Franchisees Christopher and Andrea Pedersen to operate the new store.
Menu features gourmet toasts, smoothies, and cold-pressed juices.
Fast-growing brand now exceeds 50 locations nationwide.
Toastique, a fast-growing gourmet toast, juice and coffee bar chain, will be opening its first Long Island location.
The fast-casual concept will open a 1,632-square-foot restaurant in the Woodbury Country Square shopping center at 8027 Jericho Turnpike in Woodbury. The space was formerly the long-time home of Dugan’s Sandwich Shop.
Andrea and Chris Pedersen will own and operate the new Toastique in Woodbury. / Courtesy of Toastique
The first Long Island Toastique will be owned and operated by husband-and-wife franchisees Christopher and Andrea Pedersen, who have a long history of experience in the franchise industry.
Andrea Pedersen has spent her career on the franchisor side with brands such as Massage Envy, Sky Zone, Garage Kings and most recently, as brand president for sugaringLA. After spending 15 years working as a Local 3 union electrician, Chris Pedersen opened his first franchise in 2008 and has built his career as a multi-unit franchisee with Massage Envy, European Wax Center, Orangetheory Fitness and Amazing Lash Studio.
The Pedersens were attracted to Toastique for its mission to make healthy food approachable, accessible and enjoyable.
“We have always tried to live a healthy lifestyle, and Toastique aligned with that immediately,” Chris Pedersen told LIBN. “The food is fresh, clean and great for all ages, making it a perfect fit for families and anyone looking for better daily options. It’s the kind of place we would visit ourselves, so choosing it as our next franchise felt natural.”
Toastique was founded by former collegiate cheerleader Brianna Keefe in 2018 with a store in Washington D.C. The brand has since experienced rapid growth, now expanding to over 50 locations open across the country and many more in development.
Toastique’s Tomato Burrata. / Courtesy of Toastique
Toastique offers a menu featuring signature toasts like Avocado Smash, Smoked Salmon and PB Crunch that are customizable. The eatery also features bottled and fresh-poured cold-pressed juices and smoothies such as Green Machine, Blue Mystique and Superfruit, and smoothie bowls with superfood ingredients.
The all-in investment to open a Toastique franchise ranges from $371,117 to $846,342, and average annual sales per store is $712,148, according to the company’s franchise information.
The Woodbury Toastique is expected to open in the first quarter of next year.
“We believe that when you eat good, you also feel good and such is the message of Toastique, which offers a nutrition-packed menu that’s also decadent in taste,” Andrea Pedersen said. “With Woodbury being such an active community and our location neighboring both the golf course and park, we have no doubt the brand will fit in well and resonate with our neighbors.”
Jennifer Lazear of Scale Franchise Solutions represented the tenant, while John Genovese, Joanne Argenti and Doug Weinstein of RIPCO Real Estate represented the landlords, Woodbury 8027 LLC and Woodbury Country Square LLC, in the Toastique lease transaction.
A smoothie a day is arguably one of the easiest ways to pack in loads of nutrients—many of which you can customize tailored to your health goals. Want more protein? Toss some powder in your smoothie. Looking for immune support? Load up your blend with citrus.
Smoothies are my go-to meal when I want to get a lot of nutrients with minimal effort—so naturally, I have one a day now. And it wasn’t until this last year that I locked down how to make one that’s actually filling, tastes like a sweet treat, supports my muscles, and doesn’t spike my blood sugar.
Freezing fruit can provide an easy way to make delicious and nutritious smoothies. Learn how to properly freeze fruit and create better smoothies with these tips and tricks.
One thing that I’ve really been working hard on this year is having a healthier breakfast. I was always a die hard cereal girl which is totally fine, but I was missing out on a lot of nutrients that could help me have a better, more energized day.
So, I started drinking green smoothies with a little protein or doing breakfast parfaits with granola (or oatmeal but summer is generally more about the smoothies.), but I quickly realized three things which is why we are doing a post on how to freeze fruit and make better smoothies.
Smoothie Musts
So if I’m going to be having fruit smoothies for breakfast, I have some thoughts…
I need a little fruit in my smoothies to love them, otherwise it is too bland or bitter for me. Plus everyone needs a little fruit in their lives.
Making smoothies is expensive. I know a lot of people that eat the whole foods diet or are big on fresh produce swear it’s not bad, but it is expensive. So my solution was to start buying things on sale and freezing them because it allowed me to still incorporate fresh fruits into the smoothies, saved us money!
I like my smoothies thick like a shake and not thin like a juice, so using frozen fruit thickened up the texture of my shake without adding ice cubes.
I’ve compiled a list of fruits that freeze well, but the how-to is quite easy. The most important part about this, other than actually freezing is to buy fresh fruit when it’s on sale at the grocery store, and buy a lot. That way you can freeze fruit at it’s cheapest and overall save money versus buying frozen or fresh fruit that’s not on sale.
Is It Cheaper to Freeze Your Own Fruit for Smoothies?
Yes! I’m looking at a bag of frozen sliced bananas right now at Smith’s. It costs $2.99 for a 16 oz bag (or 1 lb). In comparison, fresh bananas cost $0.25/lb, so let’s say you buy 2 lbs of bananas since you will need to remove the peel. That will only be $0.50 for bananas and little bit of work peeling, slicing and properly freezing them.
Here’s another example for strawberries. A 10oz bag of frozen strawberries costs $2.99. You can get a 1 lb (or 16oz) carton of fresh strawberries for the same price, so you get almost 1/2 lb more of strawberries for the same price. You can get fresh strawberries for even cheaper than that when they are in season or on sale.
How to Freeze Fruit for Smoothies
Peel (if needed), remove stems, and rinse the fruit well, chop into small chunks or slices and dry with paper towels. Next, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay the fruit out flat in a single layer, trying to keep a little space between each piece. Now place the tray in the freezer for 3 hours or up to 1 day. Remove the fruit and place in ziploc freezer bags, pressing out all the air and sealing shut. Now the fruit will keep for 6-9 months.
Do You Have to Defrost Fruit Before Adding It to Smoothies?
No and I actually prefer to add then fruit in totally frozen. It helps the smoothie be thick and creamy without adding ice. I don’t mind adding ice to a smoothie, but if I can avoid it, I do. It melts quickly and can water the smoothie down.
Fruits for Freezing
Here are some fruits that are great for freezing:
Strawberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Marionberries
Bananas
Pineapple
Mango
Papaya
Cherries (pits removed)
Blueberries
Avocados
Peaches
Smoothie Recipe
Here are some of our favorite smoothies and the ingredients you need to make them. They all use frozen fruit. We love having all our fruit prepped ahead of time so we can just toss them in with some sort of liquid and maybe some vegetables and blend it up for the best smoothies! We highly recommend using a Blendtec blender!
Cold Bust Smoothie: Orange Juice, Spinach, Orange, Baby Carrots, Frozen Bananas, Frozen Pineapple, Apple and Vanilla Protein Powder
Peach Berry Protein Green Smoothie: Almond or Coconut Milk, Vanilla Protein Powder, Spinach, Frozen Mixed Berries, Frozen Bananas, Frozen Peaches, Granola, Chia Seeds and Almonds
Smoothie bombs are your new secret weapon to supercharging any smoothie with nutrition and using up excess produce (ahem…I’m talking about the sad container of spinach hiding at the back of your fridge). Next time you’re making a smoothie, add one of the bombs to your blender with your other ingredients of choice. More nutrition and less waste… Now we’re talking!
This is why every traditional Ayurvedic recipe starts with spices being tempered in ghee. (Ghee, also known as “gut butter,” is Ayurveda’s cooking fat of choice.) Spice can also be used to enhance heat. Often, Ayurvedic recipes call for throwing in a cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cloves, or cardamom pod to foods like rice, legumes, and soup that require boiling. While sautéing, whole spices can also be tempered in oil. Using powdered spices like black pepper, cinnamon, etc., during cooking also works.
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
No time to read the entire review and just want to find out what the best superfood powder supplement option is? We recommend Organifi Green Juice as the best overall choice.
Mornings can be hectic, and breakfast isn’t even a priority for most of us. But this should not be the case.
Superfood powders are perfect for creating a quick breakfast smoothie. You can even just mix them with water and you’re good to go. And supplementing with superfoods ensures that you’re getting the right amount of nutrition.
However, not all superfood powders are created equal. So how do you choose the right one?
Today, we are reviewing eleven of the best superfood powder supplements available on the market for overall health, weight loss, and proper digestion. We hope that the information in this post will guide you in choosing the right product.
First, let’s briefly discuss what superfood supplements are, and the possible benefits of including them in your diet.
Don’t have time to read the entire review?
If you’re a busy person who doesn’t have time to read this entire review, we’ve simplified everything. Here is a table to show you a quick rating of the best superfood powders.
What’s a Superfood Powder?
Superfoods are popular grocery list items for people who are seeking to improve their daily nutritional intake and overall health.
However, it’s not easy to shop for each superfood individually, even though you may want to include them all in your diet. An easy alternative is to use superfood powders.
Superfood powders consist mostly of fruits and vegetables in powder form, blended to create a dietary supplement that is nutritionally dense and rich in vitamins.
The powders have isolated the most beneficial elements of various superfoods and made them into an easy product to consume without any hassle. The ingredients in superfood powders are carefully chosen as an ideal dietary supplement to support optimal health.
Superfood powder can be added to almost any type of drink. You can add it to your milkshake, a smoothie, or simply a glass of water.
Some supplement powders have digestive-supporting ingredients such as probiotics, which makes the digestion process quick and efficient.
Others contain herbs that boost immune system function and offer other unique benefits.
Why Do I Need Superfoods?
Superfoods are important to include in your diet because they contain all of the necessary disease-fighting nutrients that help you maintain your health. Superfoods fill the nutritional gaps that are often found in people’s diets.
Many people have some nutritional deficiencies, and superfood supplements may reduce or eliminate these deficiencies in your body.
What’s more, superfoods can do this without adding too many calories to your diet. These ultra-healthy foods can aid in weight loss, especially when you are consuming them in powder form.
Superfood powders usually fulfill most of your daily nutritional requirements. The fiber and protein content provides a feeling of satiety and helps regulate your appetite so you don’t experience that mid-afternoon sugar crash.
In addition to keeping you full, superfood powders can boost your energy. Some powders contain compounds such as those found in green tea that are known to give you an energy boost. If your goal is to lose weight, this increased energy can help you achieve that.
Superfoods can also help strengthen your immunity due to their high levels of antioxidants. Consuming antioxidants minimizes damage to your cells that can lead to cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases.
Including superfood powder in your diet can help you feel confident that you’re giving your body what it needs, especially because eating a wide variety of foods can be hard to do in our fast-paced society.
Similarly, superfood powders help save time on meal prep because they make perfect on-the-go meals, especially during busy mornings.
Superfood powders also improve your digestive health. Many superfood powders contain gut-friendly probiotics that support healthy digestion.
Others have digestive enzymes in them to help you properly digest your food, and inulin to nourish the healthy bacteria that live in your gut.
As long as your gut is healthy, the rest of your body has a much higher chance of being healthy as well—including your skin!
Superfood powders nourish your skin, and those who have taken them report an improvement in their skin’s texture and elasticity.
Now that you know why you should include superfood powders in your diet, let’s look at factors to consider when choosing the best superfood powder.
Tips for Choosing the Best Superfood Powder
Look for supplements with high levels of antioxidants.
Not only can having low levels of antioxidants increase your risk of developing a chronic disease, the amount of antioxidants that you consistently have in your body also has a great impact on how long you will live.
So, while you are trying to improve your health, you might as well do it as best as you can and increase the amount of disease-fighting antioxidants in your body.
Low-level antioxidants can increase your risk of developing a chronic disease, look for supplements with a high level of antioxidants.
Choose a product that lists vegetables or fruits as its ingredients.
You want to choose a powder that is derived from whole foods because these are the products that will provide you with the vitamins and minerals that your body needs.
As a general rule, it is best to get your micronutrients from whole food ingredients rather than isolated vitamins because the nutrients in whole food sources often work in synergy, helping your body absorb the nutrients better.
Also, micronutrients in whole foods are usually more bioavailable than they are in synthetic forms.
Ensure that your superfood powder contains fiber for digestion and metabolic support.
You don’t want to neglect your gut health when you’re already taking measures to improve your overall health by drinking superfood powder. These extra ingredients will also help you lose weight if that is your goal.
Check to ensure that your powder supplement does not have added sugars or artificial sweeteners.
Nutrient-dense vegetable powders are often difficult to make in a way that tastes particularly good, especially when you’re trying to fit up to 12 servings of vegetables in a single scoop.
To make these powders palatable, manufacturers often add ingredients that may be harmful, such as artificial sweeteners or GMO ingredients. Watch out for these unnatural additives, and avoid buying powders that contain them.
Be wary of added sugar or artificial sweeteners in your powder supplement.
Make sure that the product does not contain fruits and/or vegetables tainted with pesticides.
You want to choose an organic powder to avoid these harmful chemicals. Consuming the chemicals from pesticides can lead to a variety of chronic diseases.
Studies have shown that organically grown fruits and vegetables have higher amounts of nutrients such as Vitamin C, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron, which are all vital for the healthy functioning of your body.
Avoid products that contain emulsifiers and thickeners added for a more agreeable texture.
Emulsifiers are used in processed foods to make sure they are all uniform. They make ice cream creamy, keep oil and vinegar separate in salad dressings, and make cookies stay soft.
However, these additives have been found to impair your ability to stabilize your blood sugar, increase bacterial adherence in your intestines, and increase your chances of suffering from metabolic syndrome.
This means that these ingredients can impact gastrointestinal health as well as metabolic health, which are two separate systems that are both critical to your overall health.
Steer clear of products with artificial colors.
Artificial food coloring agents such as Yellow #5 and Red #40 are made from petroleum and can put your health at great risk. Some of these risks include hyperactivity in children, cancer, and allergic reactions.
Artificial colors are often hidden ingredients in processed foods, so make sure to check out the ingredient label on your superfood powder to ensure that any color added to the powder is from a natural source.
Now, let’s take a look at some contestants for the best green superfood powder 2024 has brought to us so far.
9 Best Superfood Powders to Start Your Day with a Healthy Drink
1. Best Overall Superfood Powder: Organifi Green Juice
Organifi Green Juice is the best overall option. It provides you with numerous health benefits, as it is packed with several all-natural superfood ingredients to give you a powerful drink mix.
Drinking this superfood powder in the morning will kick-start your body’s processes of detoxing, creating natural energy, and reducing stress.
This product contains ingredients from whole foods, including moringa, chlorella, mint, spirulina, matcha green tea, beets, ashwagandha, wheatgrass, turmeric, lemon, and coconut water.
Having all of these superfood ingredients in one powder helps you save time in the morning, or any time you are on the go.
This superfood mix will help you feel a boost of energy, and help increase your focus throughout the day. It is also full of nature’s most powerful superfoods and loaded with vitamins and minerals, which help improve your immune system.
Finally, these ingredients will also help make your skin glowing and healthy. What’s best is that users find this powder to have a smooth taste with a touch of mint, making it the best tasting greens powder.
It is great for people who follow all types of diets, as this product is suitable for vegans, non-GMO, and free from gluten and soy.
PROS
It contains all-natural, whole-food ingredients.
It provides multiple health benefits.
It has a variety of ingredients to flush out toxins.
Athletic Greens is a whole food superfood powder designed for athletes and gives a body everything it needs for healthy energy, good digestion, workout recovery, and improved immunity. It’s vegan, paleo, keto, and made from organic ingredients without gluten, eggs, nuts, dairy or added sugars.
Athletic Greens is NSF certified and endorsed by world-class athletes and health experts for an active, healthy life.
Athletic Greens is loaded with vitamins and minerals for a healthy body, including Vitamin C, Vitamin E, energy-giving B-complex vitamins, zinc, and more. But what good are all those vitamins if you can’t digest them?
That’s why this formula is made with highly absorbable ingredients, and also contains naturally occurring digestive enzymes to help balance and boost digestion.
It also has prebiotics and probiotics to support the immune system, antioxidants and adaptogens that help the body recover from stress and fatigue. In fact, this superfood formula has the antioxidant equivalent of 12 servings of fruits and vegetables.
Athletic Greens is vegan and paleo, and a keto-friendly food. It’s gluten free, egg free, nut free, and dairy free, with no added sugars. It’s made from organic, high quality plant-based ingredients. It has a more pleasant, less bitter flavor than other green superfoods.
PROS
High in vitamins and minerals
Supports digestion, immunity, and recovery
Vegan, paleo, and keto-friendly
No gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs, or added sugar
CONS
3. Best Value for the Money: Orgain Organic Superfoods
Orgain Organic Superfoods Powder provide a high amount of nutrients to your body every day, which helps support the general functions of your body and your immune system. This is also the best superfood powder option for weight loss.
Orgain Organic Superfoods gives you 50 superfoods in every serving. Even though each of these superfoods has been reduced to a fine powder, you still get all of their nutritional value. By consuming organic ingredients, you are giving yourself a safe and healthy dose of nutrition.
This is a great-tasting option for a fast breakfast if you are in a rush or you are aiming to limit your calorie intake for the day. It will keep you full until lunchtime, and the flavor will satisfy your need for a tasty treat.
This is a great option for people who follow all types of diets, as it is USDA organic, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and does not contain added sugar, artificial sweeteners, or any artificial ingredients.
PROS
The best option for weight loss.
Tastes great.
It can be used to make overnight oats.
CONS
Low in vitamins C, A, and B6.
Some people have experienced constipation after using this.
Not kosher.
4. Most Budget-Friendly: Nested Naturals Super Greens Natural Health Powder
The powder is certified by Good Manufacturing Practices, is tested by a third party for quality assurance, and the manufacturers donate a portion of their profits to Vitamin Angels, a non-profit organization that combats malnutrition worldwide.
This powder contains over 20 organic ingredients that are split up into six categories: an alkalizing blend, a fiber blend, an antioxidant blend, an immunity blend, a probiotic blend, and an enzyme blend.
One antioxidant that this product has that is unique is called truebroc. The actual antioxidant is called glucoraphanin and is found in broccoli.
Truebroc is said to be especially effective in combating inflammation and oxidation, which can help reduce your chances of developing many chronic diseases.
One scoop of this powder has 35 calories, 1 gram of fat, 4 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein. It also includes digestive enzymes and 1.5 billion probiotics from six strains of bacteria, which will give your gut health a boost.
PROS
Includes probiotics and digestive enzymes.
It offers a wide range of ingredients.
Not too expensive.
CONS
The nutrition label lacks full information.
The taste takes some getting used to.
It doesn’t offer as many probiotics as other sources.
5. Best Superfood Powder for Weight Loss: MatchaDNA Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder
MatchaDNA has the very highest quality matcha powder, in a culinary-grade matcha that is sustainably grown and USDA certified organic.
The Hiroshi family has been growing matcha tea since the 13th century, in a family farm at high altitudes in the Hunan district of China, above the runoff of chemicals from lower-altitude farms.
Their matcha is handpicked and processed in small batches and packaged in a sealable tin container for perfect freshness.
MatchaDNA Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder can be added to hot water and enjoyed as a tea, with milk or sweetener if you choose. You may also want to add it to smoothies, make a matcha latte, or try making green tea ice cream or using it in baking recipes.
Matcha is naturally rich in antioxidants, beta carotene, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, so it benefits every part of the body.
This 100% pure matcha powder is certified organic by US and EU standards, sustainably farmed, and fairly traded, so it’s a product you can feel good about. It’s tested for lead and heavy metals, and the tin can is reusable and recyclable.
PROS
100% pure matcha powder with no additives or sweeteners
Premium quality culinary matcha
Can be enjoyed in many different ways
Certified organic in the US and EU
Fairly traded
Affordably priced
Sustainable packaging
CONS
Product can be inconsistent
6. Best for Your Digestion: Vibrant Health, Digestive Vibrance
If your digestion isn’t working properly, it doesn’t matter how healthy your food is; you need healthy digestion in order to absorb and use the nutrients you eat.
This Digestive Vibrance superfood blend from Vibrant Health is designed for bowel health and improved digestion, along with healthy minerals. Vibrant Health carefully sources every ingredient for the highest quality and potency.
The Vibrant Health, Digestive Vibrance blend soothes your stomach with over 100 billion probiotics from 8 different strains, prebiotics, fermentable fibers, and botanical extracts.
With natural ingredients like pomegranate, rosemary, green tea, ginkgo biloba, and ginger, it’s also rich in energizing Vitamin B6 and a great source of selenium and dietary fiber.
It’s flavored with natural ingredients like organic sugar cane powder and stevia, and mandarin and vanilla for a naturally sweet citrus taste. It contains no GMOs, and is vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. It can be added to juice, water, or your favorite beverage, to promote healthy digestion.
PROS
Natural prebiotics and probiotics to promote healthy digestion
High quality carefully sourced ingredients
Contains over 100 billion probiotics from 8 strains
High in nutrients and fiber
Naturally flavored and sweetened
CONS
Some people find the flavor too strong and sweet
7. Best Protein/Superfood Powder Combination: Kylea’s Total Living Drink Greens Superfood Powder
Did you ever wish for a protein powder with the benefits of a superfood? Well, how about a superfood powder that is loaded with protein?
Kylea’s Total Living Drink Greens Superfood Powder has a vegan protein blend that helps you build lean muscle, along with phytonutrients, probiotics, digestive enzymes, antioxidants, and so much more! It’s a fantastic way to get lasting energy, improve your health, and even support weight loss.
Kylea’s Total Living Drink Greens Superfood Powder has everything your body needs in one simple scoop.
It’s full of plant-based proteins, fruits, vegetables, grasses, algae, digestive enzymes, probiotics, amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and even herbs.
It has no sugars, and each scoop has nearly 12 grams of protein, with the nutritional equivalent of 7-10 servings of raw vegetables. Simply add a scoop to water or juice, and enjoy the benefits of a superfood, multivitamin, and protein powder in one.
PROS
Complete formula for overall health
High in plant-based proteins
Contains probiotics and digestive enzymes for digestive health
Contains skin-healthy, heart-healthy ingredients
CONS
Some people do not care for the taste
This formula is not organic
8. Best Source of Antioxidants for Your Heart: Navitas Organics Cacao Powder
Navitas Organics Cacao Powder offers the best source of antioxidants for heart health. It is certified USDA organic and non-GMO, giving you a clean source for nutrition.
This plant-based superfood blend includes cacao, which is an excellent source of minerals such as magnesium, which is vital for all of the cellular functions in the body.
The cacao powder used in this formula is cold-pressed, meaning it goes through a gentle process that preserves the nutrients in the cacao bean. It offers all of the benefits of chocolate, magnified.
You can use this powder to blend into your smoothies, bake, mix into your yogurt, or even make a healthy chocolate bar.
This organic green superfood is delicious and contains over 25 cleansing, nutrient-rich greens, and whole fruits and vegetables.
Drinking this powder helps eliminate toxins from your body and provides you with digestive support while boosting your energy.
The antioxidants in this superfood powder include barley grass, spirulina, spinach, wheatgrass, and kale, all of which are organic.
It also contains natural phytochemicals and chlorophyll to boost its antioxidant powers and neutralize free radicals in your body.
This product is free from artificial or added sugars, refined flour, or any ingredients that contain hydrogenated oils or chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, or antibiotics.
People enjoy the fact that this option is easily digestible and gut-friendly.
This powder takes the guesswork out of maintaining a healthy diet. It is not just for athletes who have to physically perform at an optimal level.
This is also a great option for busy professionals, parents, and people who are health conscious and want to be able to perform at their best, both physically and mentally every day.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
My absolute favorite smoothies to sip are super creamy ones packed with big fruit flavor. It also helps that they’re really pretty. This classic strawberry banana smoothie checks all those boxes: It has the prettiest bright pink color, is bursting with the sweetness of strawberries and bananas, and is just creamy enough thanks to the addition of whatever milk you have in your fridge. Best of all, you only need three ingredients and five minutes to make it.
Key Ingredients in a Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Do You Need to Put Ice in a Smoothie?
You don’t need ice in a smoothie. Instead, go for frozen fruit. It adds more flavor, keeps the smoothie from tasting watery, and gives the drink that signature icy consistency.
How to Make a Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Variations
This creamy smoothie is absolutely delicious as-is, but there are also quite a few variations, whether you want to add a boost of protein, squeeze some greens into your day, or just give it a fun twist.
If you’ve struggled to achieve balance with your pre-workout snack (some make you feel weighed down, others low on energy), consider this your guide to perfecting the craft. I asked registered dietician and founder of Real Nutrition Amy Shapiro, R.D. for three pre-workout snack recipes that fit every craving and the benefits that come with them.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
From the beginning of the year up until a couple of months ago, I’d been living without a blender, and it was a sad time. Before that, I’d used a NutriBullet for years to make fruit smoothies every day — sometimes even twice a day. The reason I put off getting a new blender for so long is because my new kitchen is tiny and barely has any space for another appliance. My roommates have their own blenders and juicers, which are huge and take up a ton of counter space, though I have no interest in sharing with them.
For a minute, I had a rechargeable personal blender, which wasn’t super powerful, but it did the job — until its battery died and refused to recharge. Okay, I thought, it’s officially time to get a real blender. I did some research and came across Ninja’s Nutri Pro blender. It seemed perfect! Not only did it sport a similar design to my beloved NutriBullet, but it also looked compact enough for my small kitchen. Now that I’ve been using it every day for a while, I can say it fully lived up to my expectations. You can shop it directly on Ninja’s website, though right now, it is 20 perfect off on Amazon.
Design Features That Stand Out
When I say this blender is compact, I mean its base measures just under 7 inches wide, which, compared to a lot of other blender bases, is nothing. I store it and the included cup on my dedicated shelf inside one of our cabinets, and I still have plenty of space for my pots, pans, and dishes. Size aside, the base is hefty and has little suction cups on the bottom, so once you stick it on your counter, there’s no budging. This is important because the blending capabilities of this little machine are intense. You’ll also find that the blender’s blades are removable. Once you remove the blade cap, you can drink right out of the 24-ounce single-serve cup, or twist on the spout lid, which allows you to bring your beverage on the go.
Although there’s a dedicated “smoothie” button on the blender, I typically just use the start/stop button, and my smoothies are done in 7 seconds flat. This holds true even when I use frozen berries and ice cubes. Of course, you can also crush ice and chop other tough, fibrous fruits and veggies with the dedicated “crush” button. “Smoothie” and “crush” are both Auto-iQ preset programs, so if you’re not sure how long to blend, they take the guesswork out of the process. No matter which button you press, your concoction will be ready to go in a few seconds. If you’re looking for a tiny but mighty machine that’ll be a workhorse in the kitchen and take care of all your blending needs, look no further — because this is it.
The only downside to this blender is that it’s quite loud, but then again, what blender isn’t? Plus, if you live with people who like to sleep in, you could always make your breakfast smoothie the night before instead of first thing in the morning.
Should You Buy the Ninja Nutri Pro Compact Personal Blender?
Yes! I genuinely think this blender would be a great fit in just about any kitchen, but especially if you’re looking for the following features:
Where to Buy the Ninja Nutri Pro Compact Personal Blender
Here at The Kitchn, we test products first-hand to let you know if they’re worth buying. Although we have affiliate relationships with the brands we cover, we never promote products that we don’t personally test, love, and own.
Yes, you can find a variety of skin smoothie recipes chock-full of antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies. This isn’t what we’re talking about here. Rather, Amy creates a cocktail of topicals to glaze across her face and body.
“Let me put you on the best hack for glowy skin,” she explains. “If you have dull or dry skin, you need this. It’s a little smoothie basically.” Get it?
A couple of caveats I should note: Amy’s base includes a generous dollop of Vaseline, which some people choose to avoid for environmental reasons. (It’s made from mineral oil, which is petrochemical derived and does not biodegrade well1. You can read more about those concerns here.)
The surprising skin-loving ingredient: cilantro (no, not parsley). Yep, you read that right: Research shows that cilantro can help reduce the aging effects of sun damage1 in mice in addition to boosting—you guessed it!—collagen. Pretty cool, right?
Of course, you can always just add a scoop of collagen powder to your smoothie for those firming, plumping benefits. But why not double the perks with some cilantro?
That being said, this herb isn’t the first ingredient you might reach for when whipping up a tasty smoothie. If you do it right, however, the flavor will actually enhance your blend, rather than dominate it. In my experience, the best way to add cilantro is with a tropical base. To come, my go-to recipe:
So does collagen replace protein powder entirely? Not exactly. See, the amino acid composition of each of these powders is different—however, collagen does still contain many amino acids (aka, the building blocks of protein).
In general, “Collagen powder and protein powder are different products with different nutrition profiles, different ingredients, and different goals,” Scott Keatley, R.D.once told mbg. Ultimately, which powder is right for you depends on the benefits you’re looking for.
While collagen may not be the best option for those looking to make substantial muscle gains, it’s still packed with benefits. For some, these perks may be an even better fit than those of protein powder. Not sure which one you should choose? Here are a few pros of each.*
Not to mention, this blend contains 17.7 grams of hydrolyzed collagen peptides as well, all in the same step. Not so bad, huh?
And we’d be remiss not to mention that your skin’s natural collagen production fades with age. Around your mid to late 20s (depending on genetics), your collagen production will slow down. From that point on, you’ll lose about 1% of your collagen stash every year22. And once menopause comes along, you can actually lose around 30%.
Collagen plays a major role in supporting healthy, youthful-looking skin.* The list of benefits of collagen supplementation is a mile long, but here’s a guide to get you started.
We appreciate the emphasis on caring for your skin from the inside out, and this dupe recipe is a great way to do just that from your own home.
