Four delicious dairy-free smoothie recipes.

By NAT HAWK

I used to be one of those people who never ate breakfast. I would sleep in, stumble out of the house and spend every morning in a complete fog, until about 11am, when I would finally eat something.

But then I bought a smoothie maker and it changed my life.

You can throw together a quick blend of a few ingredients in the morning and then take your smoothie when you leave the house – it’s such a good way to get in a delicious blend of nutritional goodness at the very beginning of the day.

It can be hard to come up with a good smoothie recipe if you’re just winging it. So here are my favourites.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this series of posts is sponsored by Almond Breeze. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.

Banana Berry Smoothie

1 lemon

2 tablespoons dairy-free yoghurt

Big splash of almond milk

1 frozen banana

A handful of berries

This is an awesome option for colder winter days – the lemon provides an excellent, much-needed immunity boost, while the milk, dairy-free yogurt and banana work to fill your tummy up so that you can face the cold.

Superfood Smoothie

¾ cup vanilla almond milk

A handful of berries

1 passion fruit

1 sachet of oats

1 teaspoon of chia seeds

My favourite breakfast smoothie. This one combines oats and some tasty fruit for an option that’s healthy and sure to get you through to lunchtime without your tummy rumbling.

Tropical Mint Smoothie

A few handfuls of baby spinach

A big splash of almond milk

1 mango

A few chunks of pineapple

A little bit of mint

This smoothie is a great option in the summer months, when mangoes are in season and when you feel like you just really need some pineapple in your life (what is summer without pineapple?). The baby spinach adds some greens and the mint makes it a lovely, fresh start to the day.

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie 

Splash of almond milk

½ avocado

2 tablespoons cacao powder

1 banana

½ cup dairy-free yogurt

2 tablespoons peanut butter

If you’re a fan of chocolate-and-peanut-butter combinations, you’ll love this smoothie. It’s the best possible way to consume chocolate before 8am – and, added bonus, it’s really healthy. Avocados and cacao powder are both considered super foods these days.

Before you start blending, here are my top smoothie tips:

– Use frozen fruit. It makes your smoothie really nice and cold, and it’s a good way of preserving fruit that might otherwise go off. Bananas and berries are especially good when frozen.

– Make sure to thin out your smoothie with liquid so that you don’t have to eat it with a spoon. Water and milk are equally good for this, although I prefer milk. I always use natural almond milk (a great option if you’re lactose-intolerant).

– Make a few batches of smoothies at a time and store them in the fridge so you can grab and go.

– Invest in the best blender that suits your purposes. A lot of people use a Vitamix, but I can’t afford one, so I bought the $34 George Foreman Mix & Go blender from Myer, where you throw everything in a bottle and then just blend it all up in there. A lot of other brands make similar ones – shop around.

– If you’d like to make your smoothie a bit more filling, add some oats (Uncle Tobys quick oats are my favourite as they don’t make the smoothie too chunky) or a scoop of protein powder.

– Don’t be too strict about measurements, as you really don’t need to be. Just throw in a bit of this, a bit of that, a bit more of this if you feel like it, and blend well.

And for more recipe inspiration, check out our gallery of the best foods you can fit in a jar…

What’s your favourite smoothie recipe?

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Almond Breeze is the perfect choice for anyone looking to live a healthier lifestyle. The versatile milk alternative is ideal on cereal, in non-dairy milkshakes, smoothies, mocktails, baking and can also be enjoyed on its own!

More information can be found http://www.almondbreeze.com.au/