I have been really into smoothies lately, even more than usual since I’m pregnant and eating more. I’m sure a lot of people drink smoothies for breakfast, and I sometimes do, but I mostly enjoy a smoothie as an afternoon snack when I’m craving something sweet and refreshing. I have been making a faux tropical smoothie drink pretty often (I mention the ingredients/method below) that makes me feel like I’m in Turks and Caicos or somewhere amazing with a high-calorie alcoholic beverage. Ha!
Smoothies are ideal for getting extra fruits and veggies in for the day. And, it’s a fantastic way to take advantage of seasonable produce like berries, which we always have a ton of in our fridge.
I have a feeling people feel overwhelmed about what to put into a smoothie to make it taste good. Honestly, I rarely follow a recipe. I usually throw whatever fruit is in my fridge or freezer, a handful of spinach, chia seeds and some collagen protein powder in mine. If I have baby kale, I’ll use that but it’s usually spinach. I’ve broken down my method to an easy smoothie below.
What goes in my non-recipe recipe for a smoothie
Fruit: this gives the smoothie the sweetness it needs to make it feel indulgent. I usually have frozen bananas in my freezer, so half a banana typically goes in, plus a 1/2 cup to a cup of whatever other type of fruit I want to throw in. I buy bananas every week at the store, and one or two always get to the point where no one in my house wants to eat it, so those are the ones that go into ziploc bags in the freezer. Then, you need another type of fruit that gives some sweetness such as berries, pineapple or mangoes. Frozen pineapple and mango are always in my freezer for smoothies as well. These are some of my favorite foods! I just love fruit, and I probably eat more than the average person. I’ve been buying a fresh pineapple every week because Braden loves it, plus they’ve been on sale, so I’ve been using them in smoothies quite a bit. You can add one or all of these fruits. Like I said, you have to determine the right combo that works for you. One other thing to note: If you feel like you need more sweetness at the end, you can always add a few drops of liquid stevia. I use Trader Joe’s organic liquid stevia everyday in my coffee and sometimes in smoothies if needed.
Veggie: Baby spinach is my go-to, and I don’t taste it at all. I feel good knowing I’ve pretty much eaten a cup of spinach that day in my smoothie. I know sometimes people are very anti-vegetable, which is sort of crazy to me, but you really can’t taste the spinach (or baby kale) if you just use a handful and the right mixture of fruit. Maybe start with half a handful if you’re skeptical. Or, if you don’t have this you can always omit. I put spinach in everything, and we go through at least 2-3 bags per week in my house because I use for salads, sandwiches, egg scrambles, or just sauteed with with a little garlic and olive oil. If you’re going to use kale, I find that baby kale is the way to go, as the more coarse, curly kale is a little much to break down in a smoothie. We eat curly kale all the time in salads, and we’ve been growing this in our outdoor garden. I have an awesome kale salad recipe I’ll share another day!
Protein: Collagen peptides are great if you want to add protein in your smoothie without the chalky taste that protein powder sometimes gives off. I also put this collagen peptide protein powder in my coffee most mornings. A serving is 2 scoops and has 18g of protein; in coffee, I usually only put one scoop. I highly recommend this brand, and you can get your hands on it thanks to Amazon. I’m sure there are other ways you can add protein in, but this is easy and it also has other health benefits such as promoting healthy skin, hair and nails. Plus, collagen helps with joint health. Seems strange to worry about that now, but once you hit your mid- 30s, kids, you start to feel things in your back and knees! 😉 Greek yogurt is another great source of protein, and I’ll put a a dollop or two of non-fat greek yogurt sometimes, which we always have in our fridge since it’s a regular snack for Braden and me. Or, you could try almond butter or peanut butter. I think it’s a little bit of trial and error or a case of “use-what-you-have-handy” to find out what you prefer.
Chia seeds: I love the nuttiness chia seeds give to a smoothie. I throw them into my yogurt as well. I buy these chia seeds from Trader Joe’ s, which I mentioned in my fave Trader Joe’s picks here. If you don’t have chia seeds, use nuts like walnuts which are yummy and have the omega-3s you need.
Liquid (optional): if you need to thin out the smoothie or add another splash of sweetness, add a bit of orange juice or almond milk. We buy unsweetened almond milk, and I will sometimes splash a little in. I’m talking 2 tablespoons if I had to ballpark. I know people who like to use vanilla almond milk, and I’m sure that’s good, too. I sometimes throw crushed ice in to make the consistency feel like a tropical beverage.
How do I quickly make my smoothies?
Up until two months ago or so, I was making smoothies in my blender. I had a blender, therefore, that’s what I used. Then, my husband starting going to work super early and he wanted to start making shakes in the morning so we bought this. GAME CHANGER. I’m not sure why we didn’t buy one sooner. Sometimes I’m stubborn and I don’t want to buy extra gadgets for our kitchen, but I highly recommend a Nutribullet. This is the version we have, and it is perfect! And, it’s only $60. Totally worth it. I love that it’s a one-stop shop, and you’re not creating a ton of dirty dishes, just the one you’re using. If you want one additional bigger cup, you could get this set instead for a tad more but still under $75.
Here are a couple of smoothie combinations I’ve been mixing up lately:
- Tropical smoothie I mentioned earlier: Frozen mango and fresh or frozen pineapple + handful of spinach + splash of OJ + chia seeds + collagen protein + some shredded coconut on top
- Easy everyday smoothie: Blueberries, blackberries and strawberries + handful of spinach + dollop of vanilla non-fat greek yogurt + chia seeds + collagen protein
- Green smoothie: 2 handfuls of spinach + half an avocado + 2 dollops of non-fat vanilla greek yogurt + green pear + a couple of pineapple chunks + crushed ice
- Smoothie bowl: Again, I follow the same general “throw-whatever-you-have-on-hand” rules I’ve mentioned above, but I also top with more whole berries, granola and nuts and eat in a bowl. Here’s an easy smoothie bowl recipe for inspiration.
And, if you’re really a recipe person, here are some easy, healthy smoothie recipes that you might try. Sometimes I look at smoothie recipes just to give me ideas on new flavor combinations.
Is anyone else a big smoothie lover? If so, what’s your go-to way to make a smoothie? I’d love to hear!
Photos by Jason Fitzgerald Photography