I love smoothies! I don’t buy them often because of how expensive a cup of blended fruits and vegetables can be. Since I don’t eat any animal products, I have to avoid typical smoothie shops that use milk or yogurt. That’s why I make my own smoothies! Summer is the perfect time to start making a huge smoothie everyday for breakfast because they are so yummy and easy to make. Here is how I make my mine:
1. First I freeze fruit. Such as, strawberries, peaches, pineapples, blueberries or almost any fruit you like. Some fruits you probably do not want to freeze, such as apples. But bananas freeze really well. To make it easier, you can cut up the bananas before putting them in the freezer so you don’t have to cut them up frozen (which can be a little difficult). When I’m home and notice fruit sitting around that will start to go bad soon, I immediately pop it in the freezer for a great smoothie later! You don’t have to freeze the fruit, but it adds more texture to the smoothie.
2. Add greens! I like to add a lot of spinach, but you can add other greens such as kale, celery, broccoli and even lettuce if you want. You will need to cut up hard vegetables like broccoli into small pieces before adding it to the blender. If you’re making a green smoothie, make sure to add a little fruit so that it tastes sweet.
3. Add juice or almond milk! Depending on what smoothie I am making, I’ll add a dash of either. If I am making a green smoothie, I typically add carrot juice or orange juice. If I am making a fruit smoothie, I add unsweetened vanilla almond milk. You can use soy milk, coconut milk, yogurt, Greek yogurt, non-dairy yogurt, milk, or just stick with juice. Just make sure you don’t add too much juice or almond milk. You want your creation to keep a thick, smoothie-like texture.
4. Add ice to your blender and blend your smoothie! The best part is seeing your ingredients turn into a yummy smoothie! If fruits or veggies are not blending well, you might need to cut them up smaller depending on how strong your blender is.
Experiment with different ingredients to make them just how you like! Enjoy your smoothies!