Do you find it hard to eat healthy when you’re suffering with anxiety?
Do you want an easy and delicious way to get the nutrients your body needs to reduce anxiety symptoms?
What if I told you it was easier than you think to incorporate simple recipes into your diet for anxiety relief?
Wouldn’t it be nice to have quick, tasty recipes recipes on hand to bring you more peace and calm? What if instead of feeling even more anxious and worried about what you were going to eat, you felt confident and at ease knowing how to care for yourself with your diet?
Almost everyone with anxiety suffers from nutrient deficiencies because of poor dietary habits. (If you missed the post where I talked about the specific nutrients, you can read about them here). Making small, sustainable changes to your diet to include more nutrients for anxiety-relief is an effective approach to gaining freedom from your anxiety symptoms.
In my personal journey and in working with clients, I’ve found one of the easiest ways to begin a healthy eating journey is to incorporate smoothies into your daily routine. They’re easy, delicious and offer a quick way to get lots of nutrients into your body!
It can be difficult on our systems to eat smoothies during winter because of how “cold” they are from a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, so I’ve decided to pick out 3 of my winter time favorites to help you alleviate anxiety through the season with ease!
I’ve also made sure they are loaded with the anxiety-relieving nutrients you need along with some additional nutrients to keep your immune system strong during the Winter season. Adding these recipes to your weekly meal plan will set you on the path to natural anxiety relief while boosting immunity!
Butternut Squash Smoothie
Loaded with 17 grams of fiber, 5mg of iron, .7mg of vitamin B6 and 241mg of magnesium, this smoothie is a delicious way to keep stress and anxiety at bay during the Winter! And it’s loaded with Vitamin A for immune support too.
Organic Ingredients (one serving):
- 1 1/3 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1/2 cup Frozen Cauliflower
- 4 leaves Romaine (roughly chopped)
- 3/4 cup Butternut Squash (frozen, cubed)
- 1/2 Banana (frozen)
- 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 cup Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1 1/2 tbsps Chia Seeds
- 1 tbsp Almond Butter
Directions:
Place all ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
Notes:
- Make it Warm: You can heat up the cauliflower, squash and/or the almond milk before blending to make this a warm smoothie! Great for a chilly Winter morning.
- Nut-Free: Use coconut or oat milk and use sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
- No Frozen Butternut Squash: Use fresh, cooked squash or canned.
- Protein Powder: This recipe was developed and tested using a plant-based protein powder. I highly recommend the Vanilla Protein Powder from Amazing Grass (which you can order for 10% off retail at my online store here)!
Hot Chocolate Smoothie
This nutrient powerhouse checks all the boxes for reducing stress and relieving anxiety! With an impressive 13 grams of fiber, 4 mg iron, 0.5 mg vitamin B6, and 177 mg magnesium, you’ll be alleviating anxiety one delicious sip at a time!
Organic Ingredients (one serving):
- 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1/2 cup Frozen Cauliflower
- 1/2 Banana
- 1/4 cup Chocolate Protein Powder
- 2 tbsps Cocoa Powder
- 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1/8 tsp Sea Salt (optional, for topping)
Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the almond milk. Bring to a simmer and then add to a blender.
Add the remaining ingredients. Blend carefully, allowing space for the heat to escape, until smooth and creamy. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes:
- Nut-Free: Use coconut milk or another nut-free milk instead.
- More Flavor: Add cinnamon to your smoothie!
- Protein Powder: This recipe was developed and tested using a plant-based protein powder. I highly recommend the Chocolate Protein Powder from Amazing Grass (which again, is available from my online store for 10% off retail!)
Pumpkin Spice Warm Smoothie
Coming in with a healthy 12 grams of fiber, 4 mg of Iron, 0.3 mg of Vitamin B6, and 161 mg of Magnesium, this smoothie helps you nourish your friendly gut bacteria and boost nutrient levels to reduce anxiety symptoms. The pumpkin in this smoothie also offers a therapeutic amount of Vitamin A to boost your immunity too!
Organic Ingredients (one serving):
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/4 cup Oats (rolled)
- 1/2 cup Pureed Pumpkin
- 1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 tbsp Almond Butter
- 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1/3 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1/2 Banana
- 1 tsp Maple Syrup
Directions:
Add the water and oats to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4 minutes. Add the pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and stir.
Add the pumpkin and oat mixture to a blender along with the remaining ingredients. Blend carefully, allowing space for the heat to escape, until smooth and creamy. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes:
- Nut Free: Use another non-dairy milk such as oat or flax milk.
- Serving Size: One serving is approximately 1.5 cups
Using Your Diet for Anxiety Relief
Remember, one of the best things you can do for yourself if you experience anxiety is to focus on what you can control. (You can read more about that here.) With that in mind, focusing on what you’re putting into your body is essential for your relief!
These 3 simple and delicious recipes are a great choice you can make to relieve your anxiety, naturally! By upgrading your diet to be more nutrient-dense, you’ll improve your body’s biochemistry and support your journey to keep anxiety symptoms at bay.
And as a bonus, these recipes are perfect for the cold winter months and offer you extra nutrients for immune-boosting success too!
Don’t forget, as you begin to change your diet, start small and stay consistent for the best chances at long-term success! Choosing just one smoothie recipe and including it in your meal plan a few times a week is a great place to start.
Once that new habit becomes easy, add in a second smoothie recipe for the week or commit to smoothies for breakfast several days a week. As you keep building up these healthy dietary habits, the more you’ll rebuild the nutrient stores in your body to keep you healthy, calm and free from anxiety!
As always, if you need extra support implementing any of these strategies, please contact me. I’m always here to help you and would be honored to support you on your journey. (You can learn more about working with me here, if you’re intrigued.)
And if you’re looking for inspiration, new recipes, meal plans, and even more tools delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter! Join me as I lead our tribe of peaceful warriors dedicated to finding natural anxiety relief!
Remember, you are worthy and deserving of peace, tranquility, strength, love, health, and wholeness.
You’ve got this. I believe in YOU!
Much Love,
Susan Renee
P.S. Hungry for more recipes to help you on the path to natural anxiety relief? There are even more ways to set yourself on the path of natural anxiety relief in some of my previous blogs!
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