Best Way To Make Healthy Smoothies

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How To Make A High Protein Fruit Smoothie

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Making a protein fruit smoothie recipe is pretty simple. Its important to have a good quality protein powder in hand that is minimally processed, doesnt have a ton of added sugar, and of course, has a good taste.

I like Cleanish as a protein powder because there are no artificial sweeteners and colors. And if youve been following me for a while, you know that I quit sugar, so a powder that has few ingredients is important to me.

In a nutshell, I mix unsweetened almond milk, fruit, and a scoop of protein powder in my Vitamix blender. The result is a perfect consistency smoothie that is like a meal in a mason jar !

How To Build Muscle To Burn Fat

Iâm a big proponent of eating healthy as much as possible and participating in a regular exercise routine. That looks different for all of us with our varied interests, schedules, time constraints and lifestyles. Thereâs nothing that helps boost your metabolism more than exercising to build muscle.

More muscle means more fat-burning capabilities.

For me, thatâs running 3-5 times a week and lifting weights three times a week. When it comes to boosting your metabolism, exercise goes hand-in-hand with healthy eating. Certain foods have fat-burning and metabolism-boosting abilities. Adding them into your diet can help magnify weight loss efforts. Iâm a huge fan of smoothies, especially when I can use natural ingredients to transform them into a weight loss smoothie.

Give your body energy to power it through a workout. The workout helps build muscle, which burns more calories the rest of the time. See how nicely that works? Itâs a beautiful thing!

Also Check: Low Calorie Fruit Smoothies Under 100 Calories

Healthy Smoothie Making Tips

Try Frozen Utilize frozen fruit and vegetables for a budget-friendly smoothie. This will also result in a thicker blend.

Freeze Your Bananas Frozen banana will give your smoothies a creamy texture, much like a milkshake.

Blend Well A high powered blender will give the smoothest results. If you dont have a high-powered blender, you may need to add more liquid and blend longer to get the best results.

Smoothie Bowl If youd rather eat your smoothie, use less liquid and more frozen components to get a nice thick blend you can use as a smoothie bowl. You can even freeze liquids in ice cube trays and add a few cubes in place of part of the liquid to help thicken your blend. Think of it as healthy ice cream.

Also Check: 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse Book

Incorporating Other Smoothie Ingredients

As you get more skilled at making smoothies, youll likely want to make ingredient changes or additions based on the items you have on hand, your dietary restrictions and/or your personal preferences. Theres no wrong answer here. But here a few tips and guidelines that will help you as you experiment:

Can A Smoothie Be Made Without Liquid

The Best Healthy Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe

Its possible to make a smoothie without liquid, but its not going to be as smooth. You can use frozen fruit, nut butter, and yogurt to make a smoothie, but youll likely need to add some liquid to get it to the right consistency. If youre looking for a smoothie without liquid, you might want to try a green smoothie or an acai bowl.

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What Are The Healthiest Things To Put Into Smoothies

For many people, smoothies are a meal in itself. Using a combination of fiber, protein, and healthy fats will ensure you remain fuller for longer. Here are some healthy ideas to add to your smoothie.

  • Fruit Fresh or frozen fruit. Berries, pineapple, apples, bananas, mango, coconut and dates.
  • Vegetables Spinach, kale, carrots, and even frozen cauliflower add extra nutrients, color, and barely add any flavors.
  • Nuts and seeds Peanuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Nut butters and seed butters are also fantastic, especially peanut butter or almond butter.
  • Dairy Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and even quark.
  • Protein powder Add a protein boost with a scoop of protein powder .
  • Grains Rolled oats, quinoa flakes, or barley flakes.

Best Superfoods For Smoothies To Keep You Healthy And Energized

Getting all the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that your body requires daily can be challenging, which is why many health enthusiasts turn to superfoods. Making things even easier and more convenient, plenty of superfoods can be tossed into your morning or afternoon smoothies. Superfood smoothies are delicious, require little preparation, and are a simple way to ensure that your body gets the nutrients needed to stay active and alert. To help you achieve optimal health, weve rounded up the eight best superfoods for smoothies, so make sure your grocery list is nearby!

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How To Make A Smoothie With/without Milk Or Yogurt

If youre lactose intolerantor avoiding dairy for other reasonsyou can make a delicious smoothie without dairy milk or yogurt.

Coconut milk, almond milk, hemp milk, coconut water, and even regular water can be used in just about any smoothie. There are even plant-based yogurts you can add in for richness. Look for hemp or pea-based protein powders, such as Sun Warrior or Manitoba, suggests Adler.

You can also give Adlers recipe for a honeydew-mint green smoothie a tryits super tasty and made without milk or yogurt.

Milk And Honey Smoothie

BEST Green Smoothie Recipe | 5 SIMPLE Ingredients

Make use of the celery in your produce drawer with this blended juice, which combines it with almond milk, cucumber, and grapes for a sip-worthy snack.

In a blender, combine 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk, 1 medium Kirby cucumber , 1 cup seedless green grapes, 2 medium stalks celery , and 1 Tbsp honey. Blend until the mixture is smooth, serves 2.

Nutrition: 124 cal, 2 g pro, 26 g carb, 2 g fiber, 21 g sugars , 2 g fat

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How Do I Make Smoothies If I Dont Like Bananas

Lucky for you, we have an entire post of recipes to make a smoothie without banana. Try those recipes, or tweak any of the recipes below by:

  • Subbing in 1/2 cup additional plain Greek yogurt , plus 1 tablespoon additional sweetener and a handful of ice cubes in place of the frozen banana in these recipes.
  • Other options: canned pineapple, sweetened yogurt, canned pears. Adding half a ripe avocado can really help make up for the creaminess that bananas usually add, too.

The Basic Smoothie Recipe

Smoothies are fairly straightforward to make, says Sarah Adler, nutrition coach, founder of Simply Real Health and author of the Simply Real Health Cookbook. The key is getting the proportions for the base right and then choosing your favorite ingredients to add to it. Heres the perfect recipe for the base of a smoothie, according to Adler:

  • ½ to 1 whole banana
  • 1 to 2 cups greens
  • ½ to 1 cup water or liquid

Err on the side of more banana if you like it sweeter and creamier, more greens if you want to boost the health factor, and more liquid if you want to easily sip it through a straw.

In addition the base, youll want to add more of your favorite ingredients for flavor, texture, and nutritive benefits. This can include:

  • Frozen or fresh fruit:¼ to ½ cup of your favorite varieties
  • Protein and/or healthy fat: 1 scoop of protein powder, 1 tablespoon of nut or seed butter, and/or ¼ avocado
  • Crunch or texture: chia seeds or nuts
  • Herbs and spices: 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, or whatever else you like to spice things up with
  • Sweetener: Honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar

This is totally up to you! says Adler. Just remember that more ingredients doesnt necessarily mean a better smoothie. Choose flavors that will work togetherexperiment if you dont already have a preferenceand when in doubt, go simple. For example, banana, strawberry, yogurt, almond milk and ice isnt fussy but sure is tasty.

Here are seven simple steps to making a perfect smoothie:

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How To Make A Smoothie Thats Healthy & Delicious

The first thing you need to become a smoothie superstar is a good blender. The most palatable smoothies tend to be those with the smoothest texture , so you want a high-speed blender that can crush ice or frozen foods, as well as finely chop and juice all manner of fruits and vegetables.

Depending on your budget, you can go full premium with a Vitamix, which may end up being the least expensive in the long run thanks to its solid construction and up to 10-year warranty.

A less expensive but still reputable brand, Ninja, makes a variety of blenders and blender systems .

And at the low price point end, Oster blenders can handle most of what you might throw at them and have the added benefit of a glass container that wont add any plastic to your drinks.

Healthy Smoothies With More Fruit

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Why go for fancy sweeteners when weve got many fresh fruits to choose from! Yes, whole fruit has plenty of natural sugar in them with mountains of other nutrients. Here are some of the fresh fruit that has proven to be the best sweeteners and delicious flavors to make a smoothie sweeter:

All of these sweet fruits are very high in healthy sugars, giving you an instant boost of energy and your daily dose of vitamins. All fruits, in general, contribute to healthy-looking and glowy skin. Figs are high in Vitamins A and C and thus contributing to healthier eye help and tighter, healthier skin if used on a daily basis. Dates are jam-packed with iron, thus making them excellent choices, especially for those who lack healthy levels of iron or struggle with anemia. Berries are well known to make the bodys vessels more elastic and help keep the heart healthy. Bananas, a key ingredient in all smoothie bowls, is full of calcium and so it helps increase bone health. Whether frozen fruit, fresh fruit or dried fruit, sweet fruits are an excellent option add a natural sweetness to your smoothie!

It is to be noted that, be it sugar or nutrients, everything is welcome when it comes directly from a natural source – within moderation, of course.

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How Can I Make My Smoothie Healthier

The smoothie recipes below are plain, but if you want to expand your smoothie horizons, go for it! Toss in chia seeds or protein powder or hemp seeds or flax or whatever else makes your heart happy. If you have a standard set of mix-ins you like, you can even freeze them into booster packsgreat for really quick and easy smoothies!

Blueberry Protein Weight Loss Smoothie

Its a fact that the thicker your smoothie is, the more satiated youll feel when youre done eating it!

Theres just something in our brains that makes us put together that food is thick , so if you can have a nice rich smoothie like this but still maintain the weight loss benefits from it, its a big win!

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Is Having A Smoothie For Breakfast Healthy

Yes! But as we discussed earlier in this post, not all smoothies are created equal. I highly recommend a green smoothie in the morning, with minimal fruit. This is my favorite morning green smoothie recipe.

If youre going to use fruit, stick to berries like blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries and banana. Try measuring your fruit and using 1/2 cup or less in total. This will help to prevent a blood sugar spike.

Fruit smoothies like the ones Ill share below are best enjoyed as an afternoon treat. I love to share one with my daughter after school. Either way, making your own smoothies at home are way more healthy than the store-bought versions!

Green And Red Powders

5 Healthy Smoothie Recipes for Kids

You can also find greens powders, reds powders, and powders that contain a little of both. Greens powders simply include a variety of vegetables, particularly those that are good for your health, like the dark leafy greens.

Red powders tend to rely on fruit instead, focusing on fruits that are high in antioxidants, like berries. Beetroot is sometimes included as well, partly because it has the same color as berries, but also because beetroot contains desirable nutrients.

Powders like these are perfect as a concentrated source of nutrients.

After all, its much easier to add a scoop or two of green powder into your smoothie than a couple of handfuls of spinach. For that matter, many powders incorporate more fruits and vegetables than you could ever fit into a single smoothie.

If you are going to use powders, pay close attention to the ingredients label. Look for companies that use hardly any artificial ingredients, additives, or fillers.

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Simple Ingredients In This Smoothie:

  • Blueberries you can use fresh or frozen in this but I prefer frozen in order to give it an extra creamy texture! I pretty much always have them in the freezer for just such occasions.
  • Banana Again, fresh or frozen works. Its best if at least one of the fruits is frozen. I typically keep a freezer bag fully of bananas in the freezer for quick smoothie making.If youre looking for an alternative to banana or want the smoothie to have a little less sugar in it, you can try swapping it with frozen cauliflower. You dont taste it in the smoothie at all and its a low calorie alternative!
  • Yogurt Ive been loving the blueberry dairy free yogurt from Trader Joes but obviously any yogurt that you have on hand will work well! You can also leave it out completely if desired.
  • Liquid I alternate between milk and water when making smoothies. It kind of just depends on my mood. For this particular smoothie, I really like the creaminess that the milk adds. Use whatever kind you prefer .
  • Nut butter This is also optional but high recommended! Blueberries + peanut butter is one of my favorite combos. If you want to keep it low in calories, you can try using peanut butter powder- its all of the flavor with a lot less fat. Of course, you can use any kind of but/ seed butter in this!
  • Optional add-ins When I have them on hand, I almost always throw a handful of greens into this smoothie as well. And if Im drinking it as a full meal, Ill also throw in a scoop or 2 of protein powder.

How To Make A Smoothie

Follow these steps to make a perfect, creamy smoothie at home.

Food Network Kitchens How to Make a Smoothie, Beauty Shot, as seen on Food Network.

Krissy is a Digital Culinary Production Fellow at Food Network.

If youve ever purchased a smoothie, you know that they can cost a pretty penny. Yet sometimes it might seem like store-bought smoothies are better than the ones you make at home. Thats because making a smoothie is more than just throwing a bunch of ingredients into a blender. Theres an art to it, in fact. Done right, they pack a flavorful punch and a creamy mouthfeel. And the great thing about making them yourself is that you can completely customize them. Read on for our tips and tricks for making perfect smoothies and smoothie bowls. Well answer questions like: what are the things needed for a smoothie? What do you put first in a smoothie? How to make a smoothie with frozen fruit? And how to make a smoothie with fresh fruit?

Recommended Reading: Best Blender For Frozen Fruit Smoothies

Lean Mean Green Machine

If youre looking for a post-workout recovery drink, this smoothie is it. Protein powder helps replenish the energy you burned, sweet banana and kiwi provide potassium and vitamin C, while coconut water helps you rehydrate.

In a blender, add 1 medium banana , 1 kiwi , 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup spinach, 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, 1/2 cup coconut water. Pulse until creamy and smooth.

Nutrition: 304 cal, 22 g pro, 47 g carb, 7 g fiber, 5 g fat

Orange Mango Ginger Smoothie

Best Green Smoothie

This smoothie recipe has loads of flavor from fresh ginger and ground turmeric, along with the mango, orange, cucumber, and celery. Since its light on protein, you may want to consider this a snack or experiment with your protein of choice.

Strawberry cheesecake? Yes, please! This decadent smoothie has just 5 good-for-you ingredients to get your day off to a great start.

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How To Make A Smoothie + 27 Simple Smoothie Recipes To Try

Im a believer that smoothies are the perfect meal or snack no matter what the weather. It is never too cold to have an awesome smoothie! Since smoothies are such a tasty way to pack in a meal on the go, I put on a big sweater and happily drink them even when the temps are frigid.

We originally published our first guide on smoothie making way back in 2015, and since then, millions of folks have visited this post and used our recipes to make the best ever smoothies! I consider these smoothies simple classics because they have great flavor, all the ingredients are easy to source , and they pack a nutritional punch that can nourish you nicely. These are the kinds of smoothies that I think everyone should know how to make, and chances are, youll find a favorite combo among these recipes. There really is no wrong way to make a smoothie, but I think these recipes are a great jumping-off point if the blender intimidates you.

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