Smoothies 101 – What They Are, Why They’re Good For You, Recommended Ingredients, Instructions, And A Starter Recipe

It seems unlikely that you haven’t at least heard of smoothies, even if you’ve never tried one (yet).

But just in case, let’s start with a simple definition: smoothies are fruit-based, vegetable-based or a blend of the two, drinks with water, milk or yoghourt.

The Difference Between Smoothies And Juicing

One obvious question, then, is how does juicing and making smoothies differ?

1. Smoothies are usually much thicker than juices because with smoothies, you get the whole fruit or vegetable, while with juices, you do not get the fibre and pulp.
2. Smoothies are great at providing macronutrients and micronutrients, while juices typically provide only micronutrients. (Examples of macronutrients would be carbohydrates, fats, fibres, proteins, and water, while examples of micronutrients would be antioxidants, minerals such as cobalt, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc, phytochemicals, and vitamins. Some minerals, e.g. calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium chloride, and sulphur, are known as macro-minerals because the body requires them in relatively large quantities.)
3. You will need different equipment to make them too – smoothies require a powerful blender, while juicing requires a juicer. (Note that blenders, even the stronger ones required to make these drinks, are usually cheaper than juicers too.)
4. Smoothies are usually quicker to make in terms of the preparation time, the actual making, and the clean-up).

Either way, of course, you’re getting an entire meal in one convenient cup or glass, and it’s effectively pre-digested for you – so all you have to do is drink it.

Benefits Of Smoothies

1. It’s an easy and quick way to get your daily dose of fruits and vegetables – especially for picky eaters like children who may not even know they’re “eating” vegetables they claim not to like.
2. You can prep the ingredients in advance (e.g. the night before) and freeze them so they’re ready to blend in the morning.
3. The nutrients you get from your smoothie can give you an energy boost.
4. You won’t feel as full or bloated as you do after eating more traditional breakfasts.
5. They promote gut health.
6. Because they contain so many essential nutrients, drinking smoothies can reduce cravings (which are usually caused by deficiencies in some of those nutrients your body needs).
7. Studies have shown that smoothies, especially the green ones, can help prevent or reduce the symptoms of chronic diseases, including allergies, arthritis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, gout, lupus, and strokes,
8. Smoothies can help with women’s health issues, including an improvement in PMS / PMT symptoms, and providing support for healthy pregnancies.
9. They can help maintain the right pH balance in your body.
10. Some people report that smoothies can help with weight loss programmes. This is because they are full of fibre, they make you feel full, and they do not contain a ton of unhealthy ingredients such as carbohydrates and “bad” fats.
11. Smoothies can help strengthen your immune system.
12. They are an excellent source of antioxidants and minerals for your body – things that many Anericans are deficient in.
13. Improved sleep is a benefit many smoothie drinkers report.
14. And on a practical level, they are quick and easy to make, saving you time and effort.

Ingredients Of A Smoothie

There are a few basic ingredients that almost every smoothie contains:

1. Fruit and/or vegetables.
2. Liquid (e.g. filtered water, almond milk, coconut water, green tea).
3. Thickening agent (e.g. Greek yoghourt).

The ratio of these would usually be two to three cups of fruits and/or vegetables, to one to one and a half cups of liquid, to half a cup of thickener.

In addition to these basic ingredients, you can add any of the following:

• chocolate chips
• coconut
• cookies
• dried fruits
• graham crackers
• honey
• flaxseeds
• nuts
• oatmeal
• peanut butter
• protein powder (but make sure it’s “clean”)
• salt (preferably Himalayan)
• spices (e.g. cinnamon)

Oh, and if you’re wondering what makes a smoothie a green smoothie, it’s when you use leafy green vegetables (e.g. arugula, collard greens, kale, malunggay / moringa, rainbow or Swiss chard, romaine, spinach, or even green herbs such as mint or parsley) as some of the ingredients.

And just to be clear, here are a few things you should not add to your smoothies:

• Canned fruit or fruit juices, because you want fresh ingredients only
• Ice cream, because of the high sugar content.
• Smoothie mixes, because they will likely contain too many unhealthy and unnatural ingredients, and, of course, they are not fresh.
• Store-bought yoghourts, because these too often have a lot of sugar and they are not as nutrient-rich as other more natural types (e.g. Greek).

Are Smoothies Safe?

With all of this talk about their benefits and being made from healthy ingredients, you would certainly assume they are safe.

However, there are a few factors you need to consider:

1. Balance. It’s important to get the balance right between the various ingredients and the nutrients they contain (e.g. carbs, fats, fibres, and proteins). As with all dietary needs, each person is different, but in general, one and a half to two cups of carbohydrates (i.e. from the fruit and veg) should be mixed with just over half a cup of protein (e.g. chia seeds, hemp seeds, protein powder, and yoghourt) and up to two tablespoons of fats (e.g. seeds such as chia or hemp, and unsalted nuts or nut butters).
2. Digestion. Largely because of the high levels of fibre they contain, smoothies can be tough to digest, especially if you already suffer from issues such as allergies, bloating, candida, gas, or weakened digestion or immune system. The solution is to lightly steam green vegetables before you put them in the blender.
3. Goitrogens. These are compounds that are present in cruciferous vegetables (e.g. bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale) and that can, in some cases, disrupt thyroid production. Again, the solution is to lightly steam any such ingredients before making your smoothie.
4. Oxalic Acid. Leafy green vegetables contain a lot of oxalic acid, which, in excess, can lead to kidney stones and be dangerous if you suffer from certain conditions (e.g. arthritis, aspergillus, candida, dysbiosis, fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, osteoporosis, and vulvodynia). You should therefore limit your daily consumption of leafy greens to three or four servings.
5. Sugars. All fruits contain natural sugars, of course, and in moderation, those are fine, but if you add other ingredients (e.g. protein powers, dried fruits), you need to watch out for any hidden sugars that may be included.
6. Unwanted Ingredients. However, healthy your fruit and vegetables (even organic ones) may be, it’s possible they are host to various bugs and parasites. Lightly steaming these ingredients is one way to deal with this problem, as is washing them, or a third option is to spray them with a home-made concoction comprising one tablespoon of lemon juice, two tablespoons of distilled white vinegar, and one cup of cold tap water.

Finally, because of the properties of many leafy green vegetables, it is best to regularly rotate between different varieties – preferably daily, but at a minimum once per week.

Vegetable Properties

Here are some of the key properties of some common smoothie vegetables you should be aware of:

• Arugula. Also known as rocket, this has a peppery taste, is a good source of fibre, and it’s low in calories.
• Beet Greens. These are high in tryptophan which helps to improve the quality of your sleep.
• Bok Choy. Also known as Chinese cabbage, it has a sweet taste and almost no calories.
• Cabbage. This is perfect for those needing a general boost in their health, it goes well with berries, and it’s easy to grow.
• Carrot Tops. These, which are often discarded, can help to detoxify your body.
• Celery. This is high in phytonutrients, which are a type of antioxidant that protects the heart wall from damage.
• Chard. This is known to lower your sugar levels, and it is recommended you consume this in the morning before starting your day,
• Cilantro. Also known as Chinese parsley or coriander, it may lower blood pressure and blood sugar.
• Kale. This is high in fibre and is known to have higher iron content than beef, which makes it a great substitute for meat. Note that the taste can be a bit bitter (but this easily disguised with fruit).
• Malunggay / Moringa. This superfood is antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-infectious.
• Romaine. This is high in vitamin C and can help in lowering your cholesterol level.
• Spinach. This is a good source of folate, vitamin A, and B vitamins, and it’s known to provide additional energy, thanks in part to the fact that one leaf of this super green contains 20 different nutrients.

Fruit Properties

And here are some of the key properties of some common smoothie fruits you should be aware of:

• Avocados. Famous for their “healthy fat” and a key ingredient in guacamole, they are also high in fibre.
• Bananas. These are known for their potassium and probiotic content.
• Blueberries. High in anthocyanin, a phytonutrient that feeds the brain, these are now considered one of nature’s superfoods.
• Mangoes. These are rich in vitamins A and C, and you can use both the unripened fruits (which are green) or the ripened ones (which are yellow).
• Papayas. These are loaded with vitamin A and C, as well as fibre. It also contains papain, an enzyme known to fight inflammation and other diseases.
• Peaches. These contain a ton of beta carotene, and are also good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are responsible for the prevention of muscular degeneration.
• Pineapples. These contain a load of manganese, a trace mineral known to boost energy levels, and are also a great source of bromelain, which is a natural anti-inflammatory.
• Strawberries. Full of vitamin A, they also have anti-inflammatory properties and are a good source of phenols, which are brain-boosting enzymes.

So How Do You Actually Make A Smoothie?

Here are the basic steps you need to follow:

1. Add your liquid(s) to your blender jug first.
2. Next, add any frozen ingredients (e.g. fruit, ice).
3. Then, add any remaining fruit and vegetables.
4. Add any optional extras (e.g. nuts, peanut butter, protein powder, spices).
5. Turn on the blender, starting on a slow speed (to deal with the larger ingredients) and then gradually increase the speed.

It may take some experimentation, with both the ingredients and the process, to create something that you really enjoy – but it is worth persevering with.

Starter Green Smoothie Recipe

Here’s a really popular green smoothie recipe to get you going:

What Are Cups?

When I last lived in England, in the early 2000s, volume was almost always measured in fluid ounces and usually applied to liquids only.

I’d heard of cups, but never knew what they were.

Things may have changed, but for those of who you are only familiar with the older measurements, a cup is a volume measurement that is equivalent to eight US fluid ounces. (Just to complicate matters, a US fluid ounce is actually slightly larger than a UK fluid ounce, although the difference is too small to be significant in most domestic situations.)

Note that in many American recipes, cups are also used to measure dry ingredients (e.g. flour and butter), which in England (and probably other countries) would typically be measured using pounds and ounces (or kilograms and grams) on traditional kitchen scales.

You can find plenty of online websites, such as this one, as well as a variety of apps for smartphones, to help you convert between various measurement systems if you need such as a service.

Conclusion

I started drinking green smoothies a few years ago, and to be honest, I was not looking forward to it at all.

For one, I’m not a salad eater, so the thought of drinking vegetables such as spinach really put me off.

Next, I have sensory processing disorder (SPD), which means I’m highly sensitive to the texture of foods, and I expected the thickness of the smoothie to cause me problems.

The good news was that they were nowhere near as bad as I expected, and I even grew to enjoy them (after I’d been up and about for an hour or so, since I cannot eat too soon after waking up or I feel nauseated), although I will say they were an acquired taste.

But the benefits are plenty, and I do believe it’s worth sticking at it until you find a recipe you like.

And lastly, don’t forget to check out the 25 Smoothie Recipes I’ve collated for you!

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Blenders For Smoothies
2. Green Smoothie Recipes
3. Ninja Blender (which is the one I use)