When you need breakfast or a snack and you need it fast, it doesn't get much easier than smoothies. There is no quicker way to get your daily serving of fruit (and these days, even a dose of vegetables) into your body. along with tons of antioxidants and other nutrients. And you won't find any smoothies healthier than the ones you make at home. Many smoothie purveyors blend frozen yogurt, sherbet, and even ice cream into their smoothies. With all that extra sugar, you might as well call them milkshakes.
Another advantage of making your own smoothies? You can explore a whole new range of new and delicious flavor combinations, with fresh flavorings that can help boost wellbeing, too. Here are all the recipes and strategies you need to give your smoothie the upgrade it deserves.
When blending your perfect smoothie, think beyond water or milk as the primary liquid. We like to use almond milk or coconut water as a base for their slightly sweet flavors and bonus health benefits. And sometimes we like to go green, too-green tea, that is. OurSpinach-Avocado Smoothiewith Grapefruit includes green tea for its subtle aromatic taste and the antioxidants it adds to the mix.
This might be our favorite smoothie trick of all: Instead of adding ice to keep your smoothies cold and thick, just blend in frozen fruit. If you know you're going to make a lot of smoothies, store extra fruit in freezer bags so they're ready to pop into your blender. Frozen bananas are especially creamy when blended, as you'll see in ourCarrot Cake Smoothie, which also uses frozen orange segments. Frozen grapes are delicious in a smoothie, and also nice to have handy as a snack. We mix them with peanut butter in ourPeanut Butter and Grape Smoothiefor a kid-friendly drinkable version of a PB&J. If you forget to freeze your fruit ahead of time, you could always use fresh fruit and just add ice.
Sipping smoothies day after day can get monotonous, so we like to add various textures with nutritious grains, and seeds. ThePeachy Chia Chai Smoothieuses chia seeds, which transform into a gel-like substance after they've been soaked. Soaking them helps break the seeds down so you can reap the full nutritional benefits and also helps to thicken up the smoothie a bit, so don't skip this step! TheStrawberry Rhubarb Crumble Smoothieis especially satisfying because it's bulked up with rolled oats, which mimic the topping of the classic fruity dessert.
Don't be afraid to add some vegetables into the mix. A lot of the time you can't even taste them once blended with the fruits, so it's a great way to give kids their daily serving without them turning up their noses. We use grated beets for their natural sweetness and gorgeous hue in ourBlueberry-Beet Smoothie with Coconut Water.
Smoothies are most commonly consumed for breakfast, so why not go ahead and add some extra oomph in the form of coffee or tea to help put a little pep in your step? OurMocha Berry-Almond Smoothieis basically like drinking your cup of Joe and eating a berry muffin at the exact same time. We used iced coffee concentrate for the caffeine factor, but you can also use chilled regular coffee.
Smoothies are the perfect blank canvas to incorporate your favorite fruits and flavorings. There are enough possibilities to drink a different one every day for the rest of your life, so feel free to experiment and create your own blends. We like to use the following amounts for our smoothie base:
2 cups frozen fruit of your choice 3/4 cup liquid of your choice 1/2 cup yogurt (vegans can substitute silken tofu) Flavorings (almond butter, spices, etc)
