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Chris is the only other person I’ve encountered who shares my love of hot, steamy weather. We turn our A.C. on only very, very occasionally. Seriously, sometimes I think we should just move to California for the heat—and the avocados, of course.

While I still eat hot oats for breakfast even in the summertime, there are plenty of mornings I wake up craving cooler things. In the past, I’ve gotten on cereal jags or concocted various yogurt mess variations. This season, I seem to be hung up on smoothies.

In terms of the ingredients I use, I definitely go through phases. For a while, I was using tofu, then it was soy milk, then it was yogurt. Lately, I seem to be into almond milk. I also used to hate protein powder in my smoothies, but I’ve really been enjoying it lately. I also can’t get enough of spinach and kale mixed in with the fruit.

A recent favorite

One of the best things about smoothies is how easy they are to customize to suit your needs and tastes. For example, protein powder is really helpful if you need more calories and/or protein. You can experiment with different fruits and vegetables. Avocado adds a nice creaminess and a dose of healthy fats. You can also play around with texture by throwing in things like nuts, flax meal, chia seeds, or oats. Soaked dates are a great way to add sweetness without adding sugar. Spices are fun to experiment with too.

Here’s a recipe for my recent favorite green smoothie.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 a frozen banana
  • a few frozen strawberries and/or peach slices
  • 4-5 ice cubes
  • 1/2 c almond milk
  • big handful baby spinach or kale
  • 1 scoop protein powder (optional)
  • 1/3 c raw oats or 1 packet instant oatmeal
  • fresh berries, for garnish
  • 1/4 tsp coconut oil, for garnish

Directions:

  1. Place frozen fruit, ice cubes, almond milk, and spinach in blender. Blend until smooth.
  2. Add protein powder, if using, last (you don’t have to do it this way, but I like to).
  3. Pour into a bowl and mix oats in. Top with berries and a swirl of coconut oil.

Here’s a few more smoothie recipes for you to check out:

Enjoy!