Smoothies are a fantastic way to get in nutrients, particularly when you don’t have much time to prepare or eat a meal. If you have a blender or even a food processor, you can make a delicious, filling smoothie in a few minutes. They’re most popular as a breakfast or snack option, but providing they’re nutritionally balanced, we can opt for smoothies at lunch, or even dinner!

They are also a crowd favourite, but sometimes it can seem a little confusing as to what to put in them to make them tasty AND nutritionally balanced. To make it simple, I’ve put together a Smoothie Builder Cheat Sheet to help make your smoothies a hit with everyone, while also ensuring they contain important nutrients.  Just Mix and Match, Blend and Enjoy!

1. Choose a Base

   
   Building your base will depend on your dietary needs or taste preferences. You can use cow’s milk (low fat or skim), almond milk, soy milk, long-life coconut milk or plain light yoghurt with water.

2. Add Your Fruits

   
   There is so much choice when it comes to fruit, especially in summer when the sky is the limit!  Options include: berries, bananas, citrus, apples, pineapple, pears, cherries, kiwi fruit, melon, mango, stone fruit and passionfruit to just name a few.

3.  Add Your Greens

   

   Again, this will depend on taste. You could add spinach, kale, silverbeet, cucumber, avocado or any others that take your fancy.

4. Bulk it Up (For a Meal)

   
   To add bulk to your smoothie, try adding psyllium husk (just a little- it goes a long way!), oats or wheat biscuits which will help you feel fuller for longer and adds more nutritional value to your smoothie.

5. Add Extras for Flavour and Nutrition

   
   The extras really make a smoothie.  Try adding any of the following to give your smoothie some extra flavour and that little lift: cinnamon, chia/flax seeds, dates, cocoa, protein powder, nuts/nut butters (e.g. peanut butter, tahini, almond butter), molasses or mint.
   
   

Smoothie Tip: drink yours slowly. When everything’s broken down and blended into a liquid, we tend to gulp it down very quickly. Imagine if you were eating all of the ingredients whole- it would take a while to chew through them! When we drink smoothies quickly we don’t allow our bodies the time to feel full, so we risk over-filling ourselves.

If you’re finding it challenging to slow down, try drinking your smoothie through a thin straw or serving up half of the serve and waiting 20 minutes before you consume the rest.

Now that you have the basics you can have fun mixing and matching until you find your favourite combinations. To give you a little more inspiration I’ve included 3 wonderful smoothie recipes to get you in the mood to explore the possibilities.

Enjoy!

P.S. Want to know more about how to make a smoothie to address your particular health needs or goals? Book in to have a chat with me.

Deeni

Mango Smoothie

 Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 medium banana

1 cup frozen mango pieces

1 tbs chia seeds or ground flaxseed

1 cup preferred milk

1 cup firmly packed dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, silverbeet, bok choy, swiss chard)

Mint, to serve

Blend all ingredients together on high power until smooth. Top with chopped mint leaves.

Classic Berry Smoothie

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 medium banana

1 cup frozen berries

1 tbs chia seeds or ground flaxseed

1 cup cow’s or soy milk

1 cup firmly packed dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, silverbeet, bok choy, swiss chard)

Blend all ingredients together on high power until smooth.

Choc Cherry Smoothie

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 medium banana

1 cup frozen cherries

1 tbs chia seeds or ground flaxseed

1 tbs cocoa

½ cup milk

½ cup unsweetened pomegranate, cranberry or cherry juice

2 cups firmly packed baby spinach

Blend all ingredients together on high power until smooth.