For the best breakfast smoothie ever, we head to Fairmount where a mother, entrepreneur and so-called "Juice Doctor" is sharing one of the recipes that she says changed her routine and her life.
Latoya Brown is the brains, and heart, behind Made with Love Juicery in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia.
She proudly says she's a product of her product.
"I actually lost 100 pounds through juicing and smoothies," says Brown.
The Dish: Best breakfast smoothie from Made with Love Juicery
Latoya started this journey working at the juice bar at the nearby Whole Foods.
"Amazon came and bought them out, and they decided to close the juice bar down," she explains. "I was blessed enough to leave with a customer base."
At the time, Latoya was studying to be a pharmacist at Temple University . For two years, she made homemade juice deliveries, until she finally opened her first storefront in 2021.
She says she also found that food is medicine.
"I've been able to combine my studies to make nutrient-dense, delicious recipes," she says. "So it all worked out. I had no idea I would become 'The Juice Doctor.'"
Latoya started with a grab-and-go spot at 20th and Spring Garden, and later expanded to a sprawling space at 19th and Fairmount.
"Everything here is made with love," she says. "It's made with health. Everything we do is a labor of love."
Latoya makes a variety of smoothies, colorful juices and health-packed power shots. She also makes gorgeous acai bowls and savory dishes.
"We have our gourmet toasts, we have paninis and sandwiches, and then we also have a line of 'Mighty Milks,' which is near and dear to my heart. They're a homemade cashew milk, and they're absolutely amazing," she said.
Our Best Breakfast Smoothie starts with spinach.
"This is going to be good for iron and folic acid," she says.
Then, add frozen bananas, for potassium.
"Dates are my secret weapon," she says. "I love dates. They're high in iron, high in fiber, and so good for digestion."
Next, add any milk you like. We're using almond milk. Finally, add protein-and-fat-dense peanut butter.
"One of the things that make our smoothies absolutely amazing is we don't use ice," she says. "We freeze all of our fruit, so you get a nutrient dense, delicious smoothie that's not all watered down."
If the kids won't drink it because it's green, add frozen blueberries and voila - it's purple!
Best Breakfast Smoothie Recipe from Made with Love Juicery
Ingredients:
- 2 cups frozen blueberries (if you want to make smoothie purple)
- 1 handful of raw spinach
- 2 dates
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
- 8 oz. unsweetened almond milk
Blend ingredients together and serve! Enjoy!