main ingredients for smoothies

What are the best smoothie ingredients?

a complete list of Smoothie Ingredients

• Liquids. All smoothies need a liquid base. ...
• Water. Plain old water is hard to beat. ...
• Fruit Juice. Fruit juices such as orange, pineapple, apple and pomegranate give smoothies a sweeter taste. ...
• Milk. ...
• Green Tea. ...
• Coconut Water. ...
• Fruits
• Leafy Greens
• Vegetables
• Nuts, Seeds, Herbs & Spices

More items...

How do you make a homemade smoothie?

Ingredients

• a). 1 Green Apple. Choose a healthy and big apple for this smoothie. ...
• b). 1 Cup of Frozen Mango or Pineapple. These help to add that nice sweetness to your fruit smoothie. ...
• c). 1 Banana. Even for this tropical smoothie, you need the banana to add a creamy texture. ...
• d). 2 Cups of Mixed Berries. Talk about the perfect smoothie.
• e). 10 Ice Cubes. ...
• f). 1 Cup of Water. ...

How to make smoothies at home?

• Fresh or frozen fruits, cut into 1-inch pieces. ...
• Frozen veggies like spinach or kale are great, or try frozen cauliflower, cucumber or even carrots.
• Goodies like nuts, chia seeds, cacao nibs or ground flax seeds
• Creamy ingredients like yogurt, nut butters or avocado

How to make good smoothies?

How to Make a Healthy Smoothie. 1. Start with liquid. Water, juice, non-dairy milk, milk, and even green tea or coconut water are all good low-calorie, low-sugar options. 2. Add protein and fat for staying-power. Nut butter, garbanzo beans, yogurt, silken tofu, and avocado are all great choices for flavor and texture. 3.

What ingredients should I put in my smoothie?

Just fill a blender with fruit, ice and milk or juice, and let 'er rip. But upset the smoothie balance, and you're suddenly eating 1,000 calories instead of 400....Great fruits to try in your smoothie include:Apples.Bananas.Blueberries.Cantaloupe.Kiwis.Mangoes.Oranges.Peaches.More items...•

What is usually in smoothies?

Smoothies are thick, creamy beverages usually blended from puréed fruits, vegetables, juices, yogurt, nuts, seeds, and/or dairy or nondairy milk.

What ingredients to put in a blender for a smoothie?

The right way to order your smoothie ingredients in the blenderStart with the liquid on the bottom. ... Add any fine powders. ... Drop in those fresh fruits and veggies. ... Follow with creamy components. ... Finish up with frozen fruit, ice, nuts, and other hard ingredients on top.

What are the most common smoothies?

The most popular smoothie flavor this past summer was… Strawberry....Rounding out the top ten are:Tropical Fruit (smoothies with a combination of Pineapples, Coconut, etc),Mango.Mixed Berry (smoothies with a combination Strawberry, Blueberry, Cranberries etc)Banana,Orange.Cranberries.Matcha.Green Tea.More items...•

What are the healthiest things to put in a smoothie?

And so without further ado, let's get to our list of popular ingredients and their amazing potential health benefits as true superfoods!Acai Berries. One of the most antioxidant-rich berries, acais come from the acai palm of South America. ... Aloe Vera. ... Apple Cider Vinegar. ... Avocado. ... Bee Pollen. ... Cacao Nibs. ... Cayenne. ... Chia Seeds.More items...•

What fruits blend well together?

Fruit Flavor Pairing ChartFruitBlueberryApple, apricot, banana, blackberry, fig, lemon, mango, melon, nectarine, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, raspberry, rhubarb, strawberry, watermelonCantaloupeGrapefruit, melon, raspberryCherryApricot, coconut, lemon, melon, nectarine, orange, peach, plum, quince, raspberry32 more rows•Feb 10, 2021

Should you put ice in a smoothie?

No, ice cubes are not necessary to make a smoothie, as long as you're using frozen fruits. Replace 1:1 ice cubes to frozen fruit is recommended. The ice will create a smooth, thick, chilly texture, or frothy if only a small amount is used.

How do you make a healthy smoothie?

4 Steps to Building a Better Smoothie, According to a...Start with a base with no added sugar. I'm partial to unsweetened coconut and nut milks, but coconut water, 2% milk (if you tolerate), and kefir work well too. ... Add one or two handfuls of leafy greens. ... Add healthy fats. ... Season your smoothie with mix-ins.

Does ice go first in a smoothie?

Place your softer, high-moisture foods in the blender jar first (liquids, fresh fruits and veggies, etc.). Place your hard, solid foods last (ice, frozen fruits and veggies, nuts, etc.). If you're making a green smoothie with leafy greens, you can put them in before or after the ice.

What veggies go in smoothies?

Best Veggies to Blend in a Smoothie1) Leafy Green Vegetables. Veggie smoothies almost always start with a base of leafy greens. ... 2) Avocado. I know, I know. ... 3) Cauliflower. ... 4) Sweet Potatoes. ... 5) Winter Squash. ... 6) Beets. ... 7) Peas. ... 8) Carrots.More items...•

What fruits do not go together in a smoothie?

Avoid mixing your watermelons, muskmelons, cantaloupe and honeydews with other fruits. Try not to mix acidic fruits, such as grapefruits and strawberries, or sub-acidic foods such as apples, pomegranates and peaches, with sweet fruits, such as bananas and raisins for a better digestion.

Do smoothies have milk?

Start your smoothie with two mugfuls of a liquid base. This can be milk, or a dairy-free alternative such as soya or almond milk, natural or flavoured yogurt, fruit juice, or for a tropical flavoured smoothie, low-fat coconut milk or coconut water.

Fruit or Vegetable Options for Making Smoothies

Frozen fruit and vegetables are great for smoothies. They give the smoothies a frosty, milkshake-like texture that is pleasing to the kids and adults. Frozen fruit, especially big fruits like strawberries, can be tough to puree in a regular blender.

Deciding Which Fruits and Vegetables

What types of fruit can you add to your smoothies? Anything you can imagine! Strawberries, blueberries, carrots, cucumber, apples, ginger, raspberries, peaches, grapes, bananas (or strawberries with bananas ), oranges...you're only limited to your imagination.

The Liquid Component

For the liquid component of your smoothies, you can use any type of juice or milk. Some options are all-natural, no-sugar-added juices or milk, including whole, skim, or low-fat milk, coconut milk, rice milk, soy milk, almond milk, etc. You can even make smoothies with coffee, though that is not recommended for the kids!

The Thickening Agent

An all-natural sweetened or unsweetened yogurt is a good thickener for smoothies. Either regular, Greek, or soy yogurt works well. You can even use coconut milk yogurt.

How to Make Smoothies More Interesting

You don't have to stick to the basic smoothie recipe for all of your smoothies. There are lots of ways to jazz up smoothies. Consider adding nuts, honey, flaxseeds, coconut, oatmeal, dried fruits, chocolate chips, cookies, and spices to make your smoothies more interesting.

Blueberries

"These tiny nutritional gems will add amazing flavor to your smoothies," says Katherine Brooking MS, RD. "And research suggests that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of wild blueberries may contribute to better brain health, gut health, heart health, cancer prevention, reduced risk of diabetes, and increased urinary tract health."

Pistachios

For a quick burst of energy and a surefire way to cut down on cravings, throw a handful of pistachios into your next smoothie and you won't get let down.

Bananas

" Bananas are a good source of potassium, as well as manganese, magnesium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6," says Jinan Banna, PhD, RD.

Milk

Milk gets a bad rap from dieters. While some believe the drink only serves to weigh you down with calories, the opposite holds true when you drink milk in moderation.

Chia seeds

"To get enough omega-3, it's important to include foods such as chia seeds ," says Banna.

Cherries

"Frozen cherries… are packed with antioxidants like vitamin C," says Kayla Girgen, RD, LD. Frozen produce is picked and processed at peak freshness, so it can be equally (if not more) nutritious compared to fresh fruits."

Spinach

Spinach has become a healthy staple for generations for a good reason—this high-nutrient vegetable can speed up the weight loss process and keeps you full with a ton of fiber for every cup that you can add to a smoothie.

Frozen Banana

The backbone of any good smoothie, bananas create a texture similar to ice cream for a fraction of the calories (one medium banana contains only 106) and major weight-loss benefits. A study in the journal Anaerobe found that women who ate a banana twice daily before meals for two months reduced belly bloat by 50 percent.

Tofu

These humble, unflavored cubes can make any smoothie taste deluxe, adding creaminess and protein—plus serious fat burning benefits.

Frozen Berries

Straight up: Blueberries are the #1 fat-loss food you should be eating. They've been shown to switch on the genes that torch belly fat. In an animal study at the University of Michigan, researchers found that rats that ate a blueberry-rich diet for three months had significantly reduced belly fat than the control group.

Cinnamon

One of the best spices for weight loss, cinnamon also contains those magical polyphenols, which have been proven to slim bloated bodies and improve insulin sensitivity.

Spinach

Opt for green smoothies instead of juice whenever you can: Blenders preserve the satiating fiber that juicers press out. (And if you've made both kinds at home, you know that cleaning a juicer is a special kind of hell.) Although you can't go wrong with the omnipresent kale, spinach is especially powerful when it comes to weight loss.

Almond Butter

A weight-loss superstar, almonds contain good fats that will fill you up, not out. They contain fat-burning compounds that limit the amount of fat absorbed by the body, so some passes through undigested. They're also high in magnesium and B vitamins, which could lend you more energy to burn at the gym.

Coconut Oil

This is one trend worth latching on to. Because of its neutral flavor, coconut oil is an ideal mix-in for just about any smoothie you can think of—and if you're interested in torching belly fat, you'll start brainstorming. Consuming coconut oil reduces abdominal obesity, a study printed in the journal Lipids found.

Spinach and Banana Power Smoothie

Bananas sweeten up the spinach and soy milk to make a nutritious yet tasty treat. Recipe creator Erin Elisabeth says, "I make one of these healthy treats for myself every morning for breakfast, and it powers me all the way until lunch. I love the mild sweetness of the banana, but if you want it sweeter you could add sugar."

Kale Orange Banana Smoothie

Reviewer desertbaker says, "Like a couple of the other reviewers I needed a way to incorporate kale into my diet...and this smoothie recipe fits the bill! The banana and orange flavors tame the bitterness of kale and the end result is a palate-pleasing drink."

Milk Banana Smoothie

Start your day with a dose of calcium and potassium. "One of my favorite smoothies--one packet of Splenda is plenty sweet for me especially if my bananas are really ripe," says reviewer Sarah Jo. "I like to add a touch of vanilla extract and a pinch each of ground cinnamon and nutmeg."

Watermelon Delight

If you're looking for another way to use up your summer watermelon crop, look no further than this simple smoothie. Raw watermelon, ice, and honey are combined to make a refreshing summertime drink.

Simple Cantaloupe Smoothie

Whether frozen or fresh, cantaloupe's sweet flavor will shine in this simple smoothie. Recipe creator Beth describes this smoothie as, "A sweet, healthy way to start your day with a delicious, unique flavor."

Cremesicle Smoothie

This is a much healthier alternative to the popular ice cream bars, with just orange juice, milk, ice, and a teaspoon of sugar. "I love that this drink becomes frothy once blended…" says reviewer House of Aqua.

Mango Watermelon Smoothie

Both watermelon and mangos are synonymous with summer, and this smoothie combines them to create the ultimate refresher.