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With warmer weather on the horizon, you may be busting out the blender to make your favorite smoothies. What is not to love about these cool and fresh treats? Smoothies can be a great way to boost your fruit and vegetable intake but with the wrong ingredients, it can quickly turn into a high-calorie sugar trap. Consider this ingredient list for healthy smoothie making:
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Liquid
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Fruit
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Vegetables
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Add-Ins
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- Unsweetened Almond, Oat, or Soy Milk
- Coffee, brewed and chilled
- Black, green, or herbal tea
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- Low-sugar protein powder
- Flax seed
- Chia seed
- Nuts or nut butters
- Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cilantro, parsley
- Vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder
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Tips:
- Build your smoothie into the cup you will be drinking it from for accurate portioning and less dishes. Add solids until ¾ cup is full then top off with liquid of your choice.
- Freeze your fruit so you don’t have to add ice which dilutes the smoothie.
- Add frozen bananas for creaminess and a touch of sweetness. If you notice your fresh bananas starting to go bad, store them in your freezer for convenient future use. Just peel, split into quarters, and place in a freezer-bag.
- Avoid adding sugar, honey, syrup, or fruit juice to your smoothie. This will drive up the calories.
- Add ¼ of an avocado for silky smooth texture.
- If you are only having a smoothie at breakfast, make sure to add something with protein like nut butters or protein powder.
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