This page may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure here.
You’ll see a million different opinions out there on whether smoothies are a good idea or not. I personally think they are a very helpful way to get in some extra nutrition. There are many nutrient dense smoothie additions you can add in to your smoothies and it’s one of the EASIEST ways to pack in a lot of nutrition. It doesn’t have to be just a fruity sugar-filled snack (not that I’m a natural sugar avoider myself).
As far as recipes go, there are so many out there to choose from! I usually go with a simple mix of banana with either strawberries or a cherry/berry blend and I use coconut water as the liquid. I find that banana is a huge helper for hiding any powder textures so it’s really perfect to use when adding any of the following suggestions.
My Favorite Nutrient Dense Smoothie Additions
Collagen Powder
Collagen has been a favorite gut healing item of mine for a LONG time. When I was in the beginning of my health journey, collagen was one of the items that truly helped me a lot. After the birth of my son, I dealt with a lot of gut issues (hindsight is truly 20/20- I wish I had known everything I know now!). Collagen powder was easy to use and helped me solve the big gut symptoms I was having- gas, gut pain, and low appetite. These days, Perfect’s collagen is one of the top recommendations we give to our HTMA clients when they are in need of major gut healing.
Collagen has MANY health benefits:
- supports healthy hair and nail growth
- healing/sealing gut lining
- provides highly digestible protein
- provides amino acids for muscle health
- reduces inflammation
- supports healthy joints
- can help improve sleep
- boosts a sluggish metabolism
- supports healthy brain function
- can help with reducing or eliminating wrinkles and cellulite
The ONLY Collagen I recommend is from Perfect Supplements. Perfect’s collagen is the World’s First Certified Glyphosate Residue Free Collagen. It is also grass-fed, free of hormones and pesticides, and is the only collagen to have received the Perfectly Pure Certification.
Perfect Supplement has options for collagen, bone broth powder, or even gelatin- they all have the same benefits but collagen is often the easiest to use consistently as it is virtually tasteless. That makes it perfect for smoothie use. Collagen is perfect for kids or adults- use 1 scoop in your smoothie once a day, and you can use about 1/2 scoop for children. Use the code SASSY on Perfect’s site for 10% off your entire order!
Matchinga
Matchinga is an interesting powder for sure, and it has so many amazing benefits. It’s perfect for smoothies (for adults- there is a small amount of caffeine so I don’t usually put this on a recommendation list for young kids).
- Perfect’s Machinga is made from the highest quality, nutrient dense, ethically sourced, sustainable, and certified organic Matcha and Moringa on the planet
- It can help with boosting your metabolism and energy levels
- It has 17x the antioxidants of blueberries. 10x the nutritional potency of Green tea, and SOOOO many vitamins and minerals!
- It can aid with detoxing the body of stored toxins and fat
- It has a small amount of caffeine but the natural L-theanine it also has can help with keeping your focus and energy without the potential negative effects of caffeine
Get Matchinga at Perfect Supplements, and use the code SASSY for 10% off!
Earthley’s Greens Powder
Earthley’s Greens Powder is another excellent way to get a varied amount of nutrients. This powder is full of simple ingredients: Kelp, green tea, alfalfa leaf, spirulina, spinach, lemon balm (all organic). This blend helps with adding in extra vitamins and minerals, supports better energy levels, can help with gut healing, and it is perfect for smoothies! The best part is that Earthley’s site says is it ok for ages 1+!
Bee Pollen
Bee pollen is considered “nature’s most balanced food”. It is packed with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, carotenoids, enzymes, protein, bioflavonoids, and more. Bee pollen has vitamins C, D, K, and E, plus it has about 60 major and minor minerals! Read about bee pollen’s full composition here to be thoroughly amazed. The *best* source of bee pollen would be from a local beekeeper but if that is not a possibility, I recommend this brand that I’ve personally used with excellent results. It is easy to sneak bee pollen in a smoothie, in yogurt, or you can eat it plain
Whole Food Vitamin C
Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for our overall health and wellness. Vitamin C is a crucial nutrient for tissue repair, collagen formation, immune system health, plus is very important for joints, blood vessels (think varicose and spider veins!), teeth, bones, and skin. Vitamin C is also one of the most important nutrients for healing from adrenal fatigue. This nutrient is concentrated in the adrenal glands so when adrenals are stressed, it it common to become depleted.
Vitamin C is needed to regulate bioflavonoids, calcium and magnesium. It helps the metabolism of folic acid, tyrosine and phenylalanine. It also is needed for the absorption of iron and calcium.
Vitamin C deficiency signs include dry skin and nails, poor wound healing, easy bruising, and a tendency to catch colds easily.
The 2 best choices for smoothie additions are:
Other awesome smoothie additions:
- Perfect Supplements Baobab– – a good source of fiber, and has some potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, and a lot of antioxidants. It is a prebiotic so it can help with supporting a healthy microbiome.
- MCT Oil for metabolism support, gentle detox, nervous system support, hormonal balancing, and healthy fat intake.
- Earthley’s Super Foods Powder– one of my absolute faves! This nourishing powder is rich in naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants. It can support gut health, immune health, natural energy levels, and hormone balance. Use daily in smoothies, yogurt, or applesauce. I think of this like a trace nutrient supplement- it will help will getting some more trace minerals + help with digestion