Though I hate to admit it, every January I get a burst of motivation to eat more healthfully. I think of myself as being resolution-averse, but in reality, I make resolutions—even of the new year’s variety—all the time. It’s just the formality and sweeping scope of it that I don’t like, especially this time of year. So instead of resolving to make a mega change, I prefer making small adjustments as needed. And after the holiday season, I’m always in need of making an adjustment back toward healthier eating.
In the spirit of keeping change small and sustainable, I’ve decided to incorporate more healthful smoothies into my and my family’s diet on a more regular basis. I’m kind of over everything green with kale, but also want to avoid a steady diet of overly sweet fruit shakes, so I’ve pulled out three smoothie cookbooks for inspiration. These will help me get creative, while keeping it healthy and tasty, too. Who else is in?
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Related: 5 smart tricks for how to make a smoothie deliciously sweet without tons of added sugar.
Smoothies for everyone
We’re huge fans of the The Blender Girl Smoothies app and now, if you prefer a cookbook that have, hold and flip through, you can grab The Blender Girl Smoothies: 100 Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Paleo-Friendly Recipes by Tess Masters. Like the app, this books is gorgeous and exceedingly usable, with a great key that gives you a quick overview of what every smoothie is good for, from boosting immunity to supporting detox or weight loss. The best part of this book, though, is, of course, the recipes. Tess is a smoothie master and manages to blend nutrient dense ingredients and healthful, optional boosters like bee pollen, chia seeds, and even frozen cauliflower into cravable smoothies that my kids love as much as I do. How could they not with recipes like Apple Pie in a Glass and Minty Kiwi Kreme?
Smoothies for the die-hard
(or the die-hard until I loose those few pounds)
If you’re looking for recipes focused on helping you loose some weigh (’tis the season), check out 100 Best Juices, Smoothies, and Healthy Snacks: Easy Recipes for Natural Energy and Weight Control the Healthy Way by Emily Von Euw. This is a great resource for anyone looking to reboot her eating—and maybe finds herself feeling that way 2 or 3 times a year. (Ahem.) Since this book goes beyond smoothies, it’s also a great resource for uber healthy snacks that you can share with the kids, too, like Coco Oat Bars with Peanut Butter and Carob and Green Earth Orbs made with nuts, seeds, dates, and lots of cinnamon. Just know that this book calls for some health food store ingredients that you aren’t likely to find at a conventional market. You need to be committed for this one!
Related: The 4 best green juices for kids that will have them asking for more spinach, please.
Smoothies for the whole family
In her second book, Smoothie-licious: Power-Packed Smoothies and Juices the Whole Family Will Love, Jenna Helwig, the food editor of Parents magazine and founder of Rosaberry, a culinary service designed to help families eat better, leaves baby food behind and takes on smoothies. With a focus squarely on family eating, Jenna keeps her recipes simple and palatable for even the youngest eaters. That’s not to say that she doesn’t get a little adventurous: She combines pineapple and basil, makes delicious use of nutrient-rich avocado, and finds plenty of creative ways to use veggies including sweet potatoes and beets. Whether you tell your kids about the good stuff that’s in these delicious concoctions is up to you. And then there are always treats like a Cinnamon-Caramel Apple smoothie, Pina Colada Shake, and Mexican Frozen Hot Chocolate. Yum.
