How to level up your smoothie game
Smoothies can be a great way to work more clean, whole foods into your diet. But not all smoothies are made equal. Here, learn my tips for building a flavorful smoothie that packs a nutritional punch and balances blood sugar.
I’ve been told I’m the smoothie queen. When it comes to making smoothies that look good, taste good, and are good for you, I’ve got the system down pat. I mean, how many people can say they’ve gotten kids to voluntarily eat kale???
By now, there’s probably not a soul who hasn’t made (or at least drank) a smoothie in their lifetime. But let me ask you this: what do you put into your smoothies? Are they mostly…
frozen fruit
fruit juice
and not much else?
This kind of smoothie is great for a treat on a hot day, and it can even be a great way to get kids to eat more fruit. BUT (and this is important, friends): when you build your smoothies from fruit and liquid (especially a sugary liquid), here's what happens. Your body gets a swift dose of sugar, your insulin spikes, and then it drops. And you get hangry.
Blood sugar regulation needs to a priority many reasons, including improving your energy and lowering burnout stress. So how do work that into a smoothie? We make sure your smoothie contains:
Protein + Fat + Fiber + Color
AND we make sure it tastes good. Read on for the details!
How to build an A+ smoothie
Start with greens. You can add kale, spinach, napa cabbage… I love adding red cabbage to a berry smoothie, to keep the bright red/purple color of the berries. In some smoothies, cucumber or frozen culiflower “rice” is great, too!
Add your favorite fruit. Frozen fruit will give you a thicker smoothie, and berries are a great choice because they are lower in sugar and rich in micronutrients, antioxidants, and polyphenols. Try an organic frozen berry mix, frozen cherries, and even frozen cranberries.
Blend with a low- or no-sugar liquid. Definitely skip the fruit juice and sweetened non-dairy milks. The fruit in your smoothie will provide plenty of natural sweetness. If you feel like you need more sweet, try adding a pitted date or a chunk of banana.
Add a protein source. A small handful of nuts or a scoop of almond or peanut butter is a good start. Protein powder can also be helpful here, just make sure to a high quality one. I like Four Sigmatic’s plant-based protein powder. It’s organic, includes adaptogenic mushrooms (you won’t taste them), and comes in various flavors. Other options for adding a little more protein include hemp hearts and chia seeds.
Pack on the flavor and nutrients! There are tons of ingredients can use to boost the flavor and nutritional profile of your smoothies, and add in some extra protein, fiber and calories to keep you satiated (especially important if you’re drinking this for a meal). Keep on reading for some ideas…
Flavor and Nutrient Boosts for your smoothie
(a non-exhaustive list)
Hemp hearts
Why add it: These little seeds provide a dose of protein, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and have a high protein content (25% of their calories are from protein). They have a mild nutty flavor and blend easily.
What to do: Blend right into your smoothie, or sprinkle them on top (or stir in at the end).
Chia seeds
Why add it: Chia seeds have protein, healthy omega-3 fats, lots of fiber, and a whole bunch of other nutrients you need
What to do: Same as with hemp hearts, you can blend in the seeds or sprinkle them on top. I like to sprinkle the white chia seeds on darker smoothies and the dark ones on light smoothies- since we all know that a good looking smoothie tastes better! Keep in mind that if you blend them in and you take a while to drink your smoothie, your smoothie will thicken over time (which you may or may not like).
Coconut butter (manna)
Why add it: Provides healthy fats (medium chain triglicerides, MCTs) that will keep you satiated, plus a range of minerals and antioxidants. And it’s super yummy!
What to do: Blend a couple tablespoons into your smoothie. Here’s a trick: first just place your liquid and the coconut butter in the blender, and blend to combine. Then add the rest of your ingredients.
Raw cacao- nibs or powder
Why add it: Cacao’s got so much going for it, I couldn’t even cover it all here. Bottom line, it’s an antioxidant and a prebiotic- so it’s great for gut health!
What to do: Blend the powder into your smoothie for a chocolate boost. This also works great when you want a sweet treat (see my chocolate nice cream recipe). The nibs can be sprinkled on top of your smoothie.
Chlorella powder
Why add it: This green freshwater algae supplies you with loads of nutrients (vitamin B12, iron, vitamin C), antioxidants, and aids in cellular detoxification.
What to do: Add 1 teaspoon to your green smoothie.
Fresh ginger
Why add it: An anti-inflammatory food that is great for your gut.
What to do: peel a one inch knob and toss it into the blender. I love adding this to a green smoothie, to give it a little kick!
Avocado
Why add it: Packing in tons of nutrients and a great source of healthy omega-3 fats, avocado will help keep you satiated and make your smoothie extra creamy.
What to do: Add half a small avocado into your smoothie and blend!
Collagen
Why add it: Collagen is a type of protein that helps with hair, skin elasticity, nails, and joint health.
What to do: Add a scoop to your smoothie. And be sure to choose a collagen powder that’s either marine based or derived from grass-fed cows. Vital Proteins and Ancient Nutrition are good choices.
What blender is best?
I get asked this question a lot: what blender should I buy? Here’s my answer. If you are making smoothies every day, you know that you want to upgrade to a more powerful blender, and you have the money to invest, a Vitamix blender is your best bet. I believe they have a budget model, too. I have the basic model from their “Ascent” series. It’s extremely powerful and does everything that I want it to, very quickly. I use it pretty much every day to make anything from smoothies to nut milks to soups. Blendtec makes a blender similar in quality to Vitamix, but I can’t personally vouch for it because I’ve never used it.
All that said, years ago when I first embarked on my health journey, I got a budget blender from Ninja. It was not powerful enough to make green smoothies without texture. I don’t remember the model but I really wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
The best budget blender I’ve found, that can make smooth green smoothies, is the Nutribullet (the lowest cost version is about $60). This is a powerful little blender. It’s smaller (24 ounce cup) and not quite as powerful as a Vitamix, but for smoothies it does the job well.
