Make It Plant Based / Vegan
You can make this banana smoothie plant-based or vegan by doing two swaps:
- Use vegan yogurt or another ½ banana. Use your favorite brand of plant-based yogurt or try another half banana to get just the right texture.
- Substitute non-dairy milk for the milk . We like using oat milk or almond milk. Another good option here would be coconut milk, since the flavor pairs well with banana.
Best Blenders For Smoothies
OK, youve got all of your smoothie ingredients prepped and ready to go, now how are you going to blend them up?
The key here is powerful.
You want to use a blender capable of completely mixing up all of the ingredients until they are smooth and creamy.
Here is a list of the best blenders for making fruit smoothies:
- Nutribullet A wonderful personal-sized blender option. Make sure you use the larger cup in order to fit all of the ingredients without going over the max fill line.
- Ninja Blender is also another great option!
A Complete List Of Smoothie Ingredients
We all love our smoothies, but do you know which ingredients make the best smoothies? Choose the wrong ingredients and your lovingly prepared thirst quencher can quickly turn into a sugar-laden bomb.
We give you the low down on the best smoothie ingredients. What are the best fruits and vegetables? How do you choose the healthiest liquid base? What about sweeteners and other extras? All these and other questions will all be answered.
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Blood Orange Strawberry Smoothie
The sweet-tart taste of the blood orange juice is a fantastic base for a variety of drinks. One of the best ways to enjoy that taste is in the blood orange strawberry smoothie.
This recipe is a great choice for a spring brunch and you’ll love how the two fruits play off each other. The blend is rounded off with smooth yogurt, sweet honey, and a few ice cubes, so it’s as easy as any other smoothie.
Expert Tips And Tricks
- Skip the bananas. An avocado can be substituted for a banana along with a tablespoon or two of sweetener.
- Go for the goat yogurt. If youre slightly lactose intolerant, goats milk yogurt is a wonderful alternative that tastes very similar to cows milk yogurt.
- Add and adjust. Start by adding a little bit of optional ingredients and then taste after each addition to make sure you still like the flavor!
- Sweeten it last. Youd be surprised how sweet fruit can be! Wait until the end to stir in any additional sweeteners.
- Pay attention to the blade. You want to add your softer ingredients closer to the blade and the harder ingredients further away from the blade for easier blending.
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How To Build A Healthy Smoothie
Smoothies can make a healthy breakfast if you have a good balance of ingredients and nutrientsincluding protein, carbs, and healthy fats.
Smoothies can be a healthy and convenient way to add in several nutrients to help jump-start your day, says Andrea Mathis, M.A., R.D.N., L.D., an Alabama-based dietitian and author of The Complete Book of Smoothies: 115 Health Recipes to Nourish, Health, and Energize.
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Mathis especially loves that you can modify smoothies for any taste or preference. She emphasizes the importance of making smart swaps to ensure youre getting all the nutrients your body needs. For example, protein powder is a great addition to your smoothie for an extra kick of the macronutrient, but Mathis also loves nuts, cottage cheese, chia seeds, and other foods that already contain high amounts of protein.
Additionally, adding a source of healthy fat, like nuts or avocado, and extra fiber from vegetables, flax seeds, hemp seeds, or chia seeds can help provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, she says.
How To Freeze Strawberries
If you have a lot of fresh strawberries you can always freeze your own. Then use them to add to your smoothie later!
In order to prevent the strawberries from sticking together when frozen, you can follow these steps for freezing fresh strawberries:
How to Freeze Strawberries
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Repurpose Extra Smoothie Mixture:
If you have extra smoothie on hand after feeding your kiddos, there are a couple options you have to stretch out the uses of your smoothie mix.
If you have popsicle molds, you can simply pour out extra smoothie mixture into molds and stick in your freezer for a cold, refreshing treat to enjoy at a later time.
My kids love fruit smoothie popsicles so much, I sometimes just make the smoothie mix just to use for frozen fruit treats. Check out this post here for a recipe to make refreshing real fruit popsicles for kids
You can also just pour it into an empty ice cube tray for a frozen fruit snack that kids can enjoy too.
Any extra smoothie mixture can also be stored in your refrigerator if you or your kids want to drink it later in the day. Keep it stored in a thermos or pitcher in your fridge for 1-2 days, and just be sure to shake it well before drinking.
Banana Smoothie Ingredients Only 5 Ingredients
Measure out all of the ingredients for this banana smoothie before throwing all of the ingredients into the blender.
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Make Ahead And Meal Prep
Meal Prep: Place 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 banana cut into chunks, and half of a 5-oz. container of yogurt into a freezer safe storage bag. Place in freezer until ready to use.
Day of Serving: Let bag of fruit and yogurt thaw slightly at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Add fruit and yogurt to a blender with ¼ cup milk and 1 tablespoon honey and blend until smooth.
Homemade Strawberry Banana Smoothie
I love a good smoothie! Theyre refreshing and a great snack or breakfast on the go. But hitting up your favorite smoothie shop each week can get expensive. Thats why I love making my smoothies at home. Theyre so simple, and with a little planning can be an easy addition to your daily routine.
Homemade smoothies are also a great way to use up any extra produce you have on hand that bunch of frozen, overripe bananas youve been hoarding for way too long. And making your smoothie at home allows you to better control the amount of sugar in it. Its easy to think youre making a healthy choice when you purchase a smoothie at a restaurant. However, Ive been shocked to see the amount of calories I was taking in with what I thought was a healthy snack.
This Strawberry Banana Smoothie is made with no added sweeteners. Just the sweetness from the strawberries, bananas, and soy milk!
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Are Smoothies Healthy For You
Before we dive into the quest of how to make a fruit smoothie, lets dive into the why. Our philosophy here at Wholefully is that smoothies can be an incredibly nourishing part of your diet. Just like with our juicing recipes, we say its always better to eat whole fruits and veggies where possible. But its not always possible! Smoothies do make it easy to pack in all the nutrients of your favorite produce into one drinkable cupwhich is great when youre on the go or short on time.
And lets be honest, smoothies are just freaking delicious! We are big believers that you also need to nourish your soul with your food, and if drinking a perfectly tangy and sweet smoothie brings a smile to your face, then thats healthy as healthy can be.
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What Does A Ripe Banana Look Like
Most bananas turn a bright yellow color as they ripen. As the fruit itself emits ethylene, a fruit-ripening gas, it will develop dark spots on its skin. Those soft, dark-skinned bananas in your fridge are edible, super sweet, and excellent for making banana breads.
However, some varieties of bananas stay green when reaching adulthood, like the Ebun Musak, and look identical to an immature fruit. The quickest way to tell it apart is to ask the shop owners or employees were sure they will want to assist you.
If youre wondering what young bananas taste like, theyre firmer, not sweet, mildly bitter, and they contain a kind of sticky substance. They are not meant for eating as a fruit, but rather cooked into dishes or sliced thinly, washed, and served as a side.
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Peaches And Cream Oatmeal Smoothie
No time for a leisurely meal? Try this grab-and-go, probiotic-rich take on morning oatmeal. Whole-grain oats contain prebiotic fiber that promotes gut health.
This recipe from Preventions Smoothies & Juicesmakes two smoothies: Blend 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 cup frozen peaches, 1/2 frozen banana, and 1/2 cup ice until smooth.
Nutrition: 283 cal, 13 g pro, 53.5 g carb, 2 g fiber, 48 g sugars, 3.5 g fat
Easy Strawberry Banana Smoothie
All you need is 2 ingredients for the easiest, best strawberry banana smoothie recipe! Its so deliciously simple, youll find yourself making it on repeat.
Heres a smoothie recipe thats almost impossibly simple: this Strawberry Banana Smoothie! All you need is 2 ingredients, plus ice and water. Thats right: two ingredients! Its not often that our recipes are this easythough we do believe in keeping all things pretty simple. Blend up bananas and frozen strawberries and youve impossibly got the perfect smoothie texture and flavor: its creamy, sweet and fruity, with just enough banana essence. No yogurt, milk or sweetener needed! Its truly remarkable. In fact, we might give up our Perfect Strawberry Smoothie in favor of this one.
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What Are Some Great Smoothie Recipes
Alright, now that youre fully versed on how to make a great smoothie, let me share with you some of our absolute favorite combos! Click on any image to jump over to that specific smoothie recipe.
Classic Simple Smoothies
These smoothies are a great place to start. No weird ingredients that you have to special order, just fresh, real food that you can find at any typical supermarket.
Wild Blueberry Lemon No Banana Smoothie
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- In this Creamy Fruit Smoothie, dry milk adds texture and protein without fat or a lot of calories. Try this easy concoction with your favorite fruit: strawberries, blackberries, bananas, kiwifruit, peaches or cherries, for example. A healthy alternative to the traditional milk shake.
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Caramel Apple Overnight Oatmeal Smoothie
This vegan, gluten-free breakfast smoothie is perfect for cold mornings when youre craving a fall treat. Dont worry: Theres no caramel in this recipe. Instead, this blogger subs in dates to add natural sweetness, along with antioxidants, fiber, and minerals. Rolled oats also pack fiber and protein, while apples and cinnamon give that undeniably heartwarming taste. This dreamy mixture sits in the fridge overnight, saving you so much time in the mornings.
Health Benefits Of Fruit Smoothie
A fruit smoothie gets ready in minutes. You can also use it as a dessert, snack, or quick breakfast. You can even customize it to your liking based on the fruit smoothie ingredients available in your fridge. Here are a few benefits of incorporating fruit smoothies into your diet.
Contains Fibre
Fiber is a crucial nutrient in the body. It helps in digestion by reinforcing the growth of beneficial bacteria and stopping constipation. A few of the fiber-rich options you can incorporate in your smoothie include apples, pears, and blackberries. It provides up to seven grams of fiber for every serving.
Improves Your Immune System
The best part about making a smoothie is that you get to create the base of your choice. However, if you are preparing fruit smoothies with milk, the healthier and best option would be to include low-fat yogurt or low-fat milk. Yogurt contains probiotics that can strengthen your immune system by reducing inflammation thats linked to different health conditions such as gut disorders.
Aids in the Detoxification
In this busy era, people have been exposed to many dangerous human-made chemicals that they need to remove from their systems to remain healthy. Smoothies are the best way to naturally get rid of toxins from the body since they contain many nutritious ingredients. A fruit smoothie containing beet, papaya, and garlic is detoxifying because it doesnt just cleanse the blood but helps the liver remove toxins more effectively.
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How To Make Homemade Smoothies
Home » Drink Recipes » Smoothies » How to Make Homemade Smoothies
Homemade smoothies are a tasty way to add extra servings of fruits and vegetables into your diet. Whether you are looking for a delicious way to start your day or just need a healthier afternoon snack, knowing how to make a smoothie is a great way to expand your culinary knowledge and build your kitchen confidence.
How To Make A Fruit Smoothie
This basic recipe will teach you How to Make ANY Fruit Smoothie using fresh and frozen ingredients! Once you learn this simple formula youll be able to mix it up with tropical fruits and berries, add in greens such as spinach or kale, and even make them vegan and dairy-free. And the best part? Only a few simple ingredients and less than 5 minutes are needed to make the best homemade smoothie!
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Fruit Smoothie Recipes Are Easy To Make And Perfect For An Easy Breakfast Or Snack You Only Need A Few Ingredients And A Blender And Youre Ready To Go
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I love fruit smoothies. I love making them up for a healthy breakfast, for a snack, or for something healthier when Im craving something sweet.
One of my best friends and I bonded the first time over drinking smoothies together. She and I had class together my first semester at BYU, it was a freshman English class, and I hadnt gotten my meal card yet so after class she offered to buy me a smoothie from Jamba Juice on campus. We were best friends ever since.
Smoothies are great because they are so easy! And you can you can whip them together with just a few ingredients. You can choose what kind of fruit, juice, yogurt, etc to have all types of different flavors of smoothies.
You can have it be a berry smoothie, a tropical smoothie, banana orange, strawberry pineapple, etc. Try different kinds of fruits and yogurts to change the flavor.
The Power Of Leafy Greens In This Fruit And Vegetable Smoothie
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Typically I choose 1 leafy green to add to my smoothie, yet 1 just wasnt good enough for this fun fruit and veggie smoothie recipe! Kale and spinach come from different plant families, so when I talk about rotating your greens, these are the most common choices. The combined forces of these 2 superfood ingredients provide incredible antioxidant, cancer fighting, immunity boosting power. If smoothies were super heroes, then this fruit and veggie smoothie would be #TheCancerCrusher.
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Banana Almond Protein Smoothie
Creamy almond butter offers healthy fats, while coconut water helps restore electrolytes after a tough workout. Greek yogurt and a scoop of whey keep the protein content high.
In a blender, add 1/2 cup coconut water, 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 3 Tbsp. almond butter, 1 scoop whey protein powder, 1 Tbsp. hemp seeds, 1 frozen banana, and 1 cup ice. Process until smooth The recipe serves 2.
Nutrition: 329 cal, g pro, 26 g carb, 5 g fiber, 15 g sugars, 17 g fat
Are Banana Smoothies Healthy
Answer
Banana smoothies are a popular drink that many people enjoy. There are several benefits of drinking them, such as reducing stress, improving heart health and reducing anxiety. However, it is important to
determine whether the smoothies are healthy for you. Some people believe that banana smoothies are not healthy because they contain high levels of sugar and carbohydrates.
Others think that they are veryhealthy because they have low calories and few grams of saturated fat. It is important to make a decision based on your own personal health concerns and preferences.
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