As someone who is often on the go, working insane hours, I learned one pro stress busting tip: eat your breakfast! There is a lot of debate between the intermittent fasting and multiple daily meals camps which I am not going to get into at the moment (I essentially believe that there is no one size fits all and the best nutrition regimen for you is the one you can comfortably sustain). If you are considering making nutritious breakfasts, I hope you give this one a try! This is the best green smoothie recipe I came up with, it’s easily customizable to your needs/ingredients and preferences.
I typically have a few rotating breakfast ideas that I can do depending on how much time I have in the morning (yoghurt granola parfait if I am in a crunch, or this a bit more “elaborate” green smoothie when I have about 10 mins of time). This recipe usually makes two portions – perfect to share with a partner or (in my case because my hubby is on intermittent fasting) to pack for a snack.
As this is not a cooking or nutritionist blog, I will post it here the way I do it – which is pretty much based on preference of the texture and you can adjust and modify amounts based on your own taste. I might update it later with more precise quantities – but feel free to explore!
Ingredients in the order to be layered in the blender:
- About 100g of semi liquid yoghurt of your choice
- Almond Milk 100 ml
- Your choice protein powder (I use a vegan one with vanilla flavour)
- A bunch of kale, chopped (can substitute with about 1- cups baby spinach)
- One cored and chopped apple
- One peeled banana
- Optional 2 brazilian nuts
- Optional dash or turmeric
- 4 sticks of celery, cut into pieces
- 1-2 cups of ice cubes
I drink one half right away and pack the rest to go (makes two servings in my case).
I find that chopping fresh fruits and vegetables is a visually appealing and joyful part of my morning, makes me feel proud of myself (yes, little things like this should be acknowledged – hell yeah! You got up 10 minutes earlier to serve yourself a nutritious smoothie before work, rich with fiber and protein – what a win right from the start of the day!). I used to be a slob who barely rolled out of bed after snoozing five alarms and skipping breakfast or having something random, without putting much thought into it. On my surgery rotation, I would go get pastry from the hospital cafeteria and coffee for breakfast after patient and teaching rounds so essentially skipping breakfast because I had to be up at the unnatural hours for my body (around 4 am) and didn’t feel hungry. My stomach felt awful a couple of hours after that meal and hungry again, especially with all the carbs – I had no energy (ok, there were many other reasons like lack of sleep and emotional exhaustion from stress, but I believe my poor diet also contributed).
It sounds simple, but it took me a while to truly appreciate the value of taking care of myself in the morning (before anyone else’s needs are met) and putting a little thought and effort into my first meal of the day. When I do that, it feels like I am already rocking it before I get to work!
By the way this green smoothie looks very appetizing and my stomach feels light and happy after it. We are all different of course, but see how you feel after it and let me know in the comments!
Let me know if you try it and if you used any modifications!
