5 Easy & Healthy Smoothie Recipes to Satisfy Pregnancy Cravings
More buzz about smoothies...I'm sure you've heard it all before. But, there’s just something so satisfying about a cold, creamy smoothie! If it’s made right, it can taste like an indulgent milkshake even though it’s packed with nutrients. And with so many flavor options, we love trying different combinations to address our cravings (oh hello there chocolate and peanut butter). Here are our favorite healthy pregnancy smoothie recipes that we like to make for breakfast or an afternoon snack while expecting (and beyond).
Creamy Almond Spinach Blueberry Smoothie (an easy and healthy daily breakfast smoothie)
Using the Fab Four smoothie formula created by health and wellness consultant Kelly LeVeque, author of Body Love.
Serves one
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder*
1 tablespoon of ground flax seed
1 tablespoon of almond butter
Handful of greens
¼ cup of frozen blueberries
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend to desired consistency.
(Kelly’s “Fab Four” smoothie formula focuses on fiber, fat, protein, and greens, but lets you customize the actual ingredients. The above is my favorite ingredient combination, but another option is to sub cashew butter for almond butter, chia seeds for flax seeds, and/or baby kale for spinach)
*Our favorite protein powders are Tone it Up (plant-based) and Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel (grass-fed collagen).
Pineapple Coconut “Baby Booster” Smoothie (we gravitated towards anything citrus during our first trimester)
From Jillian Michaels’ pregnancy book Yeah Baby!
Serves one
1 banana
1 cup chopped kale
1 cup chopped spinach
1/3 cup chopped pineapple
¼ cup coconut water
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon coconut oil
¼ cup water
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend to desired consistency.
Cacao, Banana & Avocado Smoothie (tastes like dessert in a glass)
From Ella Woodward, author of London-based blog Deliciously Ella and several best-selling cookbooks
Serves one
½ cup of unsweetened almond milk
1 ripe banana
½ an avocado
4 medjool dates (pits removed)
2 teaspoons of cacao
1 teaspoon of Manuka honey
1 teaspoon of almond butter
A few ice cubes
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend to desired consistency.
Minty Green Smoothie (good for soothing morning sickness)
From Kristin Cavallari’s book Balancing in Heels
Serves one
1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 handful of spinach, stems removed
1 frozen banana
1 heaping tablespoon of honey
¼ teaspoon spirulina powder
¼-1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract (not oil)
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend to desired consistency.
Peanut Butter Delight Smoothie (sweet and delicious)
From Kristin Cavallari’s book Balancing in Heels
Serves one
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 frozen banana
1 handful kale, stems removed
¼ cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 scoop vanilla or plain protein powder
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend to desired consistency.
Chocolate Cherry Delight Smoothie
From Kimberly Snyder, nutritionist and author of several nutrition books including The Beauty Detox Solution
Serves one
1 banana
¾ cup frozen cherries
½ cup spinach
1 tablespoon cacao powder
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend to desired consistency. (Her original recipe makes a “smoothie bowl” with toppings, but I prefer making a drinkable smoothie.)
Enjoy!!