Throughout my second trimester, I’ve been obsessed with making breakfast smoothies. Prior to pregnancy, I was never a same-thing-every-day eater for any of my meals. But I have been on a solid 2-month streak of making this particular smoothie every day and I just can’t get enough of it! Plus it is full of great benefits for pregnancy and way better than the Eggo Thick and Fluffy Waffle craving that I had during the first trimester.
Before I dive into the recipe, a few notes on why I’ve chosen these particular ingredients (full list below) and why I think it’s perfect for pregnancy. I will say, my husband also loves this smoothie and this is easy to double the recipe and make for both of us in the morning. So pregnant or not, it’s a great mix.
This is a yogurt-based smoothie. I have never been a sweet yogurt person and especially with all of the other deliciousness that you are blending in here, I don’t think you’ll notice that it’s plain yogurt even if you typically like the sweet stuff. Yogurt is great during pregnancy because it is full of protein, calcium, and it contains active cultures (probiotics) which keep your bowels moving and also reduces the risk of yeast infections, which are more common while you’re expecting. Yogurt shows up on almost every “top things you should eat during pregnancy” list that I’ve found on the internet. I also specify in the list of ingredients that you should buy full-fat yogurt, here’s a great article on why, plus I think it tastes better. Greek yogurt is very easy to sub in here. I love greek yogurt and only decided to use regular yogurt because it is a bit cheaper and I eat so much of it.
On the chocolate side of things, I add chocolate protein powder and cacao nibs. You could certainly use vanilla powder and omit the nibs if chocolate is not your thing. This is the brand of powder that I use. I like that it is not too chalky or sweet and that it is organic, plus it’s affordable especially in comparison to some of its competitors with similar ingredients lists. Getting enough protein during pregnancy is really important as it contributes to birth weight, body composition, and head circumference. It’s also important to be sure you don’t get too much protein. I did a lot of research and decided that I was comfortable with protein powder personally and liked that it was a healthy way to soothe my chocolate craving without opening a tub of ice cream at 6 am. For the cacao nibs, you want to be careful not to add too many since they do contain caffeine, I don’t usually drink coffee during pregnancy so this was my only source of caffeine in the mornings and I felt comfortable with the amount. Decide for yourself what you are comfortable with and talk to your doctor if you are concerned.
What goes better with chocolate than peanut butter? I originally added peanut butter to this smoothie just because I was craving it that day. But I really liked the way it tastes and once I started reading about it, it was an easy decision to keep it on the list. I’ve also tried it with almond butter which is delicious, but more expensive, so peanut butter became the constant. I usually buy Trader Joe’s brand because of the price point and be sure to get the one that is just peanuts (no hidden sugar or hydrogenated oils) on the ingredients list.
For sweetness, you’ve got the frozen berries, frozen bananas, and dates. I’ll start with the simple one: berries provide vitamin C, beta carotene, potassium, folic acid and antioxidants all of which build up the baby’s healthy skin cells and immune system. Awesome. Now on to the miracle that is … dates. They are way more important in the third trimester to help with things like easing labor and are also filled with wonderful things like potassium, fiber, and magnesium which are all wonderful for both you and baby. And the list of benefits doesn’t end there. I highly recommend reading up on dates and pregnancy and seeing all of the wonderful benefits ahead if you incorporate these wonderful fruits into your diet. The frozen bananas also add great benefits and natural sweetness to the smoothie but my actual reason for including them is really consistency and thickness. They really add fabulous texture to the smoothie.
Finally, for hydration (ever-important during all pregnancy stages): water and chia seeds. The water is a no brainer, you could get more creative and use another liquid you desire. My husband enjoys adding coffee instead of water and it’s a delicious combo for those of us that are not pregnant. I’ve tried it with decaf a few times and it is lovely. And chia seeds are my secret hydration ingredient. They are already a great pregnancy food because they contain omega 3s fatty acids and fiber. But the magic really comes in that they absorb thirty times their weight in water which helps regulate body fluid levels and retain electrolytes, which means they help you fight dehydration. If you want to get really nerdy, read more here.
And now, finally, on to the recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup of Full-Fat Plain Yogurt
- 1 – 2 Pitted Dates (depending on date size and sweetness preference)
- 1 Tablespoon Peanut or Almond Butter
- 1 Tablespoon of Chia Seeds
- 1/2 to 1 Full Scoop of Chocolate Protein Powder
- 1 Frozen Banana
- 5 Frozen Cherries OR 3 Frozen Strawberries and 1/4 cup Frozen Blueberries
- 1/4 Cup of Water
- 1/2 Tablespoon Cacao Nibs
Night Before Prep & Tips:
- I store my dry ingredients in jars and keep everything together in a basket so I can just pull it all out at once in the morning. This works well since I virtually make the same smoothie every morning and the only thing I change is if I’ve run out of something or want to change the berries.
- Peel ripe bananas and break into thirds, store in a plastic bag in your freezer. The frozen bananas add a lot of great texture and I love buying in bulk vs. needing to keep fresh bananas in the house, but you could certainly use fresh if you prefer.
- Cut tops off of the strawberries and freeze in a separate bag. I usually buy fresh ones in bulk when on sale, but you could buy them frozen.
- For the blueberries and cherries, you can use fresh or frozen. I usually buy the blueberries on sale and freeze myself and for the cherries, I buy them already pitted and frozen.
Instructions:
- Add ingredients (everything except the cacao nibs!!) to the blender in the order I have listed above. It’s important to add the dates at the bottom or else they won’t get blended enough. I also make sure to put the peanut butter in the middle of the blender container rather than the side of the blender, so that it does not stick to the sides of the blender making it hard to clean.
- Blend until smooth adding extra liquid (I just use filtered water from the fridge but you could get more creative) as needed. A 1/4 cup normally is more than enough for me, but it may depend on your blender and the thickness you like your smoothies.
- Once everything is smooth, add the Cacao Nibs and continue to blend for just 15 – 30 more seconds. I like to do less time so that they create a little bit of a crunch but you may prefer to have it be a smoother sip.
- Pour into a glass and enjoy!
I usually make this smoothie first thing in the morning before I leave for work (around 7 am) and it holds me until around 10 am when I have something a little more hearty for second breakfast.
Lastly, I am totally obsessed with my Vitamix Blender. I think this band is a superior blender that is 100% worth the price tag. This is the one I splurged on with gift cards from our wedding. But they do have a few less expensive options and I’d recommend anything from their company for a great blending experience. It destroys frozen fruit in a way I’ve never seen any other blender take them down. I’ve also noticed that this blender is the same one most of my favorite smoothie shops use so it truly is professional grade.
Has anyone else found the perfect breakfast routine for pregnancy or otherwise? Let us know your favorite recipes, tips, and tricks in the comments!