Start the New Year off on the Right Foot with a Pomegranate Banana Smoothie

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If I am continually guilty of anything, it’s not sticking with my New Year’s resolution to get back to healthy eating.

Vertical shot of a glass half filled with a foamy pink smoothie, with a white paper straw printed with gold metallic stars, with another identical glass in the background, on a red and white checkered cloth topped with scattered decorative paper coaster, printed with orange and white text.

After a few months of tailgating food escalating to Thanksgiving gorging and finishing with a strong investment in all the holiday cookies, getting back to those beach body diet habits is really tough.

To switch all of a sudden from flavors that are sweet, savory, and complex to a bunch of salads and healthy wraps is kind of a giant downer, if you ask me.

Two stemless wine glasses containing a pink smoothie with white paper straws printed with gold metallic stars, on paper decorative coasters on top of a red and white checkered cloth, on a brown wood surface with an aqua painted backdrop.

Instead of torturing ourselves with sub-par healthy food, let’s start pumping our palates with delicious healthy food that we want to keep revisiting, time and time again.

One of the best places to start is with breakfast. It’s the first meal of the day, and it’s the one that gets us off on the right foot to be productive throughout the hours to come.

Overhead vertical shot of two glasses containing a pink fruit smoothie, with white paper straws printed with metallic gold stars, on a red and white checkered cloth with decorative paper coaster printed with "Cheers" in gold.

I personally am a big fan of smoothies when I am trying to get back into healthy habits. You can pack a ton of different proteins, vitamins and minerals, and healthy fiber into your diet in a single glass of deliciousness.

Plus, it’s a super easy breakfast to take on the go, while you make your way to work.

Getting back into the grind after all of those holiday days off can be hard enough, so breakfast shouldn’t be an extra hindrance as you make your groggy way toward full weeks of work again.

This pomegranate banana smoothie is a creamy and dreamy beverage that you will never get sick of. It’s made with pomegranate juice, banana, chia seeds, yogurt, and a touch of honey for a little added sweetness to balance out the tartness of the mixture.

Vertical image of two clear stemless wine glasses filled halfway with a pink fruit smoothie, with white paper straws decorated with gold metallic stars, on a red and white checkered cloth with a robin's egg blue background.

The biggest benefit of this smoothie is that it’s packed with the healthy components that are held within each ingredient. Trust me when I say that it will help you stay full and feeling fit right up until lunchtime rolls around.

Let’s focus on the star of the show, shall we? We all know it’s the magical, ruby-colored pomegranate. Just look at that gorgeous color. That pretty ruby-red hue can only come from the rich vibrancy of its juice.

Pomegranate juice offers a ton of varied potential health benefits. For example, according to nutritional therapist Nicola Shubrook and registered nutritionist Kerry Torrins at BBC Good Food, it’s known for helping to reduce inflammation with higher levels of antioxidants than other fruit juices, not to mention wine and green tea.

The juice of a single pomegranate offers more than 40% of the daily recommended minimum intake of vitamin C for adults. It’s also a good source of vitamins E and K, folate, and potassium.

This proves that green juice isn’t the only healthy option out there after all. Just make sure you are purchasing 100% pomegranate juice when you make this smoothie. You don’t want any of the added sugars impacting your intake for the day.

Overhead vertical shot of a glass of pomegranate and banana smoothie with a gold and white paper straw, with another glass mostly outside the frame to the left, with white decorative cardstock coasters on a red and white checkered cloth.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg, as there are health benefits to every single element of this smoothie:

All that incredible healthy goodness in one smoothie? How can you possibly resist?

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Two stemless wine glasses of a pink fruit smoothie, with paper straws and sitting on cardboard coasters, on a folded and gathered red, orange, and white checkered cloth.

Pomegranate Banana Smoothie

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  • Author: Shanna Mallon
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 smoothie 1x
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Description

Our nutrient-packed Pomegranate Banana Smoothie will make you want to stick to your New Year’s resolution to get healthy.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup 100% pomegranate juice, more if needed
  • 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp plain yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey, or to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1/2 large frozen banana, peeled and broken in half
  • 2 large ice cubes

Instructions

  1. Layer the ingredients in the blender as listed in the ingredients list, with liquids on the bottom/closest to the blade and ice on the top.
  2. Pulse until the ingredients just start to come together, then turn on to blend completely until smooth, for about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides with a spatula if necessary, and add more pomegranate juice if needed to reach the desired consistency. Serve immediately.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Smoothies
  • Method: No-Cook
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: smoothie, pomegranate, banana, healthy, vegetarian

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Break Up Banana and Measure Remaining Ingredients

Peel the frozen banana and break it in half. Set aside.

If you like, you can even plan your breakfast meal prep in advance, and peel, chop, and freeze bananas ahead of time so they’ll be ready to go when it’s smoothie time.

Measure out all of the remaining ingredients as listed. Have extra pomegranate juice? Use it in our pomegranate orange ice cream!

Step 2 – Combine Ingredients

Overhead shot of a clear plastic blender pitcher with pomegranate juice at the bottom, on a brown and beige striped wood surface.

Layer the ingredients in your blender canister as listed in the ingredients list. Start with the liquids and finish with frozen ingredients on top.

Overhead shot of pomegranate juice and plain yogurt in the bottom of a large plastic pitcher-style blender canister, on a striped tan and brown wood surface.

This is important to make sure the heavier ingredients press everything down towards the blade, so it all blends together easily.

Overhead shot of two pieces of banana and chia seeds in the bottom on a clear blender pitcher, on a striped wood surface.

If you have a personal blender like the Nutribullet Pro 900 or another type that is not top-loading, layer the ingredients starting with the frozen to the liquid items, so when you flip the bottom-loading container over, the layers will be correct.

Step 3 – Blend

Start by pulsing the ingredients together a few times until they start to come together. Then blend until completely combined. This should take about 30 seconds total.

Be sure to scrape down the sides as needed when you blend, so all of the ingredients will be thoroughly incorporated.

Overhead shot of a pink frothy mixture in a clear plastic blender pitcher canister, on a striped brown wood surface.

If you like your smoothie a little thinner, you can add more pomegranate juice until it reaches your desired consistency.

Does It Matter what Kind of Yogurt You Use?

As you see listed in the ingredients, plain yogurt is ideal for this smoothie because it won’t compete with the other flavors in that blender.

Of course, you can use regular yogurt, but you can also use plain Greek yogurt if you would rather. Greek yogurt has lower water content so you’ll get a thicker smoothie as a result. You might think that extra tang will make the smoothie too tart, but it actually is still a great option if that’s your preference.

If you want more of that vanilla flavor, add ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract instead of reaching for that vanilla-flavored yogurt. It’ll give you the same richness and depth of flavor, but you can avoid the excess sugar.

Two stemless wine glasses of a pink fruit smoothie, with paper straws and sitting on cardboard coasters, on a folded and gathered red, orange, and white checkered cloth.

Looking for even more nutrient-packed beverages? Don’t miss our recipes for:

You can read our guide to making the best blended beverages here, or visit our full archive of the best smoothie recipes.

Do you prefer plain yogurt or plain Greek yogurt in your smoothies? Tell us in the comments below. And be sure to come back to rate the recipe as well!

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published by Shanna Mallon on March 17, 2010. Last updated: June 7, 2022 at 12:34 pm.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

The staff at Foodal are not medical professionals and this article should not be construed as medical advice. Foodal and Ask the Experts, LLC assume no liability for the use or misuse of the material presented above. Always consult with a medical professional before changing your diet, or using supplements or manufactured or natural medications.

About Meghan Yager

Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.

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