A tasty and healthy solution for on-the-go breakfasts, quick lunches & in between meeting snacks on busy days

Let’s start at the very beginning. What is a smoothie? The dictionary describes it as a beverage made by pureeing ingredients in a blender. While that may sound like baby food, smoothies are different and, luckily, a lot more delicious.

Smoothies usually include a mixture of fruits and vegetables with a liquid base such as juice, water or milk. So, why the big fuss about smoothies?

What’s the big deal?
According to the BBC’s monthly food publication, Good Food, smoothies are good for you in the following ways:

  • They increase your fibre intake;
  • They contribute towards the five servings of fruit and vegetables we are meant to eat daily; and
  • They boost your vitamin C levels.

Another non-medical benefit of smoothies is that they give you a delicious, healthy and filling meal alternative to add to your diet.

How to make a smoothie
The first step is buying a blender. Not only will it help you make quick and delicious smoothies, but it will also help you to puree vegetables for soups and sauces.

Once you have a blender, it’s a matter of choosing your ingredients and playing around with combinations to find the ones you enjoy the most.

Some common smoothie ingredients that will have you well on your way include:

  • Spinach
  • Bananas
  • Berries
  • Strawberries
  • Ginger
  • Mangoes
  • Apples
  • Kale
  • Yoghurt
  • Cucumber
  • Juice
  • Water
  • Coconut Water
  • Milk alternatives like almond milk and oat milk
  • Peanut butter

This is just the start to your smoothie recipes. You can use virtually any fruit or vegetable you like in your recipes to add sweetness, tanginess, and colour to your smoothies.

To help make your smoothie efforts even easier, there are frozen fruit options available at large supermarkets that you can use. This means not having to worry about your fruit going off if it’s not used in time.

WINNING COMBOS
When looking for a smoothie combination to deal with a certain vitamin deficiency, it’s best to do your research as different ingredient combinations will give you different results. For example, calcium, vitamin D3 and vitamin K are nutrients that improve bone health. Smoothies rich in these nutrients contain spinach, green vegetables and citrus fruits as their main ingredients.

Here are some simple recipes that are made up of daily ingredients you may already have in the fridge to help you get started:

Peanut Butter Smoothie

  • 1 fresh or frozen banana
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter
  • ½ cup unsweetened Greek yoghurt/plain yoghurt
  • 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)

Green Smoothie

  • ½ a fresh or frozen banana
  • ½ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • ½ an orange, peeled
  • 1 to 2 cup(s) baby kale and/or baby Swiss chard
  • ½ cup ice
  • 1 cup unsweetened milk (nut, soy, animal)