HOW TO BUILD A SUPER SMOOTHIE
All smoothies are good smoothies, but when you’re looking to make one that will keep you full and fuelled, there’s a few tips and tricks you can use to build a gut loving, hormone balancing and glowing skin smoothie:
BASE
This means your fruits and vegetables, or even ice. I prefer frozen fruit and veg because I like cold thick smoothies, but you can totally just use room temperature or refrigerated produce if you prefer. Think bananas, berries, citrus, kiwis, mangoes, coconut, figs, apples or pears for fruit…and cauliflower, zucchini, cucumber, beets, celery or leafy greens for vegetables. These will add a hefty dose of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to your smoothie.
PROTEIN
Adding a source of protein will help keep you full, stabilize your blood sugar and helps build and maintain healthy cells throughout your body. You can definitely use a protein powder here, my favourite is from the brand Sprout Living. Collagen powder is another great form of protein you can add to your smoothies that is tasteless, easily digestible plus great for your gut.
FAT
Fats are the ingredient that will support hormone, brain and skin health. They’re also essential for proper absorption of the many minerals and vitamins found in your other smoothie ingredients. Some great fat options for smoothies are nut butters, seed butters, coconut butter, coconut oil, flax oil, avocado and MCT oil.
FIBRE
The fruit and vegetables you use as your base definitely contain fibre, but it’s always a great idea to boost the fibre content with some chia seeds, flax seeds, acacia or psyllium husk. Fibre will also help you feel full, and it feeds your gut microbes to ensure your digestion is working optimally.
EXTRAS
This is the fun part. Once you’ve got your base and sources of protein, fat and fibre, you can add different ingredients for added flavour or just extra nutrients. You can add fresh turmeric or ginger, yogurt, adaptogens, cinnamon, superfoods, dates, cacao powder, matcha etc. Get creative!
LIQUID
There’s tons of options for what kind of liquid you want to use: water, coconut water, your favourite milk or milk alternative, brewed tea, coffee or fresh juice. The amount of liquid you use will also depend on whether you’re making a smoothie or a smoothie bowl. But try playing with different flavours and amounts to make the smoothies of your dreams!
Julia Gibson is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, functional foods recipe developer, and write currently based in Toronto. She hopes to inspire and empower others by creating nourishing foods, living a sustainable life, promoting holistic healing and sharing thoughtful writing.