The “Perfect” Smoothie
What a title. Sid that not grab your attention? Pretty great right. Well, spoiler alert, the perfect smoothie has so much to do with one’s own personal tastes and preferences. Besides one of my favorite smoothie recipes, this post will give you all of the tools to make the best smoothies.
This smoothie recipe is a winner. It was so delish that I am going to call it my “perfect” smoothie. I’m not even sure that you are ready for how tasty it is OR how easy it is OR how healthy it is. And the whole thing is only 6 or 7 ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. Have I sold you yet?
Ever since my first time on JJ Smith’s 10 Day Smoothie Cleanse, my mind became wide open to a world where a smoothie can replace a meal, especially if you are thoughtful about your ingredients.
I love having a smoothie as a nutrient-packed breakfast to kickstart my day. It provides me with plenty of energy to get moving and motivated. I have also had success drinking one pre-morning workout. It doesn’t make me cramp up like a heavy breakfast traditionally would.
I use a Nutribullet Pro as my blender of choice (mostly because it comes in champagne, which is an extremely attractive appliance color for me). However, you can use whichever blender you have lying around.
Into the blender goes the following: 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple, 3/4 cup of frozen mixed berries, 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 cup of frozen kale, 1 carrot, 1/2 cup of your favorite nut milk, and a tablespoon or two of ground flax seed (if you have it). You will then blend it all up and pour it into your favorite glass. Easy right?
Okay, honesty hour, this past week was my first time experimenting with avocados in smoothies and wow and I hooked. They add such a decadence to the smoothie. Though it is “perfect,” please do not feel pressured to use my recipe to a tee. This is a good starting point for anyone new to smoothies. Have fun with this convenient vehicle for nutrients and flavors!
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 apple
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 cup mixed berries
- 1/2 cup kale
- 1 tbsp ground flax seed
- 1/2 cup of nut milk
- Place all ingredients in a blender
- Blend
- Enjoy
Here are some thoughts to ponder when you are designing your own “perfect” smoothie:
Ratio of frozen to room temperature ingredients. This balance greatly affects the consistency of your smoothie. I usually go half and half on frozen to room temperature. More frozen ingredients add an icy texture to your drink. If you like an extra icy consistency go for it, you may want to try dumping it into a bowl and eating it with a spoon as a smoothie bowl (pictured below).
Milk v. Nut milk v. Soy milk v. Water v. OJ. There is no wrong way to make your smoothie (well, that’s not exactly true… you don’t want your smoothie to look like a pizza). I usually use water in my smoothie. I love the idea of just drinking fruits and vegetables. When Im feeling out there, I will sub in a nut milk or a soy milk. This does give the smoothie a lot more body and pizazz. Please, for me, follow your heart when it comes to choosing your smoothie liquid.
Seeds and supplements. Let me be up front about this one: I do not have a lot of experience in this space. All I know is that that all of these things have different pros and cons and you need to thin about what you want out of your smoothie. I love adding ground flax seed to my smoothies. Other options that I know people enjoy are hemp seed, chia seed, protein powder, and matcha powder.
You know what would be fun: comment below with your favorite smoothie recipes. There are so many different ways to put a smoothie together, I’d love to here your faves.