The Artsy, Smartsy Smoothie

You know how to make a great smoothie, right? Well I didn't for a long time. I would end up with weird colors, poor mixing, and unusual flavors that didn't sit well. Here are my tips (and recipe) for a great smoothie.

Tips:

1. Use (some) ice: a lot of folks looking for nutrient density skip this step, which is a big mistake. Ice keeps the smoothie cool when blender blades get hot.

2. Freeze your fruit: tempting as it may be to throw in a few things from the counter top, smoothies are really best when the fruit is frozen. I freeze quite a bit myself, whenever a bunch of berries are starting to look sad, or a mango will not be used in time I freeze small 4 oz. containers packed full of stone fruits, kiwi or berries.

3. Avoid seedy berries: blackberries and raspberries are delicious... but they have seeds that create an unsavory texture inside of a smoothie. These frozen berries are great additions to oatmeal, so no need to waste them.

4. Use banana: I always add 1/2 frozen banana per serving to each smoothie. The creamy mixture literally cannot be achieved by anything else. When you have a bunch on the counter, peel, break in half and throw into a container in the freezer.

5. Add some veggies: if you're using a simple blender, stick with raw greens (don't freeze them). If you're using a higher powered contraption, like a Vitamix, you can use other veggies like carrots.

6. Include a mix-in or two: You can simply add some ground flax seed, or flax seed oil. Hemp seed, chia and others are great additions, too. My favorite is a premixed, pre-pulverized product by NuDe Food, which also has probiotics. The secret to seeds and oils is to include them last. Just stir them in, otherwise the smoothie can take on an odd gummy texture. This is not true with the NuDe Food mix in; you just add it right along with everything else.

7. What's your liquid?: I use non-dairy milks most of the time, because they are most nutritious. I usually use 3/4 fortified unsweetened organic soy milk and 1/4 fortified vanilla almond milk. You could certainly use juice or other milks, just make sure the flavor profile fits well. Also be sure to use enough liquid. Your liquid should almost cover the solid ingredients (except fresh greens).

8. Add some cinnamon! Lots of health benefits, including some evidence that it helps with blood sugar. And tasty.

Mango Smoothie (with secret veggies)

5 ice cubes

1/2 frozen organic banana

1/2 c frozen organic mango chunks

1 handful washed, fresh organic spinach

1/2 washed organic carrot (chopped, if using a blender)

1 T NuDe Food probiotic blend

3/4 c organic, fortified, plain soy milk

1/4 c organic, vanilla almond milk

1/2 t ground cinnamon

Layer the ingredients into your blending device or vitamix in the order recommended above. If you are using a blender, you may need to stop after about 30 seconds, remove the container from the base and stir the ingredients with a long spoon. If using a Vitamix, just use the tamper. Sometimes the greens like to float on top!

Pour out and serve. Any excess can be frozen into small 1/2 cup containers and make ideal ice packs for meals on the go. They are not edible straight from the freezer, but after being out in a lunch sack until lunch time, they're back to the perfect temperature.