5 Steps to Building the Perfect Smoothie

It’s no secret that smoothies are super trendy in the health and wellness world and for good reason!  Smoothies are a great way to pack in A LOT of nutrition that your body can easily digest into a quick on-the-go meal or snack.  I love smoothies because they are so versatile and you can easily modify any recipe to meet your individual nutrition needs and taste preferences.

CAUTION: Not all smoothies are created (nutritiously) equal. If you’re getting your smoothie from a local juice shop or café, chances are it is loaded with sugar from fruit, fruit juice, and/or added sweeteners.  There is often a misunderstanding that anything labeled a “smoothie” means it is “healthy.”   Therefore, I’ve outlined 5 easy steps to help you become a more savvy smoothie consumer!

1. Choose your base wisely! Skip the fruit juice and stick with unsweetened almond milk or other dairy alternatives.  I’m not anti-cows milk by any means, so if you’re wanting something a bit denser and creamier choose whole milk!  Yep, I said it…WHOLE milk.  Coconut water, cold pressed green juice (check sugar content) or even water also work.

2. Pick your Protein  Aim for ~20 grams of quality protein.  You can use plain Greek Yogurt or even cottage cheese if you’re wanting to skip a powder.  Protein supplements I’m loving right now are Vital Proteins , Aloha, and Vega.

Tone It Up and Garden of Life are also great options.

3.  Don’t Fear the Fat Add 1-2 tbsp to your smoothie to help stabilize blood sugar, aid in absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and keep you full! Yummy choices are avocado, coconut/MCT oil, coconut butter, coconut meat, walnuts,  any type of nut or seed butter, and even ghee.

4. Fiber UP!  Fill up on at least 10 grams of fiber.  Try ground flax, hemp seeds, chia seeds, acacia fiber, pumpkin, all the GREENS, other veggies, or dry oats.  You can also add a serving of fruit.  Any fruit works (banana, berries, mango, pineapple, cherries…whatever you like) just be mindful of the amount you’re tossing in the blender.  Save room for all the other goods!

5. Flava Flav Here can be the tricky part….trying to make all of the above ingredients palatable.  If you’re looking to sweeten up your smoothie a little try adding 1-2 pitted dates, 1-2 tsp pure maple syrup or raw honey. Stevia drops are also fine-I’m just personally not a fan of the taste.

*Extra add-ins: Maca powder or other adaptogens, bee pollen, spirulina, cacao nibs, ginger, turmeric, matcha, cinnamon, goji berries…get creative!

Flavor combinations to try:

Chocolate PB= almond milk, chocolate protein powder, peanut butter, cacao nibs, banana, flax

Berries & Cream = coconut milk, vanilla protein powder, blueberries, avocado, kale, chia seeds

Tropical= coconut milk, vanilla protein powder, pineapple, coconut oil, ground chia seeds

Green Apple= coconut water, avocado, spinach, green apple, flax, collagen

Chocolate Coconut= cashew milk, chocolate protein powder, coconut butter, cacao nibs, flax

Kale Ginger Beet= filtered water, beets, kale, small apple, fresh ginger,  collagen, chia seeds

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