Morning Magic

January. Back to work. The indulgence of the festive season is over and there’s a sense of anticipation and excitement for what lies ahead. It’s a time of year many of us seek inspiration for the healthy lifestyle we’ve resolved to stick to. One easy and deliciously healthy way to set yourself up for an energy-filled day is the ever-popular smoothie. 

Creating a nutritious breakfast drink at home is as simple as throwing some ingredients in a good blender and pressing go. The choices for what to include are up to you.

Liquid bases include cow's milk; pouring yoghurt, such as kefir; coconut milk or water; almond, oat, rice or soy milk, or a combination. For vege smoothies it’s often best to use a fresh juice, homemade lemonade or a water base.

Chopping up fresh fruit and freezing it is a handy way to always have ingredients to hand, plus adds just the right chill factor – bananas, berries, cherries, peaches, apricots, pineapple and grapes are among those that freeze well and will blend easily as long as you cut them small and add sufficient liquid.

For a lovely creamy textured smoothie, try cooked oats, avocado or unsweetened yoghurt. Peanut, almond, coconut oil or other nut or seed butters add a lovely creaminess too. Additional ingredients for a flavour and/or nutrient boost include flaxseeds, chia seeds, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger – just a very small quantity will suffice), vanilla, honey and good-quality cocoa powder.

For something a bit different, cooked pumpkin can be whizzed up and we think would be especially delicious with soy milk, cinnamon and dates (soak in a little hot water and mash to a paste for ease of blending if necessary).

Experiment with combinations to find the flavour that will have you springing out of bed in the morning. Here are three of Dish’s favourites to get you going: 

• Espresso Coffee and Cashew Nut Butter
• Mango, Carrot and Ginger
• Mixed Berry, Yoghurt and Flaxseed