Sunshine Smoothie

Well, hello there sunshine! It may be winter, but that means the sunniest fruit is in season–citrus! You may be wearing a big cozy sweater and slippers and hiding under a blanket until spring, but you can still enjoy something bright and tropical in a glass. This Sunshine Smoothie is packed with Vitamin C and protein and will make you feel happy on the dreariest of days.

Ingredients to make a Sunshine Smoothie

I’m calling this liquid sunshine because it’s comprised of some of the brightest fruits– clementine, mango, banana and coconut.

To make this, you’ll need:

• 1 clementine peeled
• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• 1/2 small banana
• 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt 2%
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tablespoon hemp seeds (optional)
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk

Both clementines and mangoes are chock full of immune boosting Vitamin C. As a matter of fact, this smoothie will give you more than 100% of your daily value, which is great for cold and flu season. The banana and unsweetened coconut flakes add natural sweetness, so this smoothie is completely free of added sugar.

There are also three other important ingredients in here–plain Greek yogurt, milk and hemp seeds. These protein sources give this smoothie a whopping 13 grams of protein and almost 300 calories. In other words, it’s a meal or a large snack for after an intense workout. Wondering how much protein you need after a workout? Check out The No-Brainer Nutrition Guide For Every Runner for the facts.

Not to mention that almost every single one of these ingredients is on my list of the BEST 75 foods for runners–download it here!

How to make a Sunshine Smoothie

This smoothie is so easy to make and will be ready in less than 5 minutes!

Here’s how to make it:

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
2. Sprinkle with unsweetened coconut flakes

Ingredient Swaps & Substitutions

Smoothies are one of the most versatile things out there because you can technically swap whatever ingredients you want. But the substitutions that I get asked the most about are:

• Low-fat milk: You can swap with any plant-based milk, like almond, cashew, oat or coconut milk.
• Greek yogurt: To make this recipe vegan, try using a plant-based yogurt such as almond, coconut or cashew yogurt.
• Frozen mango: Fresh mango is great too!
• Clementine: If you don’t have clementines or just not a fan, you could swap it with tangerines or mandarin oranges.

Serving Suggestions

I usually like to pour my smoothie into a large glass and sprinkle coconut on top… but that’s not to say that you can’t serve it in other ways. Here are some ideas of how you can serve this recipe:

• Smoothie bowl topped with fresh fruit, coconut flakes and granola
• Serve with a plate of fresh fruit
• Sprinkle nuts and seeds on top
• A nut butter drizzle
• A handful of nutty granola on top

So here’s to some sunshine in the dead of winter– I know I can use it!