I used to love Daily Harvest smoothies, but I eventually stopped ordering them. The monthly boxes felt expensive, heavy to lug inside, and once the dry ice even burned my fingers. At $8.49 per smoothie, the cost adds up fast, even if you’re only ordering once a month.

Recently, I was listening to the Mel Robbins podcast and she had Dr. Dawn Mussallem, a breast health specialist, on to talk about 5 Foods That Heal the Body, Starve Cancer, and Prevent Disease. One thing that really stopped me in my tracks was what she shared about berries. "According to the research, for every two servings of berries per week, breast cancer risk goes down. Even more striking, for breast cancer survivors, two servings a week can reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer by 25 percent."

After hearing this, it was the push I needed to make smoothies a weekly habit again, without the pricey subscription.

I make my own at home using frozen fruit from Safeway. There are a few options, organic or regular, small bags or jumbo, but the jumbo bags aren’t actually cheaper per ounce, and they take up too much freezer space, so I stick with rotating the regular-size bags depending on what’s in stock.  Wild blueberries are potent superfoods, packed with 33% more intense flavor and higher antioxidant levels than regular blueberries. Dr. Dawn Mussallem said you don't need to buy organic wild blueberries since they are wild. She also mentioned that frozen berries are cheaper than fresh berries. 

To make prep easier, I let bananas ripen on the counter, then cut each into four pieces and freeze them in a stasher bag. The kale I wash and cut, putting a little bit into six jars and the rest into a Stasher bag in the freezer. The fiber in kale slows digestion, keeping blood sugar stable, contains iron, B vitamins, and magnesium which support energy production. When blended with fruit, the flavor of kale is mild and hardly noticeable.

I also add chia seeds, flaxseeds, and three Navitas superfood blends: Immunity, Adaptogen, and Digestive to my smoothies. I’ve been using Navitas for over a decade; you can find them at Whole Foods or online. Chia seeds provide fiber, omega-3s, protein, and minerals, while flaxseeds are a plant-based source of omega-3s that promote gut health and lower cholesterol. The Navitas Superfood+ Immunity Blend  has camu berry, orange, and acerola cherry powders for vitamin C. The Superfood+ Adaptogen Blend  combines maca for energy with reishi and ashwagandha to keep you calm. The Superfood+ Digestive Blend contains prune, banana, Irish sea moss, and aloe vera, which supports digestion, thyroid function, immunity and high in potassium. Irish sea moss has a high fiber content and acts as a prebiotic to promote a healthy gut microbiome and has essential minerals like magnesium, and zinc.

I used to use frozen acai, which I prefer for flavor, but frozen unsweetened ice cube size (ambazon Frozen Unsweetened Acai Berry Globes)  are tricky to find, and the Trader Joe's  packets are hard to separate when frozen. For now I'm using Navitas acai powder, which is convenient, though I find it less flavorful than frozen.

For extra sweetness and hydration, I add Zico coconut water instead of plain water. It costs about $1.42 per 8 fl oz serving, and Trader Joe’s coconut water is a slightly cheaper alternative.

Here’s the cost breakdown for a base smoothie (without coconut water):

• Frozen raspberries: $0.47

• Wild blueberries: $1.80

• Cherries: $1.56

• Banana: $0.125

• Kale: $0.25

• Chia seeds: $0.09

• Flaxseeds: $0.04

Base smoothie total: $4.34

Adding the three Navitas blends:

• Immunity: $0.50

• Adaptogen: $0.50

• Digestive: $0.60

Total cost per smoothie: $5.94, compared to $8.49 from Daily Harvest. Since I was buying about 10 smoothies per month, I save $25.50 monthly. Adding coconut water brings the total to $7.36 per smoothie still well below the price of store-bought smoothies.

I prep these smoothies in glass jars for grab-and-go convenience and portion control. I found that fruit sticks to plastic tervis tumblers. Using glass jars prevents me from accidentally making too much, which happens when I pour ingredients directly into the blender.  I drink mine with a glass straw.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp acai powder (or 1/3 of Trader Joe's frozen acai packet)

• 9 cherries

• ¼ cup wild blueberries

• 1/8 cup frozen raspberries or 3 fresh

• ¼–½ banana (depending on how much you like banana flavor)

• 1 tsp flaxseeds

• 1 tsp chia seeds

• 1 tsp Immunity Blend

• 1½ tsp Digestive Blend

• Handful of kale

• 1 cup coconut water

This approach saves money, reduces packaging waste, and gives me full control over flavor, portion size, and nutrient density, all while creating smoothies that taste great and are packed with superfoods.

 I highly recommend listening to Mel Robbins’ episode, where Dr. Dawn Mussallem, highlights the other four foods to include in your weekly diet: purple sweet potatoes, cruciferous vegetables, beans, and soy foods like edamame, tofu, and tempeh. She points to Asia, where breast cancer rates are very low, and notes that soy can also reduce the risk of prostate cancer. She said the American Cancer Society’s 2022 Nutrition and Exercise Update devoted three paragraphs to the safety of soy for breast cancer survivors. She also references studies by Neil Barnard showing that just half a cup of edamame a day, combined with a healthy plant-based diet, can reduce moderate to severe hot flashes. As a bonus, kiwi supports digestion and gut health, including helping with constipation. Lots of good info in that episode!