Where are all my smoothie people? Being raised in Southern California, we had smoothies all the time because the weather (and the abundance of produce) was almost always right for them! Strawberry smoothies, blueberry-mango smoothies, smoothies with protein, smoothies with blue algae…you name it, we tried it! Some people don’t like smoothies, I get it. But I really like them! I’ve come up with lots of smoothie recipes, some super healthy, some not as healthy (helloooooo ice cream…), but all are delicious!
I know that right around this time of year, many people are busy making New Year’s resolutions and whatnot, and lots of them probably involve a goal of gaining more health in one area of life or another. Maybe a new smoothie recipe or two will help us all along that path? At any rate, it’s worth a try…even if the only gain is getting to taste a yummy treat! And if you find your new go-to healthy smoothie? Well, that’s another win!
First of all, it’s really important to use good quality ingredients. I love to use organic fruit (even when its frozen!), and a high-quality plant-based protein powder. We like to use vanilla, since it pairs well with almost all combinations. Also, we prefer the taste of almond milk in our smoothies, but you can use whatever kind of milk you’d like…dairy, nut, or otherwise! Don’t be shy in your experimenting to find just the right flavors your family adores. Sometimes it takes a few tries, so don’t give up!
Next, you’ll need a good blender. We have tried several, but our favorite is the Vitamix. For us, the cost has been worth it. It blends ice seamlessly, and our smoothies come out great. No, I’m not affiliated with the company…we just like it that much! We have also tried the Ninja, the Oster, and the Magic Bullet brands.
When our kids were little, they liked simple smoothies without the protein powder. As they got older, we introduced them to more and more flavors, and a very wide variety of foods. They are now quite the adventurous eaters, and love to make up their own smoothie recipes, too! I love that they find joy in creating things in the kitchen–especially healthy items! Making smoothies together has even helped them understand some of the basics of food science and nutrient absorption in the body. Gaining understanding in both areas is invaluable for helping them become lifelong healthy eaters. This has always been really important to me, and that’s because it has been my mom’s life work to educate people on nutrition and facilitate their journeys to health through her work as a Registered Dietician. I learned from a very young age the incredible value of putting good things into my body, and want to make sure our children understand that, too! Thanks, Mom!
Whether you love smoothies already, or are wanting to try them out, I hope you’ll try some of my recipes AND then make up some of your own! I’d love you to share your favorite smoothie recipes in the comments below, too! Smoothies are fun, healthy, and bring joy into the kitchen and into our focus on health. Let’s teach and show our kids that joyful eating can be nourishing to their bodies and nurturing for the soul as well. Which one will you try first?
HELPFUL HINTS:
- adding maple syrup or honey is a great way to sweeten your smoothie
- water can be substituted for any of the milks, but may change the flavor of the smoothie slightly
- increasing/decreasing the amount of ice changes the consistency of your smoothie
- protein powder can be removed from any smoothie, but may decrease the sweetness
- any flavor of Greek yogurt can be substituted for the vanilla, but using higher sugar content yogurt will make the smoothie very sweet