How-To: Create A Nutritious Smoothie

I love smoothies.

In fact, you could call it an obsession.

Unfortunately, many restaurants make their smoothies with artificical ingredients that sometimes aren’t so healthy.

It’s super easy and nutritious to make smoothies at home. Don’t be afraid, you too can make a cold, delicious treat that packs a nutritious punch.

My Must-Haves for Smoothies:

Frozen Banana- I freeze bananas (out of the peel) every week for smoothies. Usually I’ll only use half of a banana unless it’s smallish. It doesn’t really add a banana flavor, but it’s definitely the source of creaminess in my smoothies

Ice- I only use about 4 cubes in each smoothie. I used to fill the entire blender up with ice and then wonder “wow why is this smoothie so impossible to drink” uh, duh. waaaaay too much ice. 

Spinach- I’ve read you can use other greens as well, but I haven’t tried them yet. I love adding spinach because you honestly can’t taste it at all, but it’s so great for you. I usually add a couple of handfuls per smoothie. 

Frozen Fruit- I usually keep two bags of frozen fruit in my freezer. One with mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries) and one with mixed fruit (peaches, pineapple, mango). I usually just mix the two together for my everyday smoothie. 

Liquid- This could be anything from cranberry juice to milk, other juices, anything. I usually use almond milk and I first pour in about a cup and add more if needed. I’ve learned what happens when I pour in too much milk from the start. 

Yogurt- If I know I have a long day ahead of me, I’ll add a scoop of Greek Yogurt to the blender. This is the perfect way to increase the protein content if you’re not a big protein powder person. 

Oats- Nope, no oatmeal here! I add in 1/4 cup oats to my smoothie to give it the perfect thickness. I also find that it makes the smoothie last longer in my stomach than the days I don’t add oats. 

Extra Flavors- Sometimes I get crazy and add in extracts, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, peanut butter, get creative! This is the really fun part.

I almost always eat my smoothies in a bowl with a spoon (like ice cream), so I love adding toppings like granola and sunflower seed butter. I’ve found that sunflower seed butter hardens up on top of the smoothie like the magic shell syrup for ice cream. Love it!

What’s your favorite smoothie flavor? Do you eat it in a bowl or drink it?