Smoothies are usually marketed as healthy. But the reality is that, even if a smoothie can indeed be healthy, many of them end up being a calorie bomb, full of sugar and low in protein. Not exactly a balanced meal. This is OK occasionally, but certainly not a good idea if we are using the smoothie as a meal substitute.
But don’t fret! You can still create delicious and balanced smoothies following a very simple recipe that I’m going to share with you. Ready?
1. Start with a liquid
- Milk, coconut water or water.
- 0.5 to 1 cup is enough for one smoothie.
- Caw milk is fine if you eat dairy, but make sure to use 2% fat or less.
- My preference is plant-based milks. Unsweetened plain soy milk is the closest to caw milk from the nutrition point of view, with similar content in protein and the advantage of no cholesterol. Alternatively, you can use almond milk. I do not recommend coconut milk, since it’s high is saturated fat; nor oat milk, which is high in carbs and high GI – and we already have plenty of this in a typical smoothie. Hemp or cashew milks are other good options, although they are more difficult to find.
- Plant based milks should be fortified with calcium at a very minimum, ideally also with Vitamin D and B12, and always unsweetened (Silk Organic unsweetened checks all the boxes).
- Coconut water is a good idea if you are using your smoothie for hydration, for example after a workout.
- I do not recommend using fruit juice, which adds more free sugars and no significant protein.
- You can also combine milk and yogurt for a thicker and creamier smoothie.
2. Add dark leafy greens
- 1 handful is fine
- Kale is the best, because it’s low in oxalates and high in other nutrients. However, its bitterness can sometimes throw the smoothie flavor off. Smoothies are great to use those hard kale stems!
- Baby spinach is a good alternative of milder flavor. Notice though that spinach is high in oxalates, which can interfere with the calcium absorption. Therefore, if you have been advised to watch your calcium intake, you may want to choose something else.
3. Add some fruit
- ½ to 1 cup
- Berries, pineapple, mango are all good options. Fresh or frozen is fine. Frozen mixes are really convenient.
- For extra creaminess, you can add banana or avocado as well:
- ½ to 1 small to medium banana
- or 1/4 – 1/2 avocado
4. Add a healthy fat
- 1 tablespoon
- My preference is chia, hemp or flax seeds for the Omega 3s and protein.
- Alternatively, nut butters or nuts are fine too.
- Omit if you used avocado, it has healthy fat already.
5. Add flavor (optional)
Some ideas:
- Cinnamon (my favorite), pumpkin spice, turmeric or ginger work well.
- 1-2 dates for additional fiber
- Lime or lemon juice or zest
- Fresh herbs like basil or parsley
- 1 teaspoon maximum of maple syrup, agave, honey, sugar of your choice (my preference is coconut sugar) or sweetener.
6. Add extras (optional)
- Boosters like beet powder, mushroom powder, maca, spirulina, cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, etc.
- Unsweetened protein powder. If using, blend all the ingredients first and add the protein powder at the end, blending until just mixed. Do not overprocess. My favorite brand of Plant Based protein powder is Sunwarrior Plain and unsweetened. It’s not chalky and it won’t alter the color or flavor.
A few smoothies I have in my rotation
- Green Monster: milk, spinach, pineapple, banana, flax seeds.
- Very berry: milk, kale, mixed berries, banana, flax seeds.
- Baby’s food: milk, strawberries, banana, chia seeds.
- Zesty blueberry: milk, spinach, blueberries, basil, banana, almond butter, lime juice.
- Chocolate cherry: milk, cherries, banana, hazelnuts, cocoa powder, cinnamon.
- Pink power: milk, strawberries, banana, chia seeds, beet powder.
Let me know in the comments if you try one!
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