Building the perfect smoothie is a strategy that should not be underestimated. What ingredients you decide on can make your smoothie a bad health decision or a very good health decision. I detail in my blog titled “Is your Smoothie healthy or is it contributing to poor health?” Click here to read the importance of balancing ingredients, especially around fruit where it is critical that you are not too heavy handed with quantities.
In my clinic when I see clients for their initial consultations and follow ups, we discuss their current diets in detail. Sadly, I find that many clients think they are doing wonders for their health by having a smoothie in the morning with lots of fruit only to find their weight not budging, their energy levels plummeting shortly thereafter and feelings of hunger soon after. The afternoon energy slump is also common.
A badly proportioned smoothie can see you having a high Glycaemic, insulin spiking breakfast even though it may be full of nutrients and antioxidants.
For this reason, building the perfect smoothie for optimal health requires a few simple rules and strategies which I detail below.
Due to the fact that so many of my clients are on a dairy free diet, I have not included dairy in this recipe blog and whilst I am a fan of certain fermented soy products, I am not a fan of the highly processed soy milk due to the potential impacts on hormones and thyroid. My liquid of choice in all smoothies is filtered water or coconut water as most nut-based milks often have hidden ingredients that are not in line with the health focus of these smoothie recipes. If you do decide on a nut milk and don’t make your own, read the labels carefully and avoid common ingredients that include sunflower oil, maltodextrin, and cane sugar. Sadly, they are common ingredients and unsweetened nut milks are the healthier choice.
Whilst I love organic honey with its superpower health benefits, it is also very high in fructose, and I would only ever add a little bit, or I wouldn’t be having it at all if you are also having fruit.
So, let’s get building and work out your key ingredients:
Leafy Green choices – 2 handfuls
baby spinach, lettuce, or kale.
Fruit choices: 2 tablespoons to ½ cup
Frozen banana, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, orange, pineapple, mango, apple, kiwi fruit, pear, orange or other.
Protein choices: 2 scoops of protein powder or 2 tablespoons nut butter
Brown rice protein powder, whey protein, pea protein, raw nut butter (almond, macadamia, hazelnut, cashew, peanut), chia seeds, flaxseed meal. Mix it up so you can combine.
Good fat choices: 2 tablespoons
Avocado, raw nut butter, coconut yoghurt, ground flaxseed meal, chia seeds. If you use nut butter as protein choice, decide on an alternative option here.
Liquid base: 200ml – 300ml
Filtered water, coconut water, unsweetened nut milks, rice milk, oat milk is a great option with no added calories however other options may include coconut water or unsweetened nut milks, rice, or oat milk are all good options.
Added extras for added taste:
Sprinkle of cinnamon, chlorophyll, spirulina, maca, cocao powder, medicinal mushrooms, nutmeg, few drops of vanilla essence, broccoli sprouts or wheatgrass.
Now blend and enjoy.
Here are some recipes that you might like to try:
Banana Protein Bliss
2 handfuls of baby spinach
½ frozen banana
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp almond nut butter
2 tbsp avocado
200-300 ml of coconut water
Sprinkle of cinnamon powder
Blueberry Surprise
2 handfuls of baby spinach
½ cup frozen blueberries
2 scoops of brown rice protein powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp of avocado
200-300 ml coconut water
Nutty Banana Chocolate
2 handfuls baby spinach
¼ frozen banana
¼ cup frozen strawberries
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp unsalted almond butter or peanut butter
1 tbsp freshly ground flaxseed meal
2 tablespoons avocado
200-300 ml unsweetened almond milk
Strawberry Mango
2 handfuls of baby spinach
¼ cup frozen strawberries
¼ cup frozen mango
1 tablespoon of hazelnut butter
2 tablespoons coconut yogurt
200-300 ml filtered water
Once you get into the swing of building your smoothie, you will find yourself saying “so what will my protein and good fat be today”.
Combining carbohydrate foods with a good protein and fat changes its glycaemic response in your body and this is very important for overall health, weight, energy and reducing hunger.
There are many more recipes to be enjoyed in the smoothie kingdom, but I hope this blog has given you a few tools to make it a healthy smoothie as opposed to a sugar bomb.
Happy smoothie making!
