Makings of a breakfast smoothie.

Medicine doesn’t necessarily have to come from a pharmacy. I take prescription and over the counter drugs to manage the side effects of chemo, but what and how I eat is also an important part of that plan. When it comes to my first meal of the day, I had always been a drink-coffee-first-eat-later kinda guy, but since my diagnosis, I’ve been making sure to limit caffeine, stay hydrated, and have a nutritious breakfast within an hour or so of getting up. One of my favorite menu options is a smoothie, because it’s a quick and easy way to boost my fiber and fluid intakes, and it never comes out the same way, twice.

I don’t measure anything or work from a recipe, but there is a general method. First, I take a carrot, a stalk of celery, some frozen and fresh fruit, and maybe some greens, and toss them all into my blender. For the liquid, I splash in a bit of pomegranate juice, then pour in enough orange juice to cover everything. After adding some flax meal for protein—probably a tablespoon or two—and remembering to put the lid on (important!), I blend up some breakfast.

All smoothed up!

The carrots, celery, juices, and flax seed are standard, but I change up the other ingredients based on whatever I have on hand. Because I vary the amounts of the fruits and vegetables each time, the smoothies always taste a little different, even if what they’re made from may be the same. This week, I discovered a combo that I really like: macintosh apple, spinach, and white grapes. Some others that have worked well: blueberry and peach; clementine and peach; mixed berries, pears, and romaine lettuce; pineapple, strawberry, and watermelon; and plum and raspberry. If I’m out of flax meal, I’ll add a little peanut or almond butter, or skim or almond milk.

To save time, I wash, peel, and chop stuff in advance, and store it in bags or containers. That’s good, too, for making sure I can grab a quick snack during the day, and for cutting down on prep time for other meals. I’ve been freezing any fruit that’s getting too ripe, which also cuts down on food waste. Hot tip: freeze cut up produce flat in a zip top bag, leaving some space between pieces, so once it’s frozen you can take out whatever amount you need and put back the rest. Also, store bags vertically, like books, and it’s easier to get them in and out of the freezer.

Smoothies work for me because they’re a fast and easy way to start the day off right, and they don’t get boring if I change up the ingredients. Drinking fruits and veggies in the morning instead of coffee: who would have thought?