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Beginner’s Guide to Making Smoothies: Proteins, Supplements, and More!

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

Sometimes, fruit, juice and ice just aren’t enough.  For instance, when I’m recovering from an intense workout or creating a health packed meal replacement, I like to add a little protein and fiber to my smoothies.  When I’m coming down with a cold, I like an antioxidant boost and when I’m making a breakfast smoothies, sometimes I like a little added crunch!

If you’re trying to determine whether your smoothie needs a little something extra, here are some guidelines to help you choose: Granola Scoop

PROTEIN
Whey/soy based proteins: these are great if you want to add muscle quickly
Nut Butters: use any type of nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc) for added protein and flavor
Shelled flaxseed or hempseed:  seeds are a healthy  way to add protein, fiber and omega fatty acids

MEAL REPLACEMENT PACKET
If you’re going to include a meal replacement,  you may need to increase your liquid base by 1-2oz and will likely need a bigger glass.  Some great meal replacement packets include:
Amazing Grass
Vega
Kashi Go Lean

LIQUID OMEGA OILS
Liquid omega oils are a great source of heart healthy omegas.  Some healthy liquid omega oils include:
Hemp Oil: adds healthy protein and omegas without the crunch of hempseed
Flaxseed Oil: adds fiber, protein, and omegas without the crunch of flaxseed

WHEAT GERM
If you don’t have any gluten allergies, wheat germ is a very effective way to add fiber , protein and important nutrients including : iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium, riboflavin and vitamins A, B1, and B3.

GREEN TEA POWDER
Green tea powder, also commonly referred to as Matcha is a great source for antioxidants, energy, alertness, stress reduction, and contains anti-aging  and calming properties

SWEETENERS
If you need to sweeten up your smoothie, do it in a more healthful way by using one of the following:
Honey: provides an all natural and distinct taste
Splenda: low calorie option
Stevia:  low calorie and all  natural

TEXTURE
Granola – excellent taste, gives your smoothie a little crunch
Wheat Germ – great for fiber
Shelled Hempseed/Flaxseed – adds crunch, protein,  healthy omegas
Coconut – use dried un-sweetened coconut and add to tropical smoothie blends

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Beginner’s Guide to Making Smoothies: The Fruit

Friday, July 10th, 2009

Choosing your fruit and flavor combinations is very important and can be surprisingly difficult if you don’t have some guidelines.  Because let’s face it, some fruits play nice with others, and others do not.  Bananas are generally the nice neighbor and go with just about everything.

To help avoid confusion, I always group smoothie fruits into three categories: berries, tropicals, and exotics.   fruit - zola

FRUIT:
Berries: The berries which include everything from strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries & cherries generally go really well with orange and apple juice bases.  When mixed with banana, they also go really well with milk and sorbet bases.

Tropicals: The tropicals like mangoes, bananas, pineapple & peaches go really well with pineapple juices and sorbets.  They are usually a bit tangier than berry based smoothies.  Bananas, as I mentioned before are great for giving all fruit and  juice smoothies a smooth texture.

Exotics: The exotics which include Açaí, Goji Berries, and Mangosteen are usually great with fruit juices and sorbets and mix well with bananas and other berries
And further, when choosing between frozen or fresh fruit, always remember that frozen fruit will allow you to thicken smoothies without ice while fresh fruit inevitably makes smoothies thinner. If you do use fresh fruit, lower the juice by 1-2 oz and add approx 2-4 oz ice to taste.

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Beginner’s Guide to Making Smoothies: The Base

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

The key to any good smoothie is the base. It will not only determine the texture and taste but also the nutrition – how healthy (or not) your smoothie will be. Smoothie bases are generally one or a combination of juice, milk, yogurt, sorbets and/or ice cream.

If I’m making a breakfast smoothie, I might opt for a juice or milk base. If I’m recovering from a bike ride, I might stick with juice. And if I’m making a treat for the kids on a summer weekend, I might go for sorbet or even a little ice cream.  Beginner's Guide-base

To give you a better idea of how to determine your base, here are a few tips for flavor, nutrition and texture:

Juice: Juice tends to add good sweetness and balance and can be used for almost any type of smoothie – whether to drink before or after a workout, for breakfast or even as a treat! Some of the most common juice bases are apple, orange and pineapple:

  • Apple – good base to let fruit flavors come through more. Mixes really well with berries, banana, and most other fruits with the exception of tropical fruits (think papaya, mango, pineapple)
  • Orange –a tart base that tends to dominate the flavor. Orange goes well with almost all mainstream fruits
  • Pineapple – if you like tropical drinks, start with pineapple

Milk or Soymilk (for non-dairy alternative): Milks tend to dull the flavor. It is usually best to add a natural sweetener (like honey) or even a nut butter to give it a little something extra.

Yogurt: Yogurts (fresh or frozen) are great bases because they add thickness and provide probiotic benefits –great support for your immune and digestive systems. When choosing yogurts, I generally stick to vanilla for berry and tropical smoothies.

Sherbets, Sorbets, or even Ice Cream:  I don’t recommend using sherbets, sorbets and/or ice cream for daily smoothies. While they add a lot of flavor and a yummy icy texture, they can also load your smoothie with calories and sugar. These bases are best when making smoothie treats for fun summertime snacks or even as desserts.

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