How to Build a Better Smoothie
Are you just starting your health journey? Or have you reached expert levels of healthier eating? Either way, you are probably looking for simple and tasty ways to enjoy nutrient dense foods. Smoothies are a great way to get in some extra nutrition either as your breakfast or an afternoon snack. Kids and adults alike, can usually find smoothies that please their palate.
Smoothies at many smoothie shops are made from fruit, fruit juice, and high sugar yogurts or syrups. This can lead to a spike in our blood sugar, which give us momentary feelings of energy, followed quickly by a blood sugar crash -- sending us looking for the next sugar or caffeine hit. And the inevitable blood sugar roller coaster ride will continue.
As with all of our meals and snacks, macronutrient balance is essential for keeping our blood sugar well balanced. Macronutrients consist of fat, carbohydrates, and protein. You want to make sure that are all three in your smoothie. Including all three macronutrients in your smoothie will help you feel satisfied and keep your energy level stable for hours.
Smoothies are also a great opportunity to add in some extra vegetables that you may not be eating enough of otherwise. The flavor of the fruit can mask the flavors of vegetables and proper blending of a smoothie can remove the objectionable consistency of veggies.
The Anatomy of a Better Smoothie ; Be sure to include at least one source of each below:
- Carbohydrate - Fruit such as berries, banana, mango, pineapple, cherries, peaches, etc
- Protein - collagen, protein powders, and plain Greek yogurt
- Fat - nuts, nut butters, avocado, coconut milk, or chia seeds
- Play around with the extra veggie add-ins that you enjoy such as spinach or other leafy greens, roasted beets or beet powder, frozen cauliflower rice, or zucchini.
- Other nutrition and flavor boosting add-ins can add that little something special to a smoothie, like cacao powder or ginger.
Easy Nutrition
Many smoothie ingredients can be found already frozen and chopped for you in your grocer’s freezer aisle, including frozen avocado chunks. And if you have fresh fruits and veggies you want to use up before they expire - go ahead and freeze them for your smoothies. Pro tip: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the chopped fruit or veggie on the sheet and pop in the freezer for a few hours before bagging. This keeps them from forming a gigantic clump in the bag. You can also make smoothie packs if that appeals to you. Place all of your smoothie ingredients in a freezer friendly container and then it is all prepped and ready for your blender.
Get Your Green On Smoothie
The Get Your Green On smoothie is perfect when your body is craving more greens. It is full of nutrient dense and refreshing veggies, avocado for creaminess, mango and pineapple provide sweetness and a nice bit of digestive enzymes, and the lime and ginger make it taste like a tropical vacation.
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
- 1 small Persian cucumber, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- ¼ cup frozen avocado chunks
- ⅓ cup frozen mango or pineapple chunks (or do a bit of both)
- 1 serving collagen powder
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- Large handful baby spinach
- Large handful of parsley
- Water
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients in a blender cup. Fill the cup with water to cover the ingredients.
- Blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately.
The Peach Cobbler Smoothie
The Peach Cobbler smoothie can be a favorite for kids and adults alike. It tastes like a treat but is full of nutrient density. The flax seeds add a lovely nutty flavor along with fiber and healthy fat. Cauliflower may seem like an odd addition - but you won’t be able to detect it.
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of frozen peach slices
- 1 Tablespoon ground flax seed
- ¼ cup frozen cauliflower florets or rice
- 1 serving vanilla protein powder
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut milk (other types of nut milk work too)
- Handful of spinach (optional. Spinach will turn this smoothie an unappealing color)
- Water and Ice (optional)
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients in a blender cup. Fill with water until the ingredients are covered. Add ice if desired.
- Blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately.
Personalized Smoothies
These two recipes are guidelines, not rules. Experiment with different fruits, vegetables, and fats. Find the flavors that you enjoy the most. Make sure you include all of the macronutrients to keep the smoothie well-balanced. Play around with what works for you. Do you need to add more fat to keep you satisfied? Go for it! Maybe you need a bit more protein powder after a tough workout? That’s grand.
The food we choose to eat should be enjoyable. And there is joy to be found in experimenting with the flavors, textures, and colors of the foods we eat.
Looking for more recipes? You may also want to try our Sleepy Time Cherry Chamomile Smoothie.
About the Author
Karen Deputy, NTP—Karen became a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner after her own medical crisis and autoimmune diagnosis led her on a journey of discovering how vital proper nutrition is to feeling happy and healthy. She became passionate about helping others regain their energy and sense of well-being through food and lifestyle choices. Karen lives in Southern California with her family and can be found outdoors most of the time. She has a private practice and loves helping clients find the joy of creating delicious foods that nourish their mind, body and spirit. Read more about Karen.
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