Smoothie Secrets: How to Create Refreshing and Nutrient-Packed Drinks

Smoothies are a go-to breakfast for me. 

I like them all year round and have tons of flavor combinations I enjoy. Smoothies are preferred over juices for me because they provide a lot of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Not to mention they are refreshing, forgiving and delicious! 

Customizing Your Smoothies for Extra Nutrition

Smoothies are also so customizable and can easily be bulked up to add more nutrition. You can add yogurt, nut butters, protein powder, veggies…the list goes on and on. This berry smoothie is one of my kids’ favorites and is cool and creamy from the frozen bananas and yogurt.

Essential Equipment for Perfect Smoothies

All you really need is a good blender. Don’t feel like you must go out and buy something new, but a high-powered blender is great for smoothies because it really does help to break down all the fruit and vegetable fibers. If you find that your smoothie is still fibrous or the berry seeds haven’t blended the whole way, you can also run the smoothie through a fine mesh strainer before enjoying.

Fruit and Veggie Prep for Smoothies

The first step in making a delicious smoothie is a little bit of fruit and veggie prep. I like to buy bagged baby spinach and freeze it right when I get it home from the store. I transfer to a Ziplock bag and freeze it all. That way, I can grab a handful of frozen spinach leaves for my smoothies and know I will always have it on-hand. I also buy bananas in bulk, and when they start to turn I freeze them as well. Just peel them, break in half, and store in a Ziplock or reusable silicone bag. (I like the silicone bags best for bananas because they don’t freeze to the bag!) 

Tips for Blending and Texture

If your blender isn’t a high-power one, it helps to slice the banana into smaller pieces before freezing. The smaller chunks will blend better, and it won’t sound like you’re breaking your blender! The last step is having a variety of frozen fruit stocked in your freezer. You can use fresh fruit as well, but I like that the frozen fruit is already cold and seems to blend better. The result is a wonderfully cool and creamy drink, great for a hot summer day!

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