{"id":35658,"date":"2017-07-28T06:22:59","date_gmt":"2017-07-28T10:22:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/?p=35658"},"modified":"2021-02-13T11:19:35","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T16:19:35","slug":"how-to-build-a-better-smoothie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/how-to-build-a-better-smoothie\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Build a Better Smoothie: The Basics for Smoothie Success"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently I found myself typing the words “how to build a better smoothie” into a search engine while sipping on a watered down, brown beverage that I tried to convince myself was a smoothie. After coming home from the Saratoga wedding<\/a>, I found myself wanting to kick my nutrition up a notch. I decided an easy way to do this would be to add a smoothie a day into my routine for a week or so.<\/p>\n

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Since I’m not usually a smoothie gal, I made the common mistake of throwing a bunch of healthy items into the blender and hitting go. I suppose I figured the Blendtec had the ability to magically transform any combination into a delicious smoothie. I mean, it has a special smoothie button and everything.<\/p>\n

Shocker; I was wrong<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I asked for advice on my Instagram stories<\/a> and was flooded with great tips and tricks for building a better smoothie and just as many responses asking me to share what I learned. Ask and ye shall receive!<\/p>\n

Over the past week, I’ve implemented these pearls of smoothie wisdom and tried several recommended recipe. I’m happy to announce that I’ve had seriously tasty success.<\/p>\n

How to Build a Better Smoothie<\/h2>\n

To determine the amount of liquid, fill up the cup you want to drink out of with your liquid of choice. <\/strong>How many times have I made a smoothie only to fill my cup up halfway? Or end up with double the amount I need. Such a simple, helpful tip!<\/p>\n

Add the liquids to the blender first<\/em>.<\/strong> This allows the blender to create the liquid vortex that will easily pull down the other ingredients to blend.<\/p>\n

Powders and seeds should be poured directly into the liquid before any other ingredients.<\/strong> This is so the powders can fully dissolve into the liquid so you won’t be left with a chalky texture. Seeds (like chia seeds) are good to add now (and let them sit for a few minutes) so they can absorb some of the liquid in order to plump up and better blend into the smoothie.<\/p>\n

Frozen ingredients should go in last.<\/strong> Whether you are using frozen fruit, frozen veggies, or ice cubes, the weight of those ingredients will help weigh all the other ingredients down.<\/p>\n

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Similar to a meal, consider your mix of macro-nutrients. <\/strong>Fruit is great, however it can be high in sugar, so a fruit-heavy smoothie without fat and protein to balance it out will result in a sugar high, followed by a crash.<\/p>\n

Some great add-ins to add some staying power to your smoothie include nut butters, avocado, full fat Greek yogurt, coconut oil, or flaxseed oil.<\/em><\/h2>\n

Don’t overload the healthy. <\/strong>I tend to get excited about packing nutrients in, but I can tell you from firsthand experience that trying to cram maca powder, spirulina, acai powder, goji berries, and bone broth protein into a single smoothie is a recipe for a gag-worthy result. Pick a super nutrient powder or two at the max, and use in small increments until you know how you tolerate the taste. Spirulina is not for the weak!<\/p>\n

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Invest in a quality blender.<\/strong> Of course there is always the Vitamix <\/a>or Blendtec<\/a>, but if you aren’t wanting to invest that much, the Ninja Professional Blender<\/a> is an incredible blender at a price that makes sense.<\/p>\n

Consider the ratio of ingredients.<\/strong> A good breakdown is typically:<\/p>\n