Smoothies are one of the biggest health returns you can get for the smallest investment (time, money, ease). Are you a “Smoothie Operator” or a “Smoothie Criminal?” I’ve certainly been both. Let’s talk about how to avoid mistakes and optimize your smoothie routine.

Watch the discussion or catch the recap below.

What I Cover in This Discussion (and a few extra goodies):

Why Smoothies? (50 seconds in)

They are fast, easy, power-packed and predigested.

Smoothies are so valuable, I bargained a “get out of dinner free” card with my toddler if she’d agree to a morning smoothie. I rely on smoothies to help me recover from bad food and to ward off or treat illness. A sniffle in the house? Time to call for reinforcements! Smoothies to the rescue.

Recipes or not? (3:27)

They are so easy, they don’t require a lot of thought or even a recipe. I only use recipes for special occasion smoothies. An example is this recipe for Green Smoothie Girl’s Hot Pink Smoothie. Sometimes you need something the color of Barbie’s dream house to light you up. But for my every day, high-speed, working mom life, its an improv smoothie made on the fly with ingredients easy to reach. Use recipes or formulas if you need help at the beginning (google them!). They are great for inspiration. But soon you should be able to smoothie on autopilot: not only will it be easy and fast, it will be tailored to your needs and tastes!

Make it a habit (4:40)

For you to do it more than once, it has to be doable: easy and effective. Set yourself up for success by evaluating what you want to get out of your smoothie and then making it work for your routine.

Functional Food (5:00)

Definition: Foods that serve a function to improve your health. A tool in your box. Smoothies are more than just a glorified shake, with a little care and design, they become a powerful FUNCTIONAL food. Make them work for you.

(5:55) I’ve come a long way from my Jamba-Juice-sherbet-sugar-bomb I used to call a smoothie to what I view as a smoothie now. It is way more than a tasty treat. Smoothies are how we deeply nourish our bodies and fuel our day! Move over Jamba, we got this.

Basic Requirements: Blender, Liquid, Greens and Frozen Fruit (7:20)

Blender (6:35)

I highly recommend a high power blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec. See why I suggest making the pricey investment.

Liquid (7:55)

I discuss how easy it is to pick a liquid. Here are some choices:

coconut water
coconut milk
filtered water
cow or goat milk
almond milk
rice milk
tea
kombucha
kefir
yogurt
unseasoned broth

I highly recommend using kefir as a base for a probiotic punch. Combine that with some unflavored broth and you have a gut healing hero on your hands.

Greens (10:01)

If you are skipping the greens, you need to listen to this!

Frozen Fruit (11:16)

The fruit will add flavor and nutrition while the frozen aspect makes your smoothie perfect.

Optional: Boosters and Flavors

Boosters (12:05)

Boosters are functional foods you add for specific reasons. It can vary depending on what you have on hand and how you are feeling (or what you are treating in a loved one!) Fighting a cold? You may want to add a vitamin C powder or some acai. Fighting inflammation? Maybe some flax seed. Here are some examples of boosters, but really the possibilities are endless

*I don’t generally name specific brands, but use my tips for label reading to help you pick out boosters that fit your needs and values. Quality is everything!

Protein Powder: lots to choose from! My favorite veggie option is pea protein. I use whey and broth powders as well, just take care they are minimally processed, free of additives, and grass fed.
Collagen or Gelatin Powder: use the same standards as above.
MCT Oil: flavorless and a healthy fat your body almost instantly converts into energy.
Powdered Greens: even with fresh greens, a green powder is a good idea for a concentrated boost of nutrition. Check the label for clean ingredients!
Others: chia seeds, flax seeds, medicinal mushrooms, superfood powders (spirulina, maca, lucama, matcha, turmeric, etc.), bee pollen, herbs, avocado, acai, nutritional yeast, hemp seed, apple cider vinegar, etc.

Flavors (13:40)

Flavors are ingredients you add largely for taste, though you still want to use healthy options. For example, a banana will mask a myriad of less savory ingredients. Raw honey or monkfruit might be your choice to sweeten things up. Citrus can brighten your brew. I love chocolate. Most of my smoothies include cacao powder or cacao nips, or both! I will ask my kids what flavor they want and build their smoothie from their. So my son usually wants peanut butter banana and my youngest daughter likes fruity flavors, so extra berries in hers.

Mistakes: (14:55)

They say you can’t make mistakes, but I am here to testify, it can be done. And I have. Mistakes are anything that will keep you from drinking your smoothie or anything that sabotages the health benefits you intend.

Avoiding Fat(15:00)

You need fat. It will make your smoothie more satiating, your nutrients more absorbable, and keep your body supported.

High Carbs (16:40)

Too much fruit can be too much sugar for your needs. Carbs add up faster than you think and you want to be careful you are creating a healthy meal in a glass, not a sugar bomb with a side of insulin spike.

Gross (18:31)

Sometimes, it ends up flat out gross. Usually because you went overboard on the boosters. Too many “good things” don’t taste good at all. Too many greens can give it a grassy taste (usually from green powders, not actual fresh greens.) There really can be too much of a good thing.

The Penance Smoothie: Is the Crime worth the Punishment?

Funny example (19:30): the liver smoothie that almost ended my marriage. I took a holy oath never to hide organ meats in my husband’s smoothie ever again.

“Gross” Exception: the “Penance Smoothie.” (21:45)” Before going “off plan” or eating something I know is not good for me, I compare it to my penance smoothie and ask myself if it is worth it. A penance smoothie is basically a smoothie with all the boosters and none of the flavors. It is healthy to be sure but oh is it hard on the taste buds. It makes me stop and really think about my food choices! (I only use this method when I am on a strict diet for specific reasons. In general, I don’t use food as a punishment)

Tips for Super Smoothies:

Freeze your Greens (23:06)

No more frustratingly soggy spinach or kale carnage. No more throwing out half of that Costco bag of Powergreens. Make room in your freezer for a large container, or even the one the greens comes in. Freeze them before they get wilty and add them straight to your smoothie.

Hack your Routine (24:00)

Anything you can do to shave minutes, even seconds off your smoothie routine will increase your likelihood of doing it again, even making it a habit. Here are some examples from my own routine:

Smoothie strainer: I found a Tupperware that fits right into my blender so I can strain my kefir grains right into the blender and make a smoothie in no time at all.
Mix it up: Tired of getting all your canisters out to scoop out all your supplements? I just mixed mine into one big jar. My jar has protein powder, collagen, cocoa and a greens powder in it.
Nut butter drives me nuts: use a handful of nuts instead of a spoonful of nut butter. You get the same flavor and nutrients without the gunk on the side of the blender you have to scrub out.
Unforgivable Sins: Train yourself and your kids to wash the pitcher and your glasses immediately, before it can turn into the dreaded smoothie cement.

Make Ahead and Take it To Go (28:55)

Shop for your Smoothie Ingredients at UNM

I’ll try to save you some of the good stuff!

Come in and visit! I’m behind the counter excited to hear what your blending up and ready to share recommendations. We have:

The best raw, whole beautiful milk you can buy!

Kefir starts
A perpetual countertop yogurt start that saves you time and keeps your milk raw!
Vital Proteins Collagen, Gelatin, and Bone Broth Powders
Unseasoned Bone Broth
Lakanto drops to sweeten your smoothie naturally without the carb load.

Hungry for More? Talk to Me!

Learn more about Functional Foods and how to design your diet to serve you by contacting me!

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P.S. Bonus Content!

My good friend Tracie Schoolie shared some of her Smoothie Favs and they were too tasty looking not to post. I love how she shows a new range of customization: Smoothie Bowls are amazing. Switching up textures and presentation staves off boredom and opens up fun possibilities!

Peach Smoothie Bowl

Smoothie:

3/4 of a large peach
1/2 banana
1 large handful kale
Water
Toppings:
1/4 Peach sliced
Grapes
Hemp Hearts
Raw Cashews
Toasted Coconut

And here is another delicious creation.

Berry Zinger Smoothie

Again, I love how the measurements aren’t exact. It’s a handful of this and that.

about 2 cups of water (or coconut water)
Handful of ice cubes
handful of mixed berries
couple handfuls of purple kale
1 inch of Fresh Ginger (You might want to do a little less.....I just love ginger)
1/2 Lime
1 Tsp. Raw Honey
Splash of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (About 1-2 Tbls)
1 tsp. Chia seeds

I don't peel my ginger or limes. Just toss it all in and mix it up. If you don't have a high power blender like a Vitamix you may want to peel first.

Smoothies: Hacks and Habits to Supercharge your Health