By Joshua Duvauchelle

These delicious ingredients are guaranteed to make you a morning person

“How did it get so late so soon?” This Dr. Seuss quip is unfortunately the morning mantra for many of us as we scramble to prepare a healthy breakfast for ourselves or our families.

Lack of time is one of the top barriers to preparing a healthy meal, a Health Canada study found, while a survey by the Heart & Stroke Foundation notes that 41% of Canadians think healthy food takes too long to prepare.

But healthy food doesn’t have to take hours in the kitchen. We can reach for a nutrient-rich smoothie for our next breakfast, or any time we’re tempted to skip a meal or eat an unhealthy snack.

Keep a blender and the following basic superfoods on hand. In a quick 60 seconds or less, we have all the essentials we need for a happy, healthy day.

1. The Foundation

Every great smoothie starts here. Add a cup or two of your favourite milk to your blender’s pitcher. It could be your favourite dairy milk, or a plant-based superfood option like cashew milk or hemp milk.

Bonus tip:

If you’re making a smoothie for breakfast, try swapping out milk for fruit-infused iced green tea. It gives an extra kick of antioxidants and get-out-of-bed caffeine.

2. Protein Power-Ups

Research shows that having protein at every meal stimulates around-the-clock protein synthesis that enhances our muscle health. Similarly, an analysis of 24 different scientific studies found that people who have protein at every meal saw the most health benefits, including fat loss, weight loss and better lean body mass.

Add a scoop of whey protein or whey protein isolate — a healthy, lean source of protein. For a vegetarian-friendly option, a plant-based protein powder like pea protein does the trick.

Bonus tip:

Toss in half a block of silken tofu. It doesn’t just amp up the protein and add a healthy dose of nutrients known as flavonoids, but it also makes the smoothie taste rich and creamy.

3. Fabulous Fibre

Most Canadians don’t even get half of our recommended daily fibre amounts, warns the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation.

Eating fibre at each meal:

• Improves our digestion by moving food through our system.
• Strengthens the level of healthy bacteria in our gut, which have been linked to better nutrient absorption, better handling of stress, and more.
• Moderates our blood sugar levels.
• Helps us feel full longer so we can better manage our weight

Toss a couple tablespoons of your favourite fibre-rich superfood into the blender. Nutrient-dense, tasty options include quinoa, chia seeds, flax seeds and oats.

4. Oh My Omegas

Statistics Canada notes that 4 out of 10 of us don’t get enough omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats may reduce our risks of some of our society’s biggest chronic health problems, including heart attacks, strokes, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Fatty fish is one of the most popular go-tos for boosting omega-3 intake, but no one wants a fishy smoothie. Instead, go with a couple tablespoons of a vegan alternative like pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds or flaxseed oil.

5. Fruit Punch

Many of us accidentally overdo it with the fruit in our smoothie. While high in vitamins and antioxidants, some fruits are also very high in sugar. For the highest health impact without a sugar overload, focus on superfood fruits and vegetables with an exceptionally high level of the crucial phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants linked with disease prevention and overall vitality.

Example superfoods include chlorella, wheatgrass, acai, goji berries and kale. These are no ordinary fruits and veggies. For example, chlorella has been used for boosting white blood cell counts, helping prevent cancer and detoxing our system from toxic metals.

Use just enough fruit to lightly flavor the smoothie, and keep the ratio heavily tilted towards veggies over fruit.

Now that you have the five building blocks for a perfectly healthy, amazingly delicious breakfast shake, hit blend and enjoy!

Don’t Have Time to Grocery Shop?

For those days that we forget to run to the grocery store to pick up our superfood smoothie ingredients, LeanFit has our backs. The new Leanfit All-in-One includes all the above building blocks and packs it into a convenient mix that we can toss into our favorite cup of milk or water. No blender is required!

Every serving of All-in-One contains:

• Whey protein from grass-fed cows
• Fibre-rich acacia, oats, quinoa and more
• Healthy omega-3 fatty acids from chia seeds and pumpkin seeds
• A wide array of fruit and vegetable superfoods, including peas, kale, broccoli, wheatgrass, acai, goji berries, blueberries and chlorella
• An extra helping of essential vitamins and minerals

Click here to learn more about Leanfit All-in-One, available exclusively through Amazon.ca.

About the Author: Joshua Duvauchelle is a certified personal trainer, health coach and LeanFit Ambassador. You can see more health and fitness tips at at JoshDuv.com