5 Delicious Smoothies to Satisfy Your Cravings

Saying I love smoothies is quite the understatement.

Smoothies are one of my favorite drinks — I can have them at any time of the day and they are SO versatile! I used to drink them a lot when I’m on the go, or after a workout but ever since I’ve been working from home, I’ve made a smoothie almost daily as my mid-day snack to get in some extra fruit, veggies, and protein into my day. I swear, I’ve become best friends with my nutribullet.

I have enjoyed getting creative with all the different combinations of ingredients and flavors. However, once I find a combination that I love, I’m hooked and I’ll stick with that smoothie for days until I move on to something new. I’m also big on texture when it comes to food, so recently, I’ve been topping my smoothies with a little bit of granola, peanut butter, or cacao nibs for some added crunch.

These 5 smoothies are my go-to recipes that I fall back on to regulary when I am in need of a smoothie fix. Feeling tropical? Mid-day chocolate craving? I’ve got it all covered.

Lately, I’ve been trying to eat more balanced meals and snacks. What do I mean by balanced? I mean incorporating a combination of fats, protein, and carbs into each meal, and avoiding excluding a particular macro. I like to say carbs are life and I don’t think I could ever live on a low carb diet. Fats and carbs are also important to satisfy our body’s needs! To balance out my smoothies I like to add protein powder (I like Orgain or Tone It Up) to supplement my regular protein intake. The recipes below include protein powder, but another favorite protein alternative is greek yogurt (it makes it ultra-creamy too). A great way to add healthy fats is by using avocado, nut butter, chia seeds, or flax seeds. You’ll soon realize how much I LOVE adding nut butter to my smoothies.

Here are my 5 go-to smoothies:

Disclaimer: I generally eyeball the ingredients so these measurements aren’t exact. Adjust to your own taste and consistency!

Chocolate Peanut Butter

I LOVE peanut butter. I’ve always enjoyed the chocolate peanut butter combination, but lately, it’s been getting NUTS (yes, I think I’m funny haha). On days when I get intense mid-day chocolate cravings but still want to fuel myself with something nutritious, I opt for this. I actually prefer to use peanut butter powder like PB2 over peanut butter, as it’s easy to blend and doesn’t stick to the blender. But if you want to get those good healthy fats in, stick with the real stuff. It literally tastes like a dessert, that sometimes, I’ll even have it for dessert!

What you need:

• 3/4 cup milk of choice, adjust for consistency (I like soy or oat milk)
• 1 -2 tbsp cacao nibs
• 1 tbsp peanut butter or peanut butter powder
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• a hand full of ice
• Optional toppings: granola, cacao nibs and peanut butter

Peanut Butter and Berry (PB+B)

I never liked jelly as a kid, so I rarely had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It wasn’t until a few years ago I topped my peanut butter toast with some fresh berries and fell in love with this flavor combination. The fresh fruit was a game-changer, and I’ve been in love with this combination ever since.

I like to drink this when I have peanut butter and “jelly” cravings, which actually happens quite often nowadays. If I’m feeling extra healthy, I’ll even sneak in some spinach– it barely changes the color and I can’t taste it!

What you need:

• 3/4 cup milk of choice, adjust for consistency (I like soy or oat milk)
• 1 tbsp peanut butter or peanut butter powder
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1/2 cup frozen banana
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 – 2 tsp chia seeds
• a hand full of ice
• Optional toppings: granola, peanut butter, fresh berries

Tropical Greens

I started getting into green smoothies back in grade 12 when I would go to the Jugo Juice at my local mall’s food court after school. It was a good feeling knowing I’m getting an extra veggie nutrition boost for the day, especially by sneaking it in a delicious smoothie. Back then, I hated making green smoothies at home. For some reason, they didn’t turn very tasty. After some trial and error, I figured out a recipe that I truly love and always fall back on. I love the combination of tropical fruit and greens because they blend beautifully into light green color. I love an aesthetic smoothie!

What you need:

• 1/2 cup milk of choice or coconut water, adjust for consistency (i.e. soy or coconut milk)
• 3/4 cup frozen tropical fruit (i.e. mango, pineapple)
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 – 2 tsp chia seeds
• a large hand full of spinach or kale
• a hand full of ice
• Optional toppings: granola, fresh fruit, drizzle of maple syrup

Choco – Coffee Nut

Coffee lovers, this is for you! Coffee + chocolate is another one of my favorite flavor combinations — who doesn’t love mocha? I like to enjoy this in the morning instead of my regular coffee or tea, or for an early afternoon caffeine boost to pick me up and satisfy my chocolate cravings. This recipe also includes almond butter. My favorite is the RXBAR Vanilla Almond Butter, which adds a slightly sweet and nutty flavor to this smoothie. It tastes SO good, I have it almost daily.

This smoothie almost reminds me of Indian cold coffee, with a twist. Anyone who has had Indian cold coffee can attest that it’s SO good — nothing can compare.

What you need:

• 1/2 cup milk of choice, adjust for consistency (I like soy or oat milk)
• 1 tbsp cacao nibs
• 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp instant coffee*
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• a hand full of ice
• Optional toppings: granola, cacao nibs

*I use instant coffee for convenience, but you can even make your coffee ahead of time, or use cold brew.

Pineapple + Mango Tropical

Last but not least, a tropical smoothie! Pineapple is my favorite fruit, and anyone who knows me knows that I am obsessed with it. And who doesn’t love mango? I’m almost positive that it’s globally the most loved fruit!

This is a very light and refreshing smoothie, especially with the addition of coconut water, so it’s perfect for those hot summer days (and when you want something that reminds you of a pina colada). This one’s definitely a staple, especially during the summer months.

What you need:

• 1/2 cup milk of choice, adjust for consistency (i.e. soy or coconut milk)
• 1/3 cup coconut water
• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• a hand full of ice
• 1/2 tsp turmeric (optional, but adds an extra yellow color boost)
• Optional toppings: granola, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds

I hope you all enjoyed these! Let me know if you gave any of these a try, and feel free to experiment with other toppings, fruit, and other mix-ins! Let me know if you have any favorite smoothies of your own. 🙂