Five Easy Smoothie Recipes to Get You Started

So, you bought that new smoothie machine and are ready to start mixing up some healthy drinks, then you see the ingredients lists. Cashew butter? Goji berries? Chia seeds? Wait, aren’t those for making pet plants? It may seem daunting at first, but you can whip out some really easy smoothies with a quick shopping trip for basic ingredients and still get that healthy kick. I have some recipes to get you started and, once you’ve played around with these, you’ll be ready for a trip to the health food store to try some more exotic ingredients to boost your smoothie potential. Here are five smoothie starter recipes and some tips to get you going.

To get started on your smoothie journey you’ll want to pick up some basic items that you can use for these and work into your own concoctions. These are readily available at any grocery store and nothing too expensive.

• Fresh and frozen fruit, such as mango, pineapple, blueberries, etc.
• Bananas – Works as a thickener as well as providing flavor and potassium
• Milk. Regular, almond, and soy milks are interchangeable, so choose whichever you want.
• Yogurt – Plain or vanilla traditional style. Greek yogurt is fine, but you’ll need to add extra liquid. Thinner drinkable varieties, such as kefir, work really well too.
• Baby spinach and/or kale. Either one can be used for an extra health kick. Stick with spinach for a less powerful machine.

 

Tips

• Keep it simple, keep it natural. Don’t start looking for fancy mixes with who-knows-what ingredients, just head straight for the fresh and frozen produce.
• Use frozen fruit or add a bit of ice for a thicker milkshake style smoothie. Balance fresh and frozen ingredients so the mixture doesn’t freeze up in the blender or come out too thick to drink.
• If the smoothie is too thick, add some extra milk or juice and blend a few more seconds.
• Make smoothies shortly before you’re ready to enjoy them or some ingredients may begin to separate.
• Unless you have a more powerful blender or smoothie machine, say at least above the $50 price point, avoid tougher items like blueberries, raspberries, seeds, kale, and larger frozen pieces until you know what your machine can process effectively.
• Leave enough room in the mixing jar for the blades and space for the ingredients to move around; don’t pack it to the top.
• Place ingredients in roughly the order listed in recipes. They are usually stacked for better processing. If using a blender, reverse the order.
• My recipes are designed for a 24oz jar, which will give you two medium glasses or enough for a take along bottle. Adjust as necessary for your machine or container size.

 

Smoothie Recipes

 

Sunrise Morning Blend

1 banana, sliced

1 cup peach or mango chunks (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

½ cup almond milk

½ cup yogurt

1 cup baby spinach

 

Watermelon Antioxidant Blast

1 banana, sliced

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup watermelon chunks

½ cup vanilla almond milk

1 cup kale

 

Orange Carrot Julius

1 banana, sliced

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup frozen mango or peach chunks

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

1 Tablespoon honey

 

Kiwi Pear

1 frozen banana, sliced

2 kiwis, peeled

1/2 pear (peel if using a less powerful machine)

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup spinach or kale

*Add 1 Tablespoon honey if the pear isn’t sweet

 

Green Sunrise

1 banana, sliced

1 cup frozen mango

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup spinach or kale

*Try adding 1/2 to 1 TB chia seeds to thicken

 

What smoothie machine do I use every day? The Nutri Ninja Pro. It has plenty of power to break down ingredients, even little seeds, for a smooth drink. The last thing I wanted was chunky smoothies and at around $80 it was a great value. The Nutri Ninja is available through Amazon, Target, and other major retailers. A purchase through Amazon sends a small percentage back to me to support this blog at no cost to you and is always very appreciated!

 

• 900 Watts Professional Power
• #1 Most Powerful Nutrient & Vitamin Extraction – the power to unlock the natural benefits of fruits & veggies
• Ninja Pro Extractor Blades crush through ice, seeds, skins and stems for a smooth, even consistency
• Frozen Blending – crush through ice and frozen fruit for cold, healthy drinks and smoothies
• 18 oz. & 24 oz. to go cups, sip & seal lids, recipe and health booklet
  

 

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