Reader’s Request: Making a Meal Outta Your Smoothie
Hey everyone! How are ya? Hope you’re having a splendid morning 🙂
I get a lot of emails asking for basic tips on how to put smoothies together. I totally feel ya- there are so many ingredients and combos out there, and as a newbie, it can feel intimidating. It’s also easy to throw stuff willy nilly into the blender and *hope* it comes out tasty 😉
Here are some steps to making the perfect smoothie:
*Note: It’s always better to have *real* food as smoothies digest extremely quickly, but these tips should help with satiety when you’re on a time crunch or craving something cold to eat in the summer months.
1) Pick Your Liquid
This is going to be the basis for the smoothie. You can roll with milk of choice (for a creamy, more milkshake-like smoothie); almond milk is my fave), fruit juice, coffee, tea or water. Add 1-2 cups.
2) Add Your Protein
Sun Warrior = My protein lovahhh
Vega is #2 🙂
Including protein powder is going to pump up the nutrient value of the smoothie and help repair lean muscle. Always include protein if your smoothie is 30-60 minutes after a strength training workout. For tips on finding your perfect protein powder, click here. Add 1/2 – 1 serving.
3) Choose Your Fruit
(bahaha, I had to do it. Please don’t be offended of the flasher banana)
This is one of the most fun parts of the art of smoothie making. Add in whichever fruits you have on hand- I usually wash and chop mine, freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to a Ziploc baggie to keep in the freezer. Add 1-2 servings (1/2 C to 1 C). *Bonus: organic fruits are much less expensive when you buy them frozen.
4) Pick a fat, any [healthy] fat
Healthy fat is so important for nutrient absorption as well as brain function, reproductive health, immune and nervous systems. Nut butter is a great choice, or almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flax, hemp seeds or coconut oil. Add 1/2 – 1 servings (a tablespoon of fat usually works well for me)
Optional:
5) Greens
Greens are fun to add to smoothies, especially since it’s a quick way to get in a veggie serving and extra nutrients. Word to the wise: kale in smoothies tastes like death. To me, at least 😉 I’d roll with spinach or chard, especially if you’re a newbie.
6) Starch
Adding starch, such as a banana or some oatmeal will give the smoothie a thicker texture and will make it more filling due to the increase in fiber and carbs for energy.
7) Texture
For a thicker smoothie, add 1/4 avocado or 1 serving of lowfat yogurt. If you choose to add these, you can opt out of #4, since you’ll be increasing the fat content with the avocado or yogurt. You can also add cacao nibs, chocolate chips, coconut or granola for a little extra crunch.
8) Flavor
Flavor it up!
– A pinch of sea salt will bring out the sweetness in the fruit
– 1/2 t vanilla will make the smoothie more aromatic and deepen the flavor
– Feel free to add seasonings (cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne), superfoods (maca, mesquite, cacao, spirulina) or fresh herbs (lavender, mint, basil)
-For extra sweetness, add in some Stevia, maple syrup, honey or a medjool date
9) Presentation
Garnish using an ingredient that’s in the smoothie, and slurp up with a Glass Dharma straw 😀
More tips:
–Use frozen fruit instead of ice. Ice waters down the smoothie and frozen fruit brings it down to the perfect temperature without sacrificing flavor
-While blending, blend at the “low-medium” speed (on the Vita-mixalicious, level 4) until all of the ingredients are fully chopped and combined (about 2 minutes). After this point, increase the speed all the way to high and blend for an additional minute. If you try to go to high speed right away, all of the fruit will migrate to the bottom and get stuck. If things aren’t blending smoothly, add a little more liquid.
-The cool thing about enjoying smoothies as meals is that you can customize them to fit your nutritional needs. I often suggest an extra smoothie to clients who are looking to gain weight. It provides extra calories, without actually having to *eat* them- you just make the smoothie in the AM, leave it in the fridge and make sure it’s gone by the end of the day (in addition to the regular eats). If you’re not looking to gain weight, smoothies are a great choice for a quick and nutritious meal.
-For some awesome smoothie combos, check out Show Me Your Smoothie 😀
Today’s smoothie:
Chocolate Cayenne Smoothie
-1 C cold chocolate almond milk
-1/2 C water
-1/4 avocado (or 1/2 banana)
-1 scoop vanilla Sun Warrior
-1 T raw cacao powder
-1/2 T cacao nibs + extra for garnish
-1/2 t vanilla
-1/4 t cayenne (to taste)
-pinch of sea salt
-Stevia, to taste
Blend in the Vitamix and enjoy 😀
© 2010 The Fitnessista
Well friends, I’m off to the dentist to get a tiny cavity filled. The dentist looks like my dad, so I hope he does a good job and is gentle to my chompers 😉 Wish me luck!
My dentist reward: shopping and juice afterwards 😀
xoxo,
Gina
Something to talk about: What’s your all-time favorite smoothie combo? Are there any smoothie-making tips that I missed?
82 Comments
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That cayenne looks like it’d give a nice kick to breakfast!
I like to use lite silken tofu in my smoothies to add creaminess and protein. I’ve tried to use frozen silken tofu before and that was a smoothie fail! So I stick with frozen fruit 🙂
I use a magic bullet for my smoothies. it makes it so much easier for cleanup! because I’m blending in the cup i’m going to drink it from. I have a smoothie for breakfast every morning! I love them! Great tips, though, I realized I’m not very good at adding any healthy fats to my mix.
Looooove my Magic Bullet.
I LOOVE the magic bullet too! It’s awesome for blending and then taking with you. Such easy clean up as well. Now that it is summer-I find myself drinking more and more smoothies every day. Thanks Gina for the great tips!
That smoothie sounds so good! My favorite all time is chocolate coconut protein powder, skim milk, peanut butter, a FROZEN banana, vanilla extract, and coconut. To die for.
Good Luck at the dentist! Be careful with the juice if they numb your mouth! I’ve had more than one instance where I dribbled/drooled out of my mouth because I couldn’t feel it!
whoa, good to know! especially if i get the carrot apple BEET. red juice everywhere- no fun
love this gina! thank you!…when you talked about protein powders and the “click here link” I think you just forgot to make a link attached to it, just so ya know!
cayanne in a shake sounds so interesting! i must try that!
thank you, i fixed it 🙂
Yum!! I love smoothies! I want some of those glass straws like PRONTO. Oh and P.S. I’m totally making that fruit picture (with the banana flasher) the background on my work computer. Bahaha.
I do love my smoothies these days! LOVE the fruit pic! Ha! I’m very basic with my smoothies, mostly banana, berries, natural nut butter and loads of spinach! YUM! It’s gotten to the point that I crave them on a daily basis!
Wow, that was a very thorough smoothie explanation…I think you covered perfectly.
My fav., which I indulge in every morning, is spinach, frozen nanner, asian pear, melon (both frozen as well) cinnamon, and milk. Into a bowl topped with some bran flakes. I look forward to it every morning.
I am anticipating peach season so I can throw them into the mix.
This was an awesome how-to. Honestly, so helpful!
My all time favorite is the classic green monster. I use:
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2-1 frozen banana
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon maca
1 scoop vanilla Sun Warrior (luuuuhhve thanks to you)
2-3 cups spinach
cinnamon (I use lots)
So so good. In my opinion, the cinnamon totally makes it.
Thanks for sharing your tips!
xo
Awesome post! I guess I was missing a few things like protein powder & fat : P
I love StarBizzle’s Chocolate Banana Vivanno Smoothie (I ask for extra protein) and recreate it at home. Sweet happiness after a beasty work-out! 😉 Good luck at the dentist, Gina. Oh, I did Week 2 of SSU yesterday…it was Speed and I looked at the videos before so I knew how to do the moves – you killed me, Gina!! I nearly threw up, hehehe, but I loved every minute! At one point I stopped in horror and thought, “If Gina’s this tough, WHAT IS SHAUN T LIKE?!?” 😉
Thank you! I have been making smoothies for a while, but they always seem to leave me hungry in no time. I am hoping to put your tips to use asap so that I can stay fuller longer on the smoothies that I make.
hahah I love the flasher fruit pic!
My favorite smoothie combos are anything involving chocolate 😀
My all time favorite smoothie fruit is frozen papaya! If you have a vitamix it’s so great in a smoothie, low in calories and adds a nice thickness. I love it with vanilla protein powder (or the vega chai protein powder), unsweetened vanilla almond milk, chia seeds and stevia (sometimes also with spinach).
Your fruit pic was hilarious!
Thank ya! I am just starting to get into smoothies, it took me a while to find a good combo since I HATE bananas.
Just wanted to say, I love my goodies I got from your OpenSky! –
http://relativelylowcarb.blogspot.com/2010/06/slurpin-glass.html
SO good!
i’m so glad! <3
LOVE that flasher banana! I’ve debated putting that on cute food saturday a few times now 🙂
Thanks for the hints… I find that I’m a bit hungry after a smoothie breakfast, and it turns out i’m missing the “starch” aspect 🙂 Thanks friend!
Great post! I have a smoothie everyday for breakfast but I feel like some people aren’t making it enough of a “meal” to last them for hours.
That Chocolate Cayenne smoothie looks so so good! I must try it 🙂
My fave smoothie is a good ole classic chocolate banana pb with chocolate almond breeze and a little cocoa powder. Rich and delish!
I have a few questions about protein powder! I was drinking GNC’s lean shake, and after a couple weeks my doctor found protein in my urine and told me it was toxic to my kidneys! Do you think the problem was that specific
powder or is it my body? I love smoothies and their nutritional benefits, but do I have to forgo the protein?
protein in your urine can be caused by either taking in too much protein for your body to process, or the inability for your body to break down protein efficiently.
i’d make sure to check with your doc, just to ensure that there aren’t any kidney probs or anything like that. for now, i’d skip out on the protein powder or just use small amounts of plant-based protein (like hemp or brown rice) because whey (which is what’s in that gnc shake) can cause this more frequently
protein in your urine can be caused by either taking in too much protein for your body to process, or the inability for your body to break down protein efficiently.
i’d make sure to check with your doc, just to ensure that there aren’t any kidney probs or anything like that. for now, i’d skip out on the protein powder or just use small amounts of plant-based protein (like hemp or brown rice) because whey (which is what’s in that gnc shake) can cause this more frequently
Gina,
A few days ago you asked if we had any requests for “favorites” for the blog roll. I’d love to have an easy way to access your dinner party posts. They are such an inspiration to me, both food-wise and for plating/presentation. I love to look at them when thinking about what I’m going to serve at a party. Just my 2 cents!
Good luck at the dentist!
sure, i’ll definitely include a section with dinner parties that i’ve hosted
my favorite smoothie is definitely strawberry, mango, pineapple, blended with greek yogurt and POM juice…heck yes!
Such a great post!! I haven’t made a smoothie yet (besides simple one I’ve made for ages with frozen fruit plus yogurt for a snacker) because I honestly had no idea where to start. Guess I don’t have an excuse anymore!
Very helpful! I like frozen fruit in my smoothies. Frozen banana makes them extra creamy.
Oh my gosh, I can’t stop laughing about the flasher banana. That is just too funny!
I lived on an organic farm WAY out in the sticks in Hawaii for a few weeks and never felt like cooking so lived off of one smoothie and one smoothie only- homebrewed green tea kombucha, fresh just-picked papaya and farmer’s market kale. I swear if you’d cut me I would have bled that smoothie! I miss it so much (even though I know it doesn’t sound like much).
glad you liked the flasher banana 🙂
and that smoothie sounds like heaven
Bloomin’ Eck! there i was thinking you just threw in fruit and yoghurt!…xx
Thank you for the picture of the fruit! That totally made my morning…LOL
You were asking the other day (yesterday?) about our favorite posts and I have to say this one is a keeper and the other one where you had everyon send in their favorite smoothie recipes. I always fail at making smoothies and am determined to master them with all of the awesome guidance you have been feeding me. It’s sorta like you read my mind on this post. Thanks!
Great post G! I looooove the banana flasher 😀 So funny. I have a couple of my most fav smoothies posted … here’s the links if anyone’s interested 🙂 -Mary
http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2010/05/tropical-green-monster.html
http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2010/03/good-bye-acai-hello-chia-mango-vanilla.html
http://whatscookinwithmary.blogspot.com/2010/04/green-mocha.html
Awesome post! This definitely makes me super inspired to make a smoothie…if only the sun would come out and heat up the pacific northwest *cough* mother nature *cough*
Let’s see…my favorite smoothie combo. 🙂 1 banana, 1/3 cup rolled oats, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, ~12 frozen cherries, handful of spinach, 1/2 packet chocolate Amazing Grass. Awesome!
flasher banana is too funny!
I need a blender; do you have a college-budget recommendation?
Try the Magic Bullet. It’s perfect in size and price for smoothies (but not much else.)
Right now, i am on a Green Monster smoothie kick – my fave includes 2 cups of spinach, half a frozen banana, 3 or 4 pieces of Trader Joe’s frozen mango, 3 oz of fat free Greek yogurt, 4 oz fat free milk, 1 tbsp Maca, and some ice. SO GOOD! and since i am addicted to chocolate ice cream, but am trying to cut calories to loose weight, i have “discovered” a really good alternative to a post dinner chocolate ice cream binge. Blend about 24 mini ice cubes (they blend easier than the big chunky ones) with 8 oz of fat free chocolate milk (i like the Over-the-Moon brand) for a frozen chocolate smoothie. It takes a while to drink and totally satisfies my chocolate craving. Plus its non-fat and only about 150 calories.
Thanks for the tip about the blender setting! I often have troubles with frozen fruit migrating to the bottom. Good to know to start at a low-medium speed.
Thank you for this! I am so clueless when it comes to smoothies–something that seems so easy!
Smoothies look fab…..I agree SunWarrior is THE BEST, and Vega is second. No clue how they get the sunwarrior to be soooooo smooth, but it’s great. The new Vega shake and go smoothies are pretty good for when on the run.
This is a great Smoothie Bible of info! I agree about kale…I have never gotten on the green monster trail…what can I say, I am such a raw rebel to not embrace it LOL
Your babycakes tshirt from the last post…omg if you’d ever like to sell that to me, I’d buy it off your back 🙂 That is ADORABLE! I need that!
I need to hope on the smoothie bandwagon–stat! Maybe it will help with the ice cream/froyo addiction that always seems to come about during the summer months! I tend to like banana/strawberry combos, but of course anything chocolate is always a good thing 🙂
http://www.firednfabulous.com
great post! i’m definitely going to try the tip about blending on the medium setting rather than high right away – i find with green monsters, my frozen spinach tends to get stuck at the bottom, so maybe this is the problem. my staple smoothie ingredients are protein powder and frozen bananas.
one of my ‘smoothie technique tips’ has do do with adding xanthan gum… if i use it, i blend all other ingredients except for ice and the xanthan gum first, then add the xanthan gum, followed by the ice to push the gum further down. otherwise, i find that sometimes it gets stuck in one spot (and if this gets up your straw and stuck to your teeth, it’s NOT fun!!)
Great post Gina. My favorite smoothies by far include, pineapple, mango, banana for creaminess, and iceberg lettuce. Almond milk for the liquid, and Im good to go delicioso. Coming in a close second is the chocolate cherry bomb. Oh my. Like you, I add protein powder, oats, fats, you name it, depending on my needs at the moment. I feel you truly can’t go wrong, and if you like me and taste everything while you’re preparing, you’ll always have a great tasting smoothie. Lol.
I always freeze my fruit so I don’t have to use ice…tastes the best that way 🙂
loved this post!!! i am a newbie to smoothies! i’ve never tried vega or sun warrior (only jay robb actually) but i love the vega bars – had myf irst one yesterday in chocolate decadence flavor..so good!
I’m totally new to this but getting inspired. Can you make a larger amount of smoothie and keep it in the fridge or is it something that just works better when it is made a serving at a time?
you can definitely make a big one and keep it in the fridge- sometimes i’ll fill up the blender with my smoothie ingredients at night, put it in the fridge and blend up before leaving in the morning, too
that fruit pic made me LOL! haha so cute 🙂
I think you did a fantastic job . . . and having one of those wonderful Vitamix blenders doesn’t hurt! I’m saving up for one – but I think I need a bigger kitchen first.
And I loved the flashing banana – I needed that chuckle today! Have a good one and good luck with your gompers (teeth).
Mo
Bahaha love the flasher banana.. my favorite smoothie lately is banana, tart red grapes and almond milk. So simple but delicious but make sure the red grapes are tart and it will balance the sweetness of the banana. Yum.
Hey Gina,
I was curious do you use any differnet flavor from Sun Warrior or you just like the Vanilla flavor. I am just getting into making smoothies and waned to add more protein to them.
i like vanilla because you can change it to be whatever flavor you want. other flavors aren’t as versatile
I eat my smoothies with a tablespoon. Makes for a very indulgent experience!
I must recommend Tera’s Whey (and no, I do not work for them)! It’s unadulterated, made from organic/growth hormone-free dairy produced by artisanal/family farms. Stevia added for sweetening. They also make a version with GOAT whey!!!
Do check them out. Tera’s Whey can be found at Whole Foods and online.
http://www.teraswhey.com
goat whey! how’s the texture??
Smooth texture! I was impressed with all their flavors, really. I think I’ve tried them all now. The goat is “pomegranate cranberry.” I don’t recall it being particularly goat-y, either. I used Designer Whey before I discovered these and there is no way I’m going back!
Also, their organic products are, by definition, rBGH (growth hormone) free, but the rBGH-free line is not organic. The goat whey is rBGH-free. The Whole Foods near me has them in single-serve packets. If you cannot find them maybe call the company. I’ve spoken with them a few times to ask about their products and they’re very nice.