Your body needs all different kinds of nutrients to stay healthy, and fruits and vegetables are some of the best sources of these nutrients. However, taking the time to prepare, wash, and cut fresh fruits and vegetables can be a hassle. This is one of the main reasons why 1 in 10 adults don’t eat enough each day, but with smoothies, you can easily throw in several ingredients at once to make a delicious, nutrient-rich drink in under a minute. Here’s some tips to make the best tasting and healthiest smoothies with just a few ingredients.
Flavor Base
Creating a solid flavor base for your smoothie is essential to start off. Using a few different types of fruits are usually the best for this. Fresh or frozen strawberries, bananas, mixed fruits, or berries are some great choices to make a strong base. This should be most of your volume, and will contribute most of your flavor as well.
Liquid Foundation
Milk is usually used to thin out a smoothie and make it easily drinkable. For those who are lactose intolerant, vegan, or trying to consume less carbs, this can easily be replaced with soy milk or any other nut milk. Adding liquid probiotic drinks like Yakult are also great ways to elevate your smoothie as well as support your digestive health.
Flavor Boosters
Sometimes fruit on its own doesn’t have the burst of flavor you may be looking for, which is why you can add a few different things to help boost that flavor. Regular or greek yogurt is a great way to boost the taste of your smoothie while also promoting a smooth texture overall. In addition, yogurt has probiotics, which are great for your digestive health.
Nutritious Additives
There are certain things you can add to a smoothie that contribute little to no flavor but significantly boost nutrients. Spinach is one of the most nutritious leafy vegetables and is great to add to a smoothie. While it may change the color of your drink to a rich shade of green, it usually adds no flavor at all, making it a great way to sneak in a bunch of nutrients. If you want to make your morning smoothie more of a filling breakfast, adding oats can help with this. It moderately changes the thickness and texture, but adds very little noticeable taste. It’s a great addition for an on-the-go smoothie to fill you up for the day. Other flavorless vegetables, protein powder, or different types of seeds (like chia or flax) are other additions to boost the nutrient content of your smoothie.
