Smoothies are my personal go-to breakfast during the week.
There is lot to love about a carby brunch, but for a refreshing, light nosh, I truly love a good smoothie a couple times a week.
You can throw a lot into one and end up with a flavor you might like, but here’s a recipe that I think really makes these seasonal berries stand out.
It’s All About The Blender
It took me several tries to find the perfect blender for my smoothies.
The blender that you use really can make an impact, especially if you are using frozen fruit.
The key factor is to make sure that your blender can chop frozen fruit.
If you’re doing lots of stopping and starting and scraping, then make sure to either use fresh fruit or allow your frozen fruit some time to defrost.
It will make a better smoothie that way.
Frozen Fruit Or Fresh Fruit
Frozen fruit is perfect for smoothies for a couple of reasons.
With frozen fruit, you don’t have the worry of whether the fruit goes bad before you use it.
Frozen fruit also helps with a thicker smoothie without ice that dilutes your recipe.
On the other hand, when fresh fruit is in season, you might end up with a lot of it to use up.
Using fresh fruit in a smoothie can add additional fresh flavor.
Use a combination of frozen if you have a lot of both on hand.
The Best Way To Use Chia
It took me years to learn how to best use chia in a smoothie.
You can throw it on top of a mixed berry smoothie recipe and get some protein and a nice crunch, but I like it plumped up before I add it to my smoothies.
Chia is a seed that plumps up with a gelatinous coating when it absorbs water.
It will absorb about 10x its weight in water and transition into something resembling a tapioca ball.
Mix a few tablespoons of chia into a container with a lid and add twice the water.
Then let them sit in the fridge overnight.
That way the seeds have plenty of time to plump up and absorb the water.
Wet chia is a great thickener and even a suitable egg substitute in baked goods.
Where To Get A Big Bag Of Chia
We get chia in large sizes like this because it is shelf-stable for a long time as long as the lid stays on tight.
This is a great price for TWO POUNDS of organic, non-GMO chia seeds!
We bought ours August of 2018 and even with all the ways we use chia, it hasn’t run out yet.
Mixed Berry Smoothie Recipe
Here's my version of an easy, delicious Mixed Berry Smoothie recipe with strawberries, raspberries, banana, chia seeds, and even an optional beet!
Ingredients
- 1 large banana, cut into thick slices
- ½ c. strawberries
- ½ c. raspberries
- 1 large red beet, loosely chopped
- 4-8 ice cubes
- 1 T. chia seeds
- 1 c. of water*
- *If you would prefer you can use dairy milk, almond milk, coconut milk/water, or oat milk (we discovered Oat Yeah and like it a lot) in place of water.
Instructions
Prepare Fruit:
- Chunk up or break the banana into three pieces.
- If using fresh fruit, wash the fruit and cut the stem off of the strawberries.
- Wash and chop the beet.
Mix the smoothie:
- Add all of the ingredients into the blender.
- Cover and mix on high until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- If the blender gets stuck, pause blending and stir the ingredients then continue mixing.
- Pour into glasses and enjoy immediately.
Notes
If the mixture is too thick, add more water in ¼ c. increments until you have your desired consistency.
I recommend drinking the smoothie right away but if you have leftovers, just store it covered in the fridge.
When you are ready to have the next cup, just give it a quick pulse in the blender.
The leftover smoothie tends to thicken up in the fridge so you may want to add a few tablespoons of water to thin it out a bit.
It will discolor after 24 hours in the fridge as the fruit oxidizes.