Smoothies make incredibly delicious starts to the day, are packed with vitamins and minerals and offer a natural energy boost for those times when all we want to do is press the snooze button. Here are our top tips when it comes to making the perfect smoothie.
Get The Amounts Right
Group your ingredients in the ratio of two parts liquid to one part fruit or veg. That way, you’ll have a smoothie with ultimate slurp appeal. Liquids we love include soy or almond milk, yoghurt, fruit juices or coconut water. The world really is your oyster when it comes to the liquid base of your smoothie, but pick something you genuinely like the taste of – you won’t mask it completely.
Pick The Right Fruit
Remember how your body reacts to certain fruits before whizzing them up. Half a banana is always a good bet for a smoothie with staying power. We like to add soft fruit in season like berries, peaches and nectarines, but whatever you like will work. Don’t be afraid of adding a dollop of honey to a smoothie – sometimes sour fruit simply demands it!
Use Your Freezer
By using frozen berries, you avoid the need to add ice cubes to your super smoothie. They will instantly chill your drink down, while boosting it’s nutritional content. It’s not just berries, either. We peel bananas just before they go brown, and freeze them in sandwich bags, ready to be flung into a smoothie. Make your own smoothie packs with half a banana and a cup of berries and stash them in your freezer for smoothies in a hurry.
Supercharge Your Smoothie
A sprinkling of flax seeds or spirulina will charge your smoothie to the max, but so will a tablespoon of protein powder or a dollop of peanut butter. Add different flavourings and flavour combinations to your smoothies, bumping up the nutrient content as you do it. Grate a raw beetroot into a berry smoothie before blitzing for extra detox power or add some celery to an apple smoothie for an earthy hit of veggie goodness.
Try our yummy smoothie recipes here.
