I am a dedicated smoothie drinker.
Almost everyday I guzzle down a 16 oz concoction of awesomeness juice. And because you can make a smoothie out of pretty much anything, the flavor profile is extensive. I have a pretty strict list of base ingredients tho, for different reasons.
I build the base of my smoothie pretty much the same way every time. I aim for 32 oz total, and split it in between two servings. I start with my supplements, juices, yogurt and leafy greens. For this smoothie, I used the following:
- Stoneyfield plain whole milk yogurt – I don’t believe in low fat hype. In researching for myself, I have found that the fats in whole milk products, are good for you in moderation. I don’t eat dairy at every meal, but I don’t actively keep it out of my diet. I believe in the power of real, whole fat yogurt, cheese and butter. Even better when raw.
- Pineapple juice- has a nice sweetening quality. It has also been known to help aid in digestion, has anti inflammatory properties and lots of vitamin c
- Bolthouse Farms 100% carrot juice- carrot juice is shown to help in breast milk production. I like this type because there is absolutely no additives. It’s really just carrots.
- Brewers yeast- this is for the help in breast milk production as well. It gives the smoothie almost a malt like texture. It’s also a good source of vitamin b, protien and chromium.
- Chia seeds- I get this bag at SAMs club for under ten bucks. They’re a true super food. Omega 3s, Antioxidants, proteins, Vitamins… And they help you feel fuller longer.
- Baby spinach- I just really like spinach. You could use really any greenery. Kale or a mix of spring greens would be good also.
First things first- juice. I immediately put in a total of 8 oz of juice. Next I add one tablespoon each of Brewers yeast and chia seeds.
Next, I add a cup of spinach and a half cup of yogurt.
The weight of the yogurt holds the powder, seeds and spinach down so they get really well incorporated.
So, at this point I give the blender a quick pulse, to start chopping the spinach. In my opinion, there is nothing worse than spinach bits.
Now it’s time to really play with the flavor. At this point, I use only frozen fruits and berries. This way I can skip the ice, still have a nice thick smoothie and it’s gonna be cold.
I also save a lot of money by only buying stuff like Avocados, ginger, mangos, etc on sale. I only buy bananas when they’re “overripe” and are on deep discount. We also pick our own berries every season- this way they are cheap, plentiful and we get to choose our own. This is extremely valuable to us as most berries you buy in market aren’t actually ripe. A perfectly ripe strawberry is red all the way thru and much sweeter, compared to a market strawberry.
We process and freeze all of these things. It really cuts down the cost of eating healthy.
In this smoothie I decided to go berry berry banana – taste has a big to do about this but so does nutrition.
- Avocado – healthy fats, vitamins a, b, c and k
- Strawberries – manganese, dietary fiber, more vitamins
- Raspberries – Vitamin k and magnesium
- Banana – more manganese, vitamins, fiber and obviously potassium
- Ginger – vitamins and minerals. Also adds a nice spice to it.
I also put the smaller stuff on bottom and my banana on top. Just breaks up more easily in my experience.
When using a blender, always go for the vortex. When you have a vortex, you know your blender is doing its job.
Since I didn’t get the 32 oz I was aiming for, I grabbed my apple juice. I add this in to get the desired amount and help thin it out a bit more.
Add in the juice, and blend until completely smooth.
And here it is, the finished product. Two thick, cold smoothies.
I drink one and store the other in the fridge over night to have as brunch the next day.
I got these cups from Kmart, and the straw and lid from Walmart. Both are Ball products. We use them a lot- like when we are having a fire out back. The lids keeps any ashes or bugs out of the beverage in question and look pretty snazzy. Best part of the lid and straw is that they fit any regular mouth jar.
So there you have it- my fool proof how to smoothify your fruits and stuff.
I’m off to the next thing. Not sure what it is, but I’ll figure that out soon enough.
Until next time, have a wicked good afternoon.
Gillis Gardens, LLC 