While fruit is good and healthy and sweet, what makes my smoothies really nutrient dense and filling is the kefir or yogurt (probiotics, protein, calcium), egg yolks (essential fatty acids, protein), and coconut oil (medium chain fatty acids, gives good sensation of satiety). These are all rich and creamy enough to be called milkshakes, yum!
I’ve recently found Cuppow lids for mason jars, they are great for helping babies and toddlers drink smoothies! I love giving my kids smoothies, but until they can drink well from an open cup, it’s been a super messy endeavor. If you’ve ever tried to put a smoothie in a sippie cup with a valve, you know that it’s too thick and doesn’t work. These lids are marketed to adults for making mason jars into travel mugs, but I really like them for the baby. You can find them here.
All my smoothie recipes use bananas to sweeten; this works the best if bananas are really ripe with lots of spots before freezing. Check the reduced for quick sale area of your produce section – you might be able to find them already ripe and ready for the freezer, and with their price discounted!
Unless otherwise noted, just combine everything in the blender all at once and blend. These are just starting points; adjust to your family’s tastes and preferences!
I add ice to my more rich smoothies to lighten them up a bit. This is just personal preference.
Kefir-Cocoa-Almond Butter
Kefir Cocoa Almond Butter Smoothie
This smoothie is very filling, I’ll add in nutbutters when I’m using a smoothie as a meal. The banana makes it sweet, the cocoa indulgent.
- 1-1/2 cups kefir
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons nut butter, preferably from nuts that have been soaked and dehydrated
Strawberry Banana Ice Cream Smoothie
The egg yolks really make the smoothie taste like ice cream. If you’re using good pastured eggs with bright orange yolks, it will turn the smoothie peach-colored. If members of your family are squeamish about knowing there are raw egg yolks in the smoothie, you could just call it a ‘peach smoothie’ after the color, you know… ;)
Strawberry Banana
- 1-1/2 cups kefir or yogurt
- 1/2 cup strawberries, frozen
- 1 frozen banana
- 2-3 egg yolks (raw) from pastured chickens
Piña Colada
- 1-1/2 cups kefir or yogurt
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, preferably raw extra virgin (Buy Coconut Oil here)
- 1 cup fresh pineapple
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/4 cup coconut milk (optional) (Buy Coconut Milk here)
Blend the kefir or yogurt together with the coconut oil first, this helps prevent ‘coconut oil balls’ from forming. Add everything else and enjoy!
Plain Banana
This is what we have most days. Again, if we’re squeamish about the raw egg yolk, just emphasize that it’s banana. Bananas are yellow.
- 1-1/2 cups kefir or yogurt
- 2 bananas, frozen
- 2 raw egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (Buy Coconut Oil here)
Blend the coconut oil and yogurt first to prevent clumping.
Want to make yogurt or kefir? Find what you need to get started here.
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These look terrific! Thank you!
So what if you are intolerant to bananas? These look great, but I just haven’t been able to come up with a substitution that works in a smoothie. Have you got any ideas? Thanks for sharing your great recipes and other information!!
Thank you for sharing!
For the smoothies, would there be a sub for bananas? I don’t think I can have those. Especially right now, fighting candida. Also, when I make chicken stock, is there an easier way of making a lot if broth at once ? I usually do it with one chicken a week in the crockpot, but I figured I need more broth for 5 people than what that makes. But then I may not necessarily need more than two chickens a week as far as meat goes. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Have allergies to eggs and nuts. What is an alternative choice?
Forgot to mention also allergies to dairy products.
Hello what recipe would you recommend that is good with no sugar? I cant even have fruit right now due to candida. I have tried making a veggies smoothie I couldn’t get it down it tasted horrible.
thanks
tamara
When we were low/no sugar GAPS we did coconut milk, stevia, berries (if tolerated), sometimes squash, beets, carrots.
These look so yummy! We use a half or whole avocado and water when we cannot use a dairy product for smoothies.
I’m so glad smoothies are in vogue – I love them so much! Thanks for the recipes!
Cara- I am in the middle of writing a smoothie cookbook and it has come to my attention that lots of people put coconut oil in their smoothies. I keep wanting to try it but hate the thought of it “hardening” to the side of my blender. Does it really mix in and doesn’t turn into little balls of fat, or stick to the sides of the blender once it hits the ice or cold yogurt? Thanks!
Love the idea of a smoothie cookbook! It works best if it’s melted and you add it while the blender is going. I did this when I lived in AZ and my coconut oil was melted most of the year, and during the summer here.
I noticed you just use the yolks in the smoothie. Would it be safe to include the whole egg? My BF uses the whole egg and I’m trying to get over what I was taught in food safety classes.
It’s fine, if you use a lot of egg whites they can interfere with the absorption of a certain vitamin (I can’t remember which one right now)