Don’t you love when the leaves start to change color, and the air becomes crisp? The seasons are changing and it seems almost immediately that your taste buds seem to adapt too. Ah, but the arrival of fall brings so much more than just pumpkin spice and candy corn. It brings a whole bunch of fall favorite ingredients you can play with in your smoothies.

Say adios to everything coconut, pineapple, and lime for now. They’ll be back next summer. Instead, embrace these four vitamin-rich fall ingredients and enhance your October smoothies, while keeping your skin healthy.

Carrots: Vitamin A

The humble carrot is not only low in calories, but is also high in antioxidants and vitamins. Score! When you eat carrots, your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, giving you an estimated 300% of your daily intake! 

Your skin will thank you too if you make carrots part of your daily life in the fall, as they go a long way in reducing fine lines, giving you a healthy glow (without tanning!), and help to combat oily skin.

Try this Carrot Smoothie recipe: 

• 1 cup chopped carrots (steamed and cooled if you do not have a high-power blender or to make extra smooth for kids)

• 1/2 cup frozen sliced banana

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup Silk Vanilla Cashew Milk, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, or milk of your choice

• 1/4 cup frozen diced pineapple

• 2 tablespoons toasted walnuts

• 1 tablespoon flaked coconut (optional)

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• Pinch nutmeg

Blend it until smooth and top with shredded carrots, coconut, and crushed walnuts if you’re feeling fancy.

Recipe source: Well Plated by Erin

Pumpkin Seeds: Zinc

Pumpkin seeds in a smoothie?! Yep, you heard us right! You might be used to snacking on these little zinc-rich seeds while in class, but they release their superfood magic just as well in a smoothie. 

Why should you eat more zinc? Aside from battling breakouts, zinc naturally helps maintain collagen levels, which means your skin will stay nice and plump.

Try this Pumpkin Seed Smoothie: 

• 1 ripe banana, peeled

• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

• 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds

• 1 tablespoon flaxseeds

• 8 almonds

• 1 cup almond milk

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon honey

• 2 teaspoons almond butter

• 3 ice cubes

• Freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish

To give the seeds some time to do their magic, set them in a small bowl, covered with water overnight – room temperature. You can also freeze your banana overnight, while you’re at it.

When you wake up the next morning, drain the seeds, and blend all your ingredients until smooth. Easy, peasy, pumpkin seed squeezy!

Recipe source: Kitchen Konfidence

Kale: Vitamin C

Love it or hate it, there’s no denying the many health benefits a bunch of kale has to offer. 

If you struggle with dry skin in the cooler months of October, November and beyond, you’ll be especially grateful for the power of Vitamin C in kale which helps reduce the effect of damage and helps hydrate the skin. Vitamin C is also extremely powerful in preventing damage to your skin caused by a poor diet (all those late-night pizzas) and stress (exams, ugh).

Try this Fall Detox Kale smoothie: 

• 2 oz. Kale

• 4 Parsley Sprigs

• 1 Avocado

• 1 fl. oz. Breakfast Syrup

• 8 fl. oz. Apple Cider

• Rinse and blend all ingredients, adding a few blocks of ice if you’d like.

Recipe source: Home Chef

Chia Seeds: Omega-3’s

Chia seeds are more than just fun little seeds that turn to jelly in your mouth; they’re actually one of nature’s richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. 

This means that when eaten regularly, chia seeds will help to plump your skin, improve hydration, and even combat dry, itchy skin.

Try this Chocolate Chia smoothie recipe:

• 1 banana, peeled

• 1 cup tightly-packed fresh spinach

• 1 cup ice

• 1 cup milk (2% or whole)

• 3 tablespoons chia seeds

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade

• (optional: 1 tablespoon honey, if needed to sweeten)

Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth. Then, enjoy!

Recipe source: Gimme Some Oven