Healthy Smoothie Guide

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 Fruit: It’s the backbone of any smoothie recipe -it adds sweetness and is an excellent source of fiber and the healthy carbs that serve as an essential source of fuel. Bananas are a smoothie staple (and they’re a great source potassium and pair well with a wide variety of other fruits.)

Greek Yogurt: Protein is the missing link in many smoothie recipes but adding a small amount of Greek yogurt—just ¼ cup—earns you six grams towards your daily goal. Yogurt also gives your smoothie a creamier consistency. Think of storing ripe bananas in your freezer – they will give your smoothies a thicker consistency, but a handful of ice achieves a similar effect

Liquid: All smoothies need a little liquid to combine properly. Choose any milk or unsweetened nut milk. Freshly-squeezed orange juice, or just plain water is also an option.  

Nut Butter: A scoop of your favorite nut butter adds satiating, unsaturated fats and a touch more protein to your smoothie. 

Leafy Greens: Add a handful of greens into our smoothies for an extra dose of fiber and key vitamins and minerals. Tender, mild-flavored greens such as baby spinach work best.

Optional mix-ins— Fresh herbs such as basil and mint or fresh ginger—boost the flavor without affecting nutrition. A tablespoon of lemon juice or lime juice brightens the flavor of the smoothie.

Fruit Smoothie

Serves 1 (serving size: about 1½ cups)

Nutrition per serving – calories: 307

fat: 12 g (saturated: 2g, unsaturated: 1g), carbohydrates: 43g, protein: 12g, fiber: 7g, sugar: 23g

• 1 medium banana (fresh or frozen)

• ½ cup frozen strawberries, blueberries, mangos, peaches, apples or pineapple

• ¼ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt

• ½ cup baby spinach

• ½ cup unsweetened milk

• 1 tablespoon almond butter

• Optional ingredients; 1-2 basil leaves, 2-3 mint leaves, ½- 1-inch piece of peeled ginger, chopped  

Place all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Add the liquid or softer ingredients to the blender first. This keeps it from seizing up. 

If you’re rushed for time, assemble ready-to-go smoothie packs! Put a single serving amount of your frozen ingredients in ziploc bags. Then, when you’re pressed for time, throw the contents in the blender with your liquid from the fridge. You can also consider making single serve smoothies in freezer-safe containers – they last about three months in the freezer.