5 Basic Ingredients for a Delicious Green Smoothie

Food

My favourite way to start the day is by having a green smoothie in the morning. I just love how green smoothies are an easy way to make sure you are getting in all your nutritious fruits and vegetables as well as other healthy goodies you add to the mix. They’re also delicious and tasty. Because they so tasty you forget you’re having a green smoothie. The only thing though is if you don’t make the smoothie correctly, it will taste really bad as well as lack those important nutrients.

If you have been following me on Instagram, you will see I have been sharing my daily smoothie on instastories. I have received a lot of DM’s asking how do I know what ingredients to use and for more smoothie recipe ideas. In this post though I will be chatting about the 5 basic ingredients I always use which I have learnt to use from trial and error. Smoothie making is all about trial and error because in the beginning I didn’t know whaaaat I was doing. Now I always just grab the basics and my smoothie is almost always delicious.

The 5 basic ingredients for a delicious green smoothie are …

1. LEAFY GREENS 

  • Leafy greens are the foundation of every green smoothie and where they get their green colour.
  • A smoothie should have at least 1 – 2 cups of leafy greens.
  • I like to switch between using spinach, swiss chard and kale.
  • Health benefits: leafy greens contain high levels of fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium.

2. FRUIT

  • My favourite part of a smoothie is fruit because not only does it provide more healthy nutrients but also adds the flavour.
  • A smoothie should have 1/2 – 1 serving of fruit.
  • I like to use bananas, green apples or even fresh/frozen berries.
  • Health benefits: bananas are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals such as potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, folate, niacin and riboflavin. Green apples are low in fat content, full of minerals and anti-oxidants and also contain a lot of fiber which helps clean the system and increases the metabolism. Berries, especially blueberries are packed with antioxidants, and are also full of fiber.

3. PROTEIN

  • Adding a protein to your green smoothie will make it complete and balanced and will also keep you satisfied for longer.
  • I like to use Greek yoghurt or even add a handful of nuts like almonds.

4. FAT

  • Fat is the most forgotten ingredient when it comes to making a smoothie and it is actually the most important. Fat needs to be present in order to absorb the fat soluble vitamins, like Vitamin A, D, E and K. So if your smoothie is fat free, you’re letting a lot of important nutrients slip by.
  • Fat is found in coconut oil, avocado, chia seeds and nut butter.
  • I like to swop between using coconut oil, peanut butter and even avocado.

5. LIQUID

  • The amount and type of liquid you use is based on how thick you want your smoothie to be and how you want it to taste.
  • I like to use either water, or maybe almond or coconut milk.
  • I don’t use fruit juices as this adds a lot of unnecessary extra sugar, which we don’t really need 🙂

THE EXTRAS …

CHIA SEEDS – high in fiber, as well as protein and omega-3s.

FLAX SEEDS – super-rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, and abundant in lignans that offer powerful antioxidant effects, flaxseeds can be considered one of the most nutritious foods on the planet.

CINNAMON – contains cinnamic acid, an antioxidant that helps to keep essential omega-3 fatty acids from oxidizing.

COCONUT OIL – helps to balance blood sugar and may aid thyroid function. It’s also anti-fungal, anti-viral, and full of antioxidants.

GOJI BERRIES – rich in antioxidants and vitamins A and C, goji berries contain carotenoids, color pigments that may be effective in fighting cancer.

♥

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