Frequently Asked Questions About Blending Smoothies
How do I get a thicker smoothie?
There are a couple of options that work really well. One, use frozen fruit in your smoothie to get a thicker consistency. Two, if you dont have frozen fruit, try adding ice. I like to add ice to the blender jar last to get the best blend.
How do I get the best blend when making a smoothie?
Put your ingredients in the jar in the correct order. Start with liquid, soft fruit, and leafy greens followed by frozen fruit or more solid ingredients. Add ice last .Then, start your blender on the lowest setting and increase slowly to the highest setting if you dont have a smoothie-specific setting on your blender. Add more liquid if you are having trouble getting the blend started. If your blender has a tamper then you can also use this to help get the ingredients pushed down into the blades and help that blend along. Not all blenders are the same. Be patient and figure out what works best for your blender.
How can I keep my smoothie routine from getting boring?Can I make smoothies ahead of time?
Yes, you definitely can. Blend and store in a sealed jar or container in the fridge overnight. I prefer freshly blended smoothies as the texture is the best but give your prepared smoothie a shake or stir and enjoy. We also like to prep our frozen smoothie ingredients ahead of time in freezer-safe containers. Then, when in a hurry we can just dump the prepped serving into the blender jar, add liquid, and blend. Can help save time when in a hurry.
Protein Powder And Supplements
Then, I added one scoop of NAKED Collagen Peptides Protein Powder to my smoothie.
I like it because it supports joint health, which is an especially good thing as we age. Plus it promotes skin hydration and elasticity, as well as strong and healthy hair and nails. Bonus!
One scoop adds an additional 9 grams of protein . This smoothie recipe already has great sources of protein from the cashews and the milk, but this is a great way to bump it up even more without adding a lot of calories, particularly if youre working on weight loss.
I also like to add a scoop of NAKED Gut to my smoothies.
NAKED Gut only contains seven natural ingredients, including prebiotics and probiotics, to minimize digestive discomfort, and support a healthy gut microbiome for a stronger immune system and better overall health.
If youre someone like me who struggles with tummy issues at times, this one is worth trying!
Even If Your Morning Routine Is More Like A Hectic Morning Rush These Smoothie Recipes Make For A Quick And Easy Breakfast That Can Help You Jumpstart Your Day
Simply Recipes
If your morning routine is more like a hectic morning rush, you may think you dont have time for a healthy breakfast, but a smoothie is a quick and easy meal that can be made in minutes. Its an excellent way to power your morning and get a boost from nutrient rich fruits and veggies.
Even if youre unsure about adding another item to your morning to-do list, there are many effortless strategies for prepping your smoothies in advance. Over the weekend or on an evening when you have some extra time, you can portion your smoothies in single serving freezer bags. On a busy morning, you can simply pull out a smoothie pack of frozen fruits and mix-ins, empty it into your blender with the liquid of your choice, and blend.
If over time your new morning smoothie routine becomes too, well, routine, you can easily change up your smoothie recipe. With just a few tips, its easy to customize your smoothie and create new combinations. Whether you prefer your breakfast bright and fruity or sweet and nutty, theres a healthy, delicious smoothie recipe that will help you jumpstart your morning.
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Blueberry Banana Smoothie Recipe
Heres a healthy smoothie recipe thats bursting with berry flavor: the blueberry banana smoothie! This bright purple puree is lusciously creamy and stunning to look at. Its packed with beautiful berry flavor that has just the right counterbalance of banana. Upon first sip, we were sold! Its perfect for breakfast, snack, or an after dinner treat.
How To Store Ginger
If you plan to use the ginger within a week or so, you can store it in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. If you want to store the ginger for a longer time, you can freeze it. To freeze ginger, peel the root and slice or chop it into small pieces. Place the ginger in a small airtight container or plastic bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Frozen ginger can be grated directly from the freezer, or thawed in the refrigerator before use.
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Are Homemade Smoothies Good For You
Whether or not a smoothie is good for you depends on your overall diet, what you add to your smoothie, and how often you are drinking them. Smoothies that are filled with fruits and vegetables, within your recommended calorie limit, and without a lot of added sugar, can very much be a healthy part of your diet.
Basic Steps For How To Make A Fruit Smoothie
1. Add your frozen fruit of choice
In this case, we used blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. However, any type of frozen fruit will work great!
2. Add a yogurt or banana base to thicken
Plain greek yogurt and/or bananas are great for thickening smoothies.
3. Add protein powder
Adding protein powder helps sweeten the smoothie and, of course, adds protein. This is always an optional step!
4. Add your milk of choice
Our favorite is unsweetened almond milk, but cashew milk, coconut milk, oat milk, and regular dairy milk are all great options as well.
To make the smoothie: Simply blend everything in a single serving blender and enjoy! Another option is to pour the smoothie into mason jars and freeze for quick smoothies throughout the week. Simply thaw in the refrigerator a few hours before youre ready to drink it !
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More Smoothie Blender Recommendations
I did want to share some other great blenders that I have personally owned and recommend depending on your price point.
Low cost:Ninja BL480D Blender$99 this is a great single serve blender for those that want to conserve space. Plus you cant beat the price point.
Medium cost:Ninja Kitchen System $229 Ive owned the Ninja Kitchen System for about 5 years and I love that its interchangeable between a blender, food processor, and single-serve smoothie blender. For $229, you really do get it all!
High cost:Vitamix 5200$429 at the highest price point, the Vitamix is THE BEST kitchen appliance Ive ever owned. It will literally crush, pulverize, mix, or puree anything and everything because its so powerful! I highly recommend, 10/10!
How To Make A Healthy Smoothie
1.Start with liquid. Water, juice, non-dairy milk, milk, and even green tea or coconut water are all good low-calorie, low-sugar options.
2. Add protein and fat for staying-power. Nut butter, garbanzo beans, yogurt, silken tofu, and avocado are all great choices for flavor and texture.
3.Pack in vegetables. Add kale or spinach, parsley and beet greens, and maybe cucumber and celery for some fresh flavor. Also, check out these veggie smoothies and green smoothies.
4. Add fresh or frozen fruit. Almost any fresh or frozen fruit is delicious. When a smoothie recipe uses fresh fruit, add ice cubes to the blender along with the fresh fruit to give it a better texture.
- To freeze bananas, peel and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place the slices on a baking sheet to freeze and then transfer the frozen pieces to a resealable freezer bag to store.
- To freeze fresh berries, spread on a baking sheet, freeze, and store in resealable freezer bags.
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List Of Smoothie Ingredients To Stock At Home:
Instead of following a specific smoothie recipe, I like to experiment with the ingredients I have at home.
Sometimes I’m in the mood for something light, green and healthy, sometimes I want a post-workout protein smoothie, and sometimes I’m looking for a meal replacement or a mid-afternoon pick-me-up with a little bit of caffeine.
Here is a list of the best smoothie ingredients I like to keep on hand:
Make These Fresh Customizable Smoothies At Home And Skip The Pricey Juice Bar Or Supermarket Bottled Versions
A breakfast staple for many, smoothies can fit into your meal plan as a snack, dessert, or an entire meal depending on what you add. A simple smoothie recipe is one of the easiest, quickest, and most picky-eater-pleasing way to add a serving of produce to your diet. Plus, adding anti-inflammatory smoothie ingredients could make those at-home smoothies an even bigger boost to your overall health. If you’re one who doesn’t like to drink your food, get your spoon ready and try making a smoothie bowl for a longer-lasting eating experience. Whichever route you prefer, break out your blender and prepare to design your perfect recipe.
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How To Make A Smoothie Without Bananas:
Bananas are the backbone of my simple smoothie recipes. They add so much creaminess, and natural sweetness while being inexpensive. That being said, I know not everyone likes/eats bananas. If you arent into bananas, you can add some Greek yogurt + sweetener + ice OR a half of an avocado + sweetener + ice. Those two combos will replace a banana nicely in a smoothie and still give you a nice rich and smooth texture.
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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!
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What If I Dont Have The Right Ingredients To Make One Of These Smoothies
There is NO right or wrong way to make a smoothie! These recipes are just starter ideas for you to work off of But dont feel like you need to stick with them to make a delicious smoothie. I never measure for smoothies and often throw in what I have on hand. My main tip, however, is if youre using fresh fruit, be sure to throw in a little ice to add that frozen element.
What Should I Put In My Smoothie
The great thing about a fruit smoothie recipe is that the customization opportunities are virtually endless. Heres a quick run through of what I usually put in my smoothies:
- Milk or Juice: you can use dairy milk, non-dairy milk, juice, or even coconut water really any liquid goes! You can even use cold tea.
- Greek Yogurt: yogurt is a great way to kick the protein up a notch and to make a deliciously thick and creamy texture. Dairy-free, plant-based yogurt works well, too, and you can skip it if you need .
- Banana: I love to keep frozen, sliced banana on-hand. The frozen banana makes it extra creamy and acts as a natural sweetener.
- Berries/Other Fruit: any frozen fruit work great in smoothies! Pineapple, mango, and berries are our favorites. You can even use watermelon like in this refreshing Watermelon Smoothie!
- Add-Ins: you can customize it with so many different add-ins. Protein powders, nuts or seeds, oats, extracts, sweeteners, even avocado!
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What Do I Use To Sweeten A Smoothie
All of these smoothies here use frozen fruit as a base, which adds a nice baseline of sweetness that you can build on if your tastebuds would like. My recommendation is to blend up your smoothie without any added sweetener, then taste. Add in honey or maple syrup to taste. Many times, I dont need to add anything! Another great natural option for sweetening: pitted Medjool dates. Throw in one or two of those bad boys and let the blender do its thing. Youd be amazed at how sweet your smoothie will be!
How To Measure Smoothie Ingredients
I too am guilty of looking at a smoothie recipe and then throwing a bit of everything into the pitcher. I could end up with a 12 ounce breakfast or a 24 ounce drink-me-all-day. Sometimes though, its nice to know exactly how much smoothie Im going to end up making.
Maybe you are counting calories. Perhaps you dont want to end up with leftovers. Maybe you never make enough for your kids to share. No matter your reason, sometimes its just makes life easier to know.
How do I do this without dirtying a pile of measuring cups and spoons? A kitchen scale!
Simply place the pitcher on your scale and hit the tare button to zero it out. Add the ingredients, pressing tare between each one, to measure exactly how much goes into the pitcher. Best of all you do it without dirtying a single measuring utensil.
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One: Choose The Fruit
Obviously, picking the fruit is an essential part of how to make a fruit smoothie. For two servings of your custom smoothie recipe, measure 2 cups peeled and sliced fruit into your blender. Feel free to mix fruit flavors or stick to just one favorite.
So what do you put in a smoothie for the fruit component? Our culinary pros are sweet on:
- Berries, such as strawberries , blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries
- Chunks of peeled mango, papaya, pineapple, and melon
- Pitted cherries, peaches, and nectarines
- Ripe banana coins
- Peeled kiwifruit slices
- Mandarin orange sections
How to Make a Smoothie with Frozen Fruit: When fruits are ripe, ready, and in season, freeze them in 2-cup portions in freezer bags to use when they are not so plentiful. Fruit can be frozen for up to a year. Alternatively, you can purchase frozen fruit at the supermarket to use in your smoothies at home. Replace fresh fruit with frozen in equal quantities.
More Easy Recipes For Homemade Green Smoothies
If you liked this green smoothie recipe, but arent quite ready to make your own flavor combinations, you can try some of these options.
First, if you want a tasty treat for fall, try this Pumpkin Pie Green Smoothie that my kids love. Or, if youd prefer something more refreshing, you have to try this Peachy Pineapple Green Smoothie. Finally, check out my Pina Colada Green Smoothie for a tasty vacation-inspired treat.
You can also check out some more delicious green smoothie variations using the 60/40 formula below.
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Instead Try Chia Seeds
A great source of fiber, chia seeds are one of the best ingredients to add to any given smoothie . These seeds provide a great boost of nutrients that can help you lose weight. And, the great thing about chia seeds is that they hardly change the flavor of your beverage, so you can easily add them to your smoothie for more fiber. Eating fiber-rich foods will help you stay full longer so you won’t overeat later in the day.
So, throw a tablespoon of chia seeds in with a variety of fruit, plant-based creamer, and some honey or cinnamon and you’ll have yourself a delicious drink that will put you well on your way to meeting your weight loss goals.
Fruit Smoothie Ingredients List
Now, with fruit smoothies, its simple, you need a basic smoothie ingredients list. Typically these consist of the following:
These tend to be the classic fruit you would go for. Now, if you want to go slightly different heres the smoothie list:
These are the smoothie lists we tend to go by. Now, this is where it gets interesting. The choice of combination. You can either keep it classic and use the first list as a combination, or use bits from the first list, and take some from the second list.
For example, use mango, passionfruit, and bananas for your smoothie. Or, to keep it classic, use banana, blueberry and pineapple.This will very much depend on your tastes and preferences. Think hard about what you would like, go buy these ingredients, and put them in that blender.
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Are Sheetz Smoothies Made With Real Fruit
Are Sheetz smoothies made with real fruit? We asked a Sheetz representative and they told us that their smoothies are made with a real fruit puree and ice. So if youre looking for a real fruit smoothie, Sheetz is a great option!
Our smoothies are made with delicious ingredients that are transparent to the consumer, so well go over all of the details in greater depth. There is a misconception that smoothies are unhealthy and do not provide any significant nutritional benefits. We use the same quality ingredients in our smoothies without the use of preservatives or syrups. Smoothie King uses a blend of fresh and individually frozen fruits in their smoothies. IQF fruit retains all of its characteristics, including color, shape, taste, and odor, when compared to other types of frozen or preserved fruit. Fruit frozen during the freezing process retains its nutritional value, but the amount of time it takes to use frozen produce is limited.