How To Make The Perfect Smoothie

Imagine being pressed for time, but you want something to eat before you head out the door. You want a meal that you can make instant and can eat it just as fast. How about a smoothie? It is an excellent choice for someone on the go, and you can get a serving of almost all of the food groups in one shot.

I love smoothies. I drink them almost every day, sometimes even twice a day. They are perfect for breakfast, as a snack or before or after working out. Besides being delicious, smoothies are simple to make. All you need is a blender and all of the ingredients that you want to use.

You do not have to invest in an expensive blender, but keep in mind that if you are going to use fruits and vegetables a tough texture such as apples, pears, and carrots, you will have to use a potent one

How To Make A Smoothie

A basic recipe for a smoothie usually consists of the following ingredients:

•   ½ to one whole banana
• One to two cups of fruit
•  One cup of leafy green vegetables
• One to two cups of a liquid base (milk, juice, or water)

The most common component used in a smoothie is banana. It gives the smoothie a sweet taste while giving it that smooth, creamy texture. However, if you are going to use banana, it should be ripe.

For a delicious and healthy smoothie, put the following ingredients in your blender:

Step One: Choose a Liquid Base

Add one to two cups of liquid, according to how thick or thin you want your smoothie. Use plant-based milk such as almond milk, coconut, hemp, or rice. If you have not yet made the switch to plant-based milk, using dairy milk would also work.
You may also use coconut water, fruit juice, kefir, cold tea, iced coffee, or water. You can combine different liquids by using a cup of one base and a cup of a different one, (for example, water and juice) or you can use two cups of the same base.

Step Two: Add Fruit

Selecting the fruit is a significant ingredient for making a smoothie. Add two cups of peeled, chopped fruit such as berries, banana, mango, pineapple, oranges, kiwi, apples, dates, pears, cherries, etc.  Fruits may be fresh or frozen. You can combine different flavors or stick to just one fruit. I like a mixture of raw and frozen fruit.  In my opinion, the consistency is quite thin with only fresh fruit, and using just frozen fruit will make the smoothie too thick and will take longer to blend.

Step Three: Choose Your Veggies

What better way to get a serving or two of vegetables than to sneak them in your smoothies. Add one cup of leafy greens such as spinach, kale, arugula, or swiss chard. You may also use carrots, cucumber, or celery.

Step Four: Pick Your Protein/Fats

Choose fats or proteins to add to your smoothie:
Nut and seed butter: Use one to two tablespoons of almond butter, peanut butter, Brazil nut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter.
Oils: Add ¼ to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or flaxseed oil.
Fats: Use coconut meat, avocado, or nuts.

Step Five: Thicken It Up (Optional)

Create a denser consistency and get extra protein with plain greek yogurt (either dairy or nondairy), tofu, protein powder, ground flaxseed, or chia seeds. Add oats or psyllium husk for extra fiber. If you are not a fan of bananas, these are great alternatives to get the same thick, silky texture.

Step Six: Add Some Flavor

Sweetener: To sweeten up your smoothie, add vanilla extract, honey, cocoa powder cane sugar, stevia, maple/agave, or date syrup. You might want to taste test your smoothie before adding any sweetener to it if you used sweet, ripe fruit such as bananas, vanilla-flavored milk, or fruit juice.
Spices: Add some spice with ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, or cayenne pepper.
Other Flavors: Use lemon, lime, or mint for an extra kick.

Step Seven: How About Some Extras (Optional)

For an extra boost, add goji berries, bee pollen, spirulina, wheatgrass, chlorella, vitamin powder, or probiotics.

Step Eight: Add Ice

You may also add ice (about a ½ a cup), but it may not be necessary if you are already using frozen fruit or vegetables.

Step Nine: Now Blend, Pour, and Sip

Blend all of your ingredients until smooth. Pour into a glass or cup, and your smoothie is now ready to drink.

The Choice Is Yours

You do not have to use ingredients from each group necessarily. Additional items do not automatically mean that your smoothie will be better. Choose, add, eliminate, mix, and match to your heart’s content. Select ingredients that mesh well together. For example, if I used almond milk as a base, I don’t think I would want to add cayenne pepper to my smoothie.

Whether you are trying to supplement your diet, or replace meals, smoothies are a great way to get your servings of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and nutrients.

What are your favorite ingredients to put in a smoothie?