I’m all about eating seasonally!

For many of us, summer is such an easy time to get in a lot of nourishing fruits and vegetables – did someone say green smoothie?! However, as the weather starts to cool off, we may not be as inclined to reach for the ice-cold smoothies or raw salads. Luckily you (yes, you!) can still start your day with a hearty dose of veggies with this guide to building the perfect fall smoothie.

“But how?!” you may be asking.

Well, it’s pretty simple, and it really doesn’t stray too far from my normal smoothie-making routine. Think spices, seasonal produce, and warm smoothies (like a blended soup but... ya, it's just a blended soup).

Here are 6 tips for building the perfect fall smoothie

1. Skip the ice

Just because they put it in at your local smoothie spot, doesn’t mean you need to do it at home. Heck, you can even ask your smoothie master to skip the ice when you’re out too! Along with this, try to use fresh fruits and veggies rather than frozen to keep it from getting too cool. If you have time, even let your smoothie sit on the counter, or in your bag to be a little less frosty when you start to drink it.

2. Think warming spices

Cinnamon is a great addition to any smoothie. Along with adding a bit of warmth, it can also help to balance blood sugar throughout the day. Surprisingly delicious, add a little cayenne pepper to your next chocolate smoothie! Try out a Mexican hot chocolate smoothie with some cacao, chocolate protein powder, avocado and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Other great spices include:

• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Cloves

3. Choose seasonal fruits and vegetables

Skip the extra-sweet tropical fruits, the melon and even the berries (unless you were savvy enough the freeze some up from summer). Choose fruits that are in-season like apples, pears or figs. Or when in doubt, add pumpkin puree. High in fibre, Vitamin-A, and iron, pumpkin is an easy addition to any filling smoothie. Bonus: it goes very well with most of the spices I listed above! Blend up some pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) with some vanilla protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, a scoop of almond butter, and non-dairy milk of your choice for a filling breakfast!If you’re looking for a pre-workout smoothie, you can swap out the pumpkin for sweet potato for some added energy.

4. A bowl of blended soup is just a warm smoothie!

When the temperatures really start to dip, I sometimes like to swap out my smoothie for a blended and warm soup! Another benefit of choosing a blended soup is that you can make a large batch at the beginning of the week for a ready-to-go breakfast each day. Some of my favourites to include are:

• Bone broth
• Miso paste or coconut aminos for some flavour
• All the green vegetables including kale, broccoli, zucchini or cauliflower
• Healthy fat like tahini paste or avocado

5. Don’t forget the (healthy) fat

This is one rule I swear by no matter the time of year. Without the protein and fat, smoothies can just be one big sugar bomb. However, I find that having a healthy fat like avocado, nut butter, MCT oil or ground seeds is important in the winter months to help with satiety.

6. Always remember the veggies - especially the greens!

In my mind, a smoothie is simply a vessel to pack in a lot of nutrients in one sitting. This is especially important if you eat on the go, live off of caffeine and granola bars, or just don’t fancy plain veggies. Use lots of leafy greens, zucchini, cauliflower, even steamed carrots, to give you some extra fibre and vitamins.

Wondering what other foods you should switch up to optimize your health as the seasons change?

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