The Perfect Smoothie Has These Essential Components
Updated: Feb. 04, 2019
Want a quick breakfast on the go, a healthy snack, or smart way to sneak in veggies? Just whir up a blenderful of smoothies with these ideas!
How to Make a Smoothie: 3 Components to the Perfect Smoothie
Most smoothie recipes will always consist of three basic components.
• Liquid (water, milk, juice, etc.)
• Fruit and/or Vegetables
• Creaminess (Greek yogurt, peanut or nut butter, tofu or avocado to thicken up your smoothie)
From there you can add additional ingredients for flavour or other health benefits (honey, cinnamon, cocoa powder, etc.). You may also want to add another source of protein (such as a scoop of whey or soy protein powder; flaxseed, hemp and chia seeds are also excellent sources of protein).
Get started with this Strawberry-Banana Smoothie which combines 1 banana, 1/2 cup strawberry yogurt, a splash of coconut water and a handful of frozen strawberries.
A.M. Power
Start with a base of 1 cup flavored kefir (a healthy probiotic drink in the dairy or natural foods case), and ½ cup juice of your choice. Add baby spinach, a small avocado, protein powder if you like it, and ½ cup or more of frozen berries. This is what happens to your body if you don’t eat enough protein.
Fresh Peach
This smoothie has vanilla almond milk, orange juice, peaches, Greek yogurt and a surprise ingredient: English cucumber.
Cranberry Zing
Combine orange juice, kefir or low-fat yogurt, avocado for creaminess and frozen cranberries. Kefir is high in natural probiotics, just like these other foods.
Monkey Around
Give chocolate milk a whir in the blender with a ripe banana and a handful of ice cubes. It’s a great treat for kids—that you’ll actually feel good giving them.
Psst: Banana bread can be healthy if you follow this recipe.
Green Goodness
Make this smoothie with frozen or fresh fruit, kefir, spinach and unsweetened almond milk, plus flax and chia seeds. Yummy!
Strawberry-Carrot
Mix 1 cup each carrot juice, orange juice, 2 cups plain yogurt, and 1 cup each of pineapple and strawberries.
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Peach Melba
Combine frozen peaches, raspberries, yogurt, peach nectar, wheat germ and vanilla to make a smoothie taste like this old-school dessert.
Cantaloupe
Peel and cube half a cantaloupe; blend with ½ cup each vanilla yogurt and orange juice. Add a few ice cubes and more juice if needed to get things moving.
Chocolate-Cherry Power Shake
Pour in equal parts tart cherry juice and pomegranate-flavored kefir. Add 1-2 scoops of chocolate-flavored protein powder, a handful of frozen tart cherries or cranberries, and, if you have it, baby spinach. Up the protein in your next smoothie with these simple add-ins.
Rich Pumpkin Pie
Blend 1 can pumpkin, two 5-oz. cans evaporated milk, 1 banana and 1 cup orange juice with 1/3 cup brown sugar, ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice and ¼ tsp. cinnamon.
Joanna Gaines’ 3 minute bread recipe will change how you bake.
Apple Cider
Blend 1 cup apple cider and ½ cup vanilla yogurt with apple pie spice and 1 small apple, peeled, cored and chopped. Drizzle in caramel if you fancy it.
Sweet Potato-Cherry
There’s nothing like a blend of sweet potatoes, banana and cherries.
Blueberry Blast
Blend 1 cup frozen blueberries with 1 small avocado, 1 clementine and 2 cups blueberry kefir. Add 1 tsp. nutrient-rich powdered spirulina or chlorella if you like it.
Coconut-Mango
This smoothie combines coconut milk, mango, pineapple, Greek yogurt and ice.
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California Dream
Pulse 2 cups ice cubes in a blender with 1 cup milk, 1 cup vanilla yogurt, ½ cup honey and a 12-oz. can of thawed orange juice concentrate. Can’t do dairy? Check out our guide to plant-based milks.
Grandma’s Smoothie
To a base of equal parts milk and yogurt, add 1 ripe banana and 1-2 Tbsp. peanut butter and ground flaxseed. Sweeten with honey.
Peanutty Chocolate
With baby spinach, banana, dark chocolate soy milk, dairy-free yogurt, powdered peanut butter, instant coffee granules and ice, this tasty combo is gluten- and dairy-free.
Pineapple-Coconut
Blend a can of coconut milk with 1 cup frozen pineapple, ½ cup frozen mango and ¼ cup shredded coconut. To sweeten, blend in 1 or 2 pitted dried dates or honey to taste.
Broccoli-Berry
This smoothie includes frozen broccoli, frozen berries, a banana, kiwi, Greek yogurt, fruit juice of some kind and hemp protein powder.
Mermaid Smoothie
Whir up ½ of a pineapple, ½ papaya, 3 oz. baby spinach, 1-1/2 cups milk and ½ cup ice cubes.
Cucumber-Melon
Place a peeled seeded cucumber, 1-1/2 cups honeydew, 1 cup each Greek yogurt and crushed ice in a blender with honey to taste and fresh mint, if you have it. Add a small avocado to make it extra creamy.
Mango-Carrot
You can’t go wrong with frozen mango chunks, almonds, cinnamon, raw carrot, milk and water. Blend all until smooth.
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Berry Blast
Blend 2 cups cranberry juice with 2 cups frozen mixed berries, some ice and 1-1/2 cups raspberry yogurt.
Pumpkin Spice
This tastes just like fall: pumpkin puree, vanilla Greek yogurt, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and ice.
Creamy Berry
Whir up ½ cup pomegranate juice, 1 cup each frozen mixed berries and strawberries, 1 Tbsp. agave syrup or honey with 3 oz. silken firm tofu. No one can tell there’s tofu in these creamy smoothies.
Next, check out these 30 guilt-free snacks to curb your cravings.
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