Our love for smoothies began when I was in the thick of my cancer fight, and chemotherapy was kicking my patootie all over the place. To combat the occasional bouts of nausea, I found that keeping a small amount of food in my stomach at all times helped tremendously. But let’s be real. When you feel like you’ve been run over by a dump truck (twice), the last thing you want is a big juicy steak and a side of fries. Okay, I take that back, the fries actually hit the spot quite a bit, just saying.
I knew I needed to supply my body with the best nutrients I could to help fight the cancer and recover from the grueling treatments. But I also wanted to ENJOY said nutrients so my incredible husband dove headfirst into the art of the smoothie. Bless him.
Smoothies not only gave me the nutrition I desired, but they tasted darn good too! It was a treat to down one or two of these each day, and it became a good way to easily ingest multiple small meals daily.
I often get asked about the smoothie recipes we use so thought I would share some here. If you’re serious about upping your smoothie game, regardless if you’re going through cancer or not, I would HIGHLY recommend investing in a Vitamix blender. This machine was literally sent from heaven. In fact, I’m pretty sure angels use a Vitamix to make their own celestial concoctions. Just saying.
There are a lot of different models available, so choose which one is best for your needs and your budget. I’ll warn you, they are a bit of an investment, but they are SO worth it. Not only do they make killer smoothies, but you can make hot soups, salsas, baby foods, batters, nut butters, non-dairy milks, frozen desserts, and more. Yah. I know. Run, don’t walk people.
Let’s get to the good stuff. We have found many great recipes in multiple places. One of our favorite smoothie resources is Rich Roll’s Plantpower Meal Planner. My husband has this app and uses it religiously. Here are a few of our favorites:
But a couple of tips first:
Tip 1. Each of these recipes makes 2 servings. If you aren’t going to drink two servings, you can save the other in the fridge for an afternoon snack, or you could share it. Sharing is caring friends!
Tip 2. When a recipe calls for bananas, we recommend freezing them first. Peel them and put them in a zip lock bag in your freezer for easy access. Using frozen bananas makes your smoothie cold (if your other ingredients aren’t) and it also makes it thicker and not so watery. If the consistency isn’t thick enough, you can always add a few ice cubes.
Tip 3: We try to use organic ingredients as much as possible. If your budget allows for it, DO IT! Not only do you avoid potentially toxic pesticides, but I think they taste better too!
Avocado Lime Smoothie
- ¾ Avocado
- 2 Bananas
- 1 Lime (squeezed)
- 2 tbsps Fresh Mint
- 1 ¼ cups Frozen Mango
- 1 ¼ Frozen Spinach
- 2 tbsps Flax Meal
- 3 ½ cups Coconut Water
Banana Berry Protein Smoothie
- 2 ½ cups Unsweetened Soy/Nut/Rice Milk
- 1 ½ scoops Protein Powder
- 1 ¼ Frozen Mixed Berries
- 2 Bananas
- ¼ cup Peanut Butter
Creamy “Caramel” Banana Bread Smoothie
- 2 ½ Banana
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- 2 ½ Dates
- ¼ cup Rolled Oats
- 1 ¼ cup Unsweetened Soy/Nut/Rice Milk
- ¼ Cup Canned Coconut Milk
- ¼ cup Pumpkin Seeds
When I was going through treatment I chose to cut out all processed sugar to help my body fight inflammation. This was incredibly hard because I am a sugar lover! To help satisfy my screaming sweet tooth, I created a smoothie that hit the spot every time. Here it is. You’re welcome.
Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
- 1 Frozen Banana
- 1 tbsp Navitas Cocoa Powder (this has NO sugar, and feel free to add more powder if you love chocolate like I do)
- 1 tbsp Peanut Butter (or more if you like it really peanut buttery)
- Almond milk (add until it’s the right consistency)
Another great resource for smoothies specific to breast cancer is a book by Daniella Chase called Breast Cancer Smoothies. What I like about this book is that it shares why each ingredient is good for fighting cancer, and certain recipes are created for specific breast cancer types. (ER, PR+, Triple -, etc.)
If you are one that struggles with keeping weight on and are looking to beef up your smoothies with some healthy fats, you can always add a scoop of avocado, or coconut oil to your recipes. Peanut butter, almond butter, and sunflower butters are also great choices for adding some much needed, healthy calories. It’s also important to get a lot of protein when you’re battling this disease so feel free to add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to each smoothie.
I hope this information has given you a little push to jump on the smoothie train. I’m so glad I did, and I think we will forever be hooked!
Let’s go! Get blending!
