It’s a new day and you’re in a smoothie mood, so you went on a rampage in the supermarket to stock up on some ingredients.
You start with the best intentions: look for organic, non-GMO markings and because you’ve hand-selected everything, you're under the impression that making a 20-ounce smoothie for breakfast will be the healthiest choice of the week. 
Well, I have some news for you. If you’re not mindful about how you make it, your smoothie will be just as wholesome as a double-cheeseburger, calorie-wise.
Here are 5 fundamental things to consider to make it a good-for-you morning-starter:
1. Say No To Juices
Don’t use juices, sweetened yogurts, and things of this nature as liquid bases. Go with unsweetened plant-based milk or low-fat cow milk or some good ol’ water. Using juice, (even if it’s 100% fruit juice) will add unnecessary sugars or other additives to your drink you don't need. Your whole fruits will supply your body with enough sugar, you don’t need an extra dose.
2. Don’t Throw Everything In Your Blender
Just cutting all your ingredients and tossing it in your blender to “get it out of the way” is a great way to make a high-calorie, excessively sugary, and thick drink that will make you feel bloated for hours. Watch out for dosing, measure everything in a cup, and seal/freeze all the excess leftovers. Your smoothie will be even more delicious if you use frozen ingredients next time, so there is no reason not to do it.
3. Add Veggies, Not Just Fruits
It might sound enticing to blend all the exotic fruits you can think of, but doing this will most likely result in more sugar intake you’d need in a week. Drinking smoothies are the easiest way to incorporate greens in your daily routine, so you want to take advantage of this.
Slip some baby spinach, avocados, kale, beets, etc. in your drink to boost your nutrient intake and I promise if you got the proportions right you’re barely going to notice them.
4. Think about protein
It might be very convenient to just dump a scoop of protein powder in your blender and call it a day, but there are better, non-processed options out there to increase the protein content of your smoothie and get you going for the day. 
- Coconut milk: Makes a great liquid base with its high protein content and yields a creamier smoothie at the end. It also pairs well with all Smoothie-N-Go flavors.
- Pumpkin seeds: Just one tablespoon of this nutrient-packed goodness can add 3 grams of extra protein to your smoothie.
- Peanut butter: Although peanut butter is a great source of protein and makes your smoothie deliciously creamy, don’t go overboard with it. One tablespoon contains just about 4 grams of protein, which is more than sufficient for your drink.
- Tofu: There is more to tofu than being a meal substitute for vegans. Besides being a great iron and magnesium source, it’s creamy, filling, and packs a great protein punch.
5. Add extra flavors the right way
Once you’ve blended everything and figured your smoothie needs some extra flavor, don’t turn to sugar or honey. Try using cacao nibs, a touch of ginger, cinnamon, turmeric for instance, and if none of them worked, add a teaspoon of maple syrup. Or just get some Smoothie-N-Go smoothies, where we made sure all the ingredients are perfectly proportioned and you don’t have to add anything.
The verdict:
Morning smoothies can be an ideal healthy breakfast option, or a high-calorie, sugary dessert, disguised in a liquid form. Hopefully, these pointers will help you distinguish these two and make sure your smoothies pack a nutritional punch. Blend, bottoms up, run free!
