7 Tricks to Perfecting Smoothie Recipes (Without the Recipes!)
Believe it or not, warmer weather is not that far away. You’ll have every reason to get off the couch and get back to your favorite fitness routines. And you know what that means! Smoothies. Lots and lots of smoothie recipes to keep you going.
But guess what? You don’t need to rely on by-the-book smoothie recipes every time you want to down a protein-rich shake. In fact, there are a few simple rules to make the perfect smoothie every time, without turning to recipes.
Most smoothie recipes consist of 3-4 main components:
Liquid
Sweets fruits
Protein
And/or greens
There are of course literally endless possible smoothie options, but they’re most likely to include these main components. Here’s how to perfect the smoothie every time—without a recipe!
1. Pick your liquid. Do you want a creamy or a fruity smoothie? If you’re looking for creamy, go with a milk or nondairy milk base. You could also go with water and a nut butter, tea, or even coffee. You can even use tofu. To up the fruitiness, go with juices or lots of fruit and water.
2. Pick your fruits. Most fruits work best frozen, and this enables you to skip adding any ice, making for a thicker and less watery smoothie. Bananas or berries close to turning? Dice ‘em up and freeze them in small bags so they’re pre-measured for smoothie making. The sweeter the fruit, the sweeter the smoothie. So try to balance out your fruits—maybe a banana for creamy sweetness along with apple or berries, which are not as sweet.
3. Mix up your protein. Obviously we’re fans of whey protein, but you can mix that up too. Try hemp or pumpkin seeds, nut butter, rice protein, etc.
4. If you’re adding greens, determine ahead of time whether you want a very green tasting smoothie or just a hint of greens. Use a handful of fresh kale or spinach for a neutral tasting smoothie and increase per your taste.
5. Know your ratios! Generally, a smoothie will need 1 part liquid to 2 parts frozen fruit (or ice) to 1-2 parts fresh fruit/greens and 1 part proteins. Feel free to dial them up or down to your taste preference.
6. Optional add-ins: spices like chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, turmeric, etc. Dried fruits like goji berries or dates are fun but you may need to put those in your blender first to ensure they’re chopped up well. You can also add in a bit of extra fat like a scoop of coconut oil or a nut butter.
7. Smoothie came out too thin to your liking? Sure, you could keep adding ice and frozen fruit to try and thicken it up. But you may end up with more smoothie than you can stomach. Try sticking it in the freezer for 30-45 minutes instead.
image: amazing almonds
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