Do you love smoothies, but don't know where to begin when making your own at home? Or finding it hard to get consistent results every time? In just 5 easy steps, I'll show you how to make the perfect smoothie every time with my easy no-fail formula.
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What Makes Smoothies so Great?
Smoothies are a staple in my life - I make a smoothie at home almost every day because of just how easy they are to jam-pack with nutritious foods, and how easy they are to make (with the right formula!). I often struggle with fitting my daily servings of fruits and vegetables into every meal, so I use smoothies as my shortcut to getting them into my diet efficiently while giving me an energy boost as well.
While you can find store-bought smoothies pretty much everywhere, they're often either quite expensive, not very nutritious, or loaded with sugars and juices to make them taste great (but are actually closer to drinking a soda or milkshake). That's why I prefer making my own at home - I can customize and control what I put into them based on my preferences and dietary restrictions, and they're often much cheaper than going to the local juice bar.
My 5-Step Formula for the Perfect Smoothie
Follow this easy 5-step formula to get the best results every time for a balanced smoothie that's both healthy and delicious. This will help take the guess-work out smoothie-making!
STEP 1: Liquid (1 cup) - every great smoothie is built on the foundation of a great liquid base. My go-to liquid is unsweetened almond milk, for its relative low calories, no added sugar, and creamy, neutral taste. You can use also cow's milk or other plant-based milk (such as cashew or oat milk). Water or juice can be used as lighter options, but if using juice, opt to mix it with milk or water so that you're not adding too much sugar.
STEP 2: Fruits (1.5 cups) - you can use fresh or frozen fruits, but I suggest using at least some portion of frozen fruits for their ability to help cool and thicken up smoothies without needing to add ice. They're also sweet due to being pre-ripened, and super convenient to use with their long shelf-life. Fruits are a great way to hide the taste of vegetables (like leafy greens) and usually become the overwhelming flavour of the smoothie - so use your favourite fruits!
STEP 3: Vegetables (1 cup) - you can use fresh or frozen vegetables. Leafy greens (kale or spinach), root vegetables (carrots or beets), celery, cucumbers, zucchini - they all offer different nutritional benefits, so add whatever you like!
STEP 4: Thickener (1-2 tbsp) - this may be optional if you're already using frozen bananas or other frozen fruits as thickeners - but you can use yogurt, avocado, or nut butters to thicken your smoothie up. Frozen bananas are my personal favourite - they thicken by being both frozen and creamy when blended!
STEP 5: Boosters - totally up to you here! Feel free to mix in your favourite flavour boosters to give the flavours some added pop - such as spices (cinnamon/nutmeg), extracts (vanilla/almond), fresh herbs/ginger, or sweeteners (honey/dates). You can also add nutritional boosters, such as supplements (protein powder), seeds (flax/chia/hemp) or other superfoods. Adjust to your tastes and nutritional requirements!
Common Mistakes When Making Smoothies
Even though smoothies are fairly simple, finding the right balance of ingredients can be a bit tricky - I've made batches in the past that were too runny (or too thick), too sweet (or not sweet enough), chunky (from not using the right equipment), not healthy enough, etc. Here are some common mistakes I ran into:
- Not using a thickener - using the right types and amounts of thickeners helps make sure we end up with a creamy, smooth, and drinkable consistency. Otherwise, we can end up with something closer to a juice, or to a gelato.
- Using too much liquid - similar to the previous point, using too much liquid will thin out the smoothie and make it taste more like a juice (or fruity milk). Texture is key!
- Not using the right ratio of fruits to veggies - while loading our smoothies with veggies helps us pack in important vitamins, minerals, and fibre, we also don't want to 'taste it' in our smoothie. Fruits are a great way to mask the taste - but using the right amount is important!
- Forgetting to add nutritional enhancers - smoothies are a great way to mix in all sorts of nutrient-packed foods efficiently; take advantage of it!
- Adding too much sugar - the benefit of using ripe fruits is that they are already natural sweeteners. Adding sugar, honey, syrup, or fruit juices often isn't necessary!
Toasty's Tips for the Perfect Smoothie
- Skip the ice - instead of ice cubes, use frozen fruits instead! They have the same benefit of cooling down and thickening your smoothie, while not diluting the taste like ice does. Use frozen bananas for an extra creamy texture!
- Mix and match different ingredients - don't be afraid to mix and match different fruits, vegetables, and boosters if you're unsure how it'll taste. Most of the time, as long as you use the right quantity of fruits (as suggested in our easy formula above), it'll be hard to go wrong!
- Don't use smoothie packets - you know those store-bought smoothie packets in the frozen aisle at grocery stores? Skip those - they often contain way too much sugar (and possibly other additives) that you can do without - and they're often quite expensive for the minimal added convenience they offer.
- Use ripe fruits only - while frozen fruits have the benefit of already being pre-ripened and sweet, if you're using fresh fruits, make sure they're ripened for their natural sweetness, which will help mask the taste of those vegetables.
- Pack it with nutrition - while fruits and veggies are loaded with vitamins and minerals, add boosters/superfoods to really enhance the nutrition as well.
- Turn it into a meal replacement - if you want to turn this into a meal replacement smoothie, all you need to do is add protein and healthy fats. Oats, protein powder, and seeds, (chia/flax/hemp) are fantastic ways to add protein, while nuts, nut butters, and avocados can be added for healthy fats. Both are great ways to further thicken the texture for a more filling meal.
- Add your ingredients in with the wet ingredients closest to the blender blade, followed by the dry ingredients - this will help ensure a smooth blending process for all of the ingredients.
What Type of Blender Should I Use?
In the past, I've tried making my smoothies with older, low-powered blenders and they often left me with unblended chunks of fruits and vegetables. Once I made the switch to a high-powered blender, I never went back! My personal go-to favourite blender that I use everyday is my Vitamix A3500. It crushes everything with complete ease, and I end up with smooth, deliciously creamy smoothies every time. I also have a Nutribullet Pro 900 that I used often before I bought my Vitamix - it still works great for smaller batches and is also very affordable. Regardless of brand, I highly recommend investing in a high-powered blender for hassle-free smooth, creamy smoothies every time. Trust me, it's well worth it.
Can I Store Smoothies in the Fridge?
Unfortunately, smoothies typically don't keep well in the refrigerator. Within just a few hours, they'll start degrading in texture, flavour, nutrition, and overall freshness. Because of this, I recommend drinking smoothies right after making them for optimal freshness, flavour, and nutrition.
If you do need to refrigerate your smoothies, typically they can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days at most if absolutely needed (and likely less than a day if using dairy) - however make sure to use an air-tight sealed container (such as a mason jar) to slow down its degradation.
Meal Prep Tips for Smoothies
I love meal prep for saving time. While smoothies can be difficult to refrigerate, you can still batch prep and freeze your smoothies ahead of time for a longer shelf life. In the freezer, they'll typically last for up to a month, or sometimes even longer. Here are 3 easy ways to meal-prep smoothies in the freezer to save time:
- Ice cube tray - blend and pour smoothie into ice cube molds for freezing. This makes them easy to pop out and either thaw or blend quickly whenever I'm ready to enjoy them!
- Freezer jars - Pour smoothie into a mason jar (or other air-tight container) to freeze, and then thaw it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours whenever you're ready to enjoy it.
- Portion and freeze ingredients - chop up the fruits and vegetables and store them in a zip-lock bag in the freezer. This allows you to quickly throw the frozen ingredients into a blender along with the liquids and boosters whenever you're ready to enjoy it.
Delicious Smoothie Recipes to Try
If you're ready to try making some of my favourite flavours using this easy 5-step formula, check out these delicious smoothie recipes here:
📖 Recipe
My Easy Formula for Perfect Smoothies
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
Choose your liquid (1 cup)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Pick your fruits (1.5 cups)
- ½ cup berries - frozen
- ½ cup pineapples - frozen
- ½ banana - frozen and ripened
Add your vegetables (1 cup)
- 1 cup spinach - chopped
Use a thickener (1-2 tbsp)
- 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt
Enhance it with boosters (flavour + nutrition)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions
- STEP 1: Liquid (1 cup) - every great smoothie is built on the foundation of a great liquid base. My go-to liquid is unsweetened almond milk, for its relative low calories, no added sugar, and creamy, neutral taste. You can use also cow's milk or other plant-based milk (such as cashew or oat milk). Water or juice can be used as lighter options, but if using juice, opt to mix it with milk or water so that you're not adding too much sugar.
- STEP 2: Fruits (1.5 cups) - you can use fresh or frozen fruits, but I suggest using at least some portion of frozen fruits for their ability to help cool and thicken up smoothies without needing to add ice. They're also sweet due to being pre-ripened, and super convenient to use with their long shelf-life. Fruits are a great way to hide the taste of vegetables (like leafy greens) and usually become the overwhelming flavour of the smoothie - so use your favourite fruits!
- STEP 3: Vegetables (1 cup) - you can use fresh or frozen vegetables. Leafy greens (kale or spinach), root vegetables (carrots or beets), celery, cucumbers, zucchini - they all offer different nutritional benefits, so add whatever you like!
- STEP 4: Thickener (1-2 tbsp) - this may be optional if you're already using frozen bananas or other frozen fruits as thickeners - but you can use yogurt, avocado, or nut butters to thicken your smoothie up. Frozen bananas are my personal favourite - they thicken by being both frozen and creamy when blended!
- STEP 5: Boosters - totally up to you here! Feel free to mix in your favourite flavour boosters to give the flavours some added pop - such as spices (cinnamon/nutmeg), extracts (vanilla/almond), fresh herbs/ginger, or sweeteners (honey/dates). You can also add nutritional boosters, such as supplements (protein powder), seeds (flax/chia/hemp) or other superfoods. Adjust to your tastes and nutritional requirements!
- Once ingredients are prepared, add them into the blender.
- Blend ingredients thoroughly until smooth. Pour and enjoy!
Notes
- Video: Watch the step-by-step video tutorial here.
- Important: All of the above ingredients listed are just examples to illustrate options under each category. The beauty of this formula is you can use whatever you like for each food type - so feel free to be creative!
- When adding ingredients, make sure the wet ingredients are added so they're closest to the blender blade. This will ensure a smooth and even blending process.
- Use a high-powered blender to avoid ending up with chunky ingredients that don't fully blend. This helps ensure smooth, consistent results every time.
- Use frozen bananas: instead of fresh bananas, opt for frozen ripe bananas for their amazing ability to thicken and sweeten smoothies. Just freeze them before blending - I like to keep a bunch in the freezer on-hand at all times. They're also great for homemade ice cream!
STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO
You can find step-by-step video tutorials for all of my recipes on my YouTube Channel. There you'll find many more tips and tricks to help you along!
Nutrition
Note: Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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