If you’d like to jump on the smoothie bandwagon — or you’re stuck in a smoothie rut — today’s blog post is for you!
Since restaurant smoothies are usually sugar-laden calorie bombs, homemade smoothies are the way to go. They can be a powerhouse of nutrients and flavor. My kids have even gulped down spinach without knowing it. Can I get a hooray for that?!
Although every smoothie I make is a little different, I tend to follow a standard formula. It incorporates greens, but the secret to masking their flavor is banana. Works every time!
I’m sharing my official recipe below, along with bonus tips and tricks to make the process as painless as possible.
Enjoy!
The Ultimate Healthy Smoothie
Notes
If you don't want to pre-freeze, the ingredients can be combined in blender as is and pureed until smooth. You may need to lower your liquid amount and substitute ice cubes to achieve the desired texture.
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen fruit of your choice (berries, cherries, peaches, etc. - Feel free to mix and match.)
- 1 banana, cut into chunks
- 1 cup fresh chopped greens of your choice (My personal favorite is spinach.)
- 1 Tbsp optional add-ons -- ground flaxseed, protein powder, or both
- 3/4 cup to 1 cup water or milk of your choice (I use unsweetened almond milk.)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the liquid in a ziptop bag. Store in freezer.
- When ready to use, pour liquid into blender.
- Add contents of ziptop bag, and blend until smooth.
BONUS TIPS AND TRICKS:
(1) Make smoothie cleanup as easy as possible.
I highly recommend rinsing or washing your blender immediately after making your smoothie. The longer it sits unwashed, all those little seeds and fruit pieces cling to the sides and are very hard to get off. Same goes for the cup you use (if separate from your blender). The quicker you wash, the better.
(2) Pre-make smoothie packs for the week ahead.
To do this, I lay out all my non-liquid ingredients in an assembly line on my kitchen table.
On quart-sized baggies, I write the date, the smoothie flavor, and the liquid instructions. I layer the ingredients in the bag, then seal it and freeze.
When I’m ready to make the smoothie, I measure out the liquid in my blender and add the contents of the baggie.
*Note: I recently upgraded my blender to a Ninja, which can handle pretty much any frozen mixture I throw into it. If your blender doesn’t handle large frozen chunks very well, try these tips:
– Set the frozen bag out at room temperature 10-15 minutes ahead of time so it can slightly defrost.
– Tap the bag against the counter to loosen the contents. Sometimes they glue together while freezing…Breaking them apart will take the pressure off your blender.
– Pour the liquid into your blender first, and add half the contents of the frozen bag. Blend until smooth, then add the remaining contents of the bag.
– If you’re still having trouble, consider leaving the banana out of the freezer and add it to the blender at room temperature.
That’s it! My official smoothie formula and tips. Still have a question? Feel free to leave it in the comments!
