I try to move past those feelings when they come up. I’m finally feeling like I can see things through to completion and that the fruits of my labor will bring me to where I want to be. 

I also feel scared by this new empowerment–scared that I want to show up in new ways, in more ways, and knowing that I have to do it imperfectly. In my return to Youtube, for example, I am already feeling the weight of comparison as I see people showing up with professional lighting, expensive cameras, and a production team when we used to film shaky videos on our iPhones and call it a day! We are all flawed humans though, and I am letting my excitement for more content and more connection win over my fear and insecurity. I have so much to share and so many ideas that I can’t wait for you all to see and take part in. 

While I’m not positive of the best way to do it, I want to incorporate more conversations about mental health into what I share with my community. While the stigmatization of medication and therapy is still a real issue, it is becoming easier to get help and to find communities of people talking about these struggles, and I want to make sure I am doing my part in sharing in those important conversations.

Vegan Grocery Shop with Me & I Will Travel for Food VLOG

In this vlog, I travel to New Jersey to support Erin Hill for the grand opening of her restaurant, try the new vegan breakfast sandwich at Peet’s Coffee, show all the good vegan eats at Wegmans, and chat about my new vegan membership Brown Vegan Inner Circle.

Links Mentioned:

Brands I showed in Wegmans:

Companies that ship vegan items right to your door:

Apple, Carrot & Ginger Juice Fresh Juice for Beginners

IGStories.JPG

Which do you prefer? Fresh juice or smoothies?

For me, it depends on whether or not I feel like cleaning the juicer. lol

I’ve been drinking this juice combination for years and feel it perfect for beginners who may be a little nervous about drinking green juice.

I used about:

  • 8 carrots

  • 3 apples

  • About an inch of peeled ginger

It's okay to use more apples until you figure out how you feel about having carrots in your juice.

I also like to sprinkle in a little cinnamon and turmeric. :-)

If you don’t have a slow juicer (masticating), be sure to consume all your juice within 24 hrs to get the maximum nutritional value.

I have this Breville juicer

No juicer? Blend all ingredients with about 1/2 cup of water then strain through a cheese cloth into a large bowl.

Check out the full tutorial on my YouTube channel…

If you’re interested in doing a raw foods cleanse, check out this blog post with raw juice, smoothies, and other recipes and a 7-day raw food challenge and PDF.

Random Vlog: Grocery Haul, Dr. Bobby Price Detox & She Called Me FAT

Check out the first of many (to come) random vlogs on my YouTube channel…

In this video, I chat about what’s been going on in my world, how things are going with my detox, share a small grocery haul, and my experience with being called out about my “COVID weight”

Check out Dr. Bobby Price’s detox here

Use discount code “brownvegan” to save 10% (I get nothing for this discount code. Dr. Price was generous enough to offer it to my audience).

Dr. Price was also on my podcast twice:

91. From Drug Dealing To Herb Healing With Dr. Bobby Price

107. Q&A With Dr. Bobby Price

Other links mentioned:

Bitchin Sauce

Maya Kaimal Madras Curry simmer sauce

Quinoa Salad video