I have joined the smoothie craze this summer. I got a personal blender on my birthday in May and I have been drinking these down like there is no tomorrow. In fact, on very hot summer evenings a well-balanced smoothie is my dinner. There are many blogs out there with smoothie tutorials this summer. Well here is mine with a few twists that I have learned.

I have included 8 smoothie recipes below that cover a wide variety of tastes, exotic included. Try them and then go wild and change them up to suit your tastes. It’s all about experimenting. My favorite is the one I drink now every Saturday and Sunday morning, my Ultimate Coffee Smoothie. But first, let’s look at my tried and true smoothie advice list.

Smoothie Turorial

I have learned that how you layer your ingredients in the personal blender can be quite important. This is for the kind of blender where the cover has the blades (on top): ice first, then greens, followed by fruits, and finally powders or optional ingredients (see below). Top with milk or liquid of choice. You want the smoothest ingredients near the blade and the hardest the furthest away, this is the best way to avoid the machine jamming up on you.

Close the lid of the blender tight, flip over and shake a bit to get the liquid down. Blend until perfect consistency is achieved. Depending on your combination you may find you need to add liquid while blending it if the consistency is too thick.

SRD_strawberry_smoothie  Play with various liquids: water, milk, yogurt, almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, soy milk, tea and coffee.

 

SRD_strawberry_smoothie  A note on sweetness: 1 tablespoon of honey or 2 dates is a great way to avoid processed sugar. I always go for the dates first.

 

SRD_strawberry_smoothie  Don’t forget to add any of these optional ingredients to give any recipe for an extra health boost:

  • a handful of spinach, kale, or cucumber
  • a scoop of protein powder
  • 1-2 tablespoons oatmeal
  • 2 tablespoons nut butter (peanut, almond, etc)
  • 1 teaspoon flax, chia or hemp, ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon spirulina

SRD_strawberry_smoothie Want more ideas? Check out my growing smoothie pinterest board for more inspirations.

 

Ultimate Coffee Smoothie

My Ultimate Coffee Smoothie
7 coffee ice cubes
3/4 cup of milk
1 banana
1/2 teaspoon cocoa nibs, optional

I have tried many coffee smoothie recipes and was left disinterested. Coffee and milk watered the whole thing down. Now I make a small pot of strong coffee ahead of time and freeze coffee ice cubes. I found I get the most coffee flavor this way.

Banana Strawberry
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup strawberry
1 banana

Chocolate Mint
1 cup milk
1 banana
handful of baby spinach
leaves from a sprig of mint
2 dates
1 teaspoon cocoa nibs

Turmeric Smoothie

Turmeric Smoothie Recipe from Zen Gardner
1 cup hemp or coconut milk
1/2 cup frozen pineapple or mango chunks
1 fresh banana
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon chia seeds

I know you are going WHAT on this last one but it is so good, it has a spicy Indian Mango Lassi flavor. And turmeric is so good for your health.

Strawberry Green Tea
3/4 cup strong brewed green tea, cooled (or 3/4 cup water + 1 teaspoon matcha)
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup strawberries, cut and frozen

Creamy Banana Avocado
1 cup milk
1 avocado, ripe
1 banana
2 dates
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Nutty-Banana-Blueberry

Nutty Banana Blueberry
1 cup almond milk
handful of kale
1 cup blueberry
1 banana
2 dates
1 tablespoon almond butter

Apple Spinach
1 apple
handful of spinach or kale
1/2 inch ginger root
1 cup water or juice
1/2 teaspoon spirulina

Looking for more fun and unusual coffees?