– vegan – refined sugar free –

Is there really anything better than a super simple yet delicious smoothie that is jam packed with vitamins, minerals, and healthy carbs to keep us running at our best all day!? This omega-3 smoothie is just that! And to make it even better, I’ve given special attention to the omega-3 in this drink, so you can go about the rest of your day knowing that you’ve met your needs for this essential fatty acid.

How to add omega-3 to a smoothie:

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are both important to get in the diet. Omega-6 is wildly abundant in vegan food, but omega-3 can be a little trickier. There are 3 types of omega-3 fatty acids: ALA, EPA and DHA. Currently in 2021, there is no RDA set for omega-3, but we instead have what experts have agreed are adequate intakes:

EPA: a minimum of 150 mg
DHA: a minimum of 300 mg
ALA: 1.6 g for men / 1.1 g for women

Luckily, ALA is very easy to get on a vegan diet and it can be converted to EPA + DHA in the body. So with enough ALA, we can meet all our requirements for EPA and DHA, too. Based on estimated conversion rates, men need about 7.5 grams of ALA and women need about 3.3 grams per day. Here are several ways you can meet this requirement using different food sources of omega-3 in this easy smoothie:

Women: 1/2 tbsp flaxseed oil // men: 1 tbsp flaxseed oil. My favorite flaxseed oil is Barlean’s cold pressed flax oil.
Women: 1 1/2 tbsp flaxseeds // men: 3 tbsp flaxseeds
Women: 2 tbsp chia seeds // men: 4 tbsp chia seeds

You can use any of the above options in this easy omega-3 smoothie.

More tips for making the best smoothie:

This smoothie uses frozen bananas. To freeze bananas, first peel them and cut them into 4-5 pieces each. I find small pieces make the blending process easier. Then store in an air-tight container or bag and transfer to the freezer at least overnight. However, if you don’t have frozen bananas on hand and you want this smoothie right now, you can substitute with 2 bananas and a handful of ice.
Blueberries can cause a gelling effect. If you have ever noticed that your smoothie starts to gel up and becomes thick as it sits, this is natural and is caused by the blueberries! To prevent it from happening, keep smoothies that contain blueberries more on the liquid-y side by adding extra nondairy milk or ice. Additionally, enjoy the smoothie immediately after making it.

Kitchen Essentials:

A blender or food processor. I love my Ninja blender, but any blender will work.

Substitutions:

Nondairy milk: any plain nondairy milk will work for this omega-3 smoothie. I prefer soy milk for it’s creaminess and added health.
Frozen blueberries: you can substitute frozen blueberries with any frozen berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc).
Frozen bananas: if you don’t have frozen bananas on hand, you can substitute with 2 bananas and a handful of ice.

If you love this easy omega-3 smoothie, I think you will really love some of my other favorite smoothies as well: