As most of you have probably noticed by now, I am totally obsessed with smoothies. I could have a smoothie for breakfast, for dessert, as a healthy snack or even as a post-workout fuel. Don’t worry, not all in one day :p. All jokes aside though, smoothies truly are a powerful way to fuel your body with a ton of healthy nutrients, that is when… done right! They are quick to make, easy to grab on the go and require very little energy to digest (i.e. no food coma). They are the perfect beauty food and taste delicious! Honestly,  smoothies are a win-win situation, but again only when they contain the right ingredients! Indeed, not all smoothies are created equal… 

As a nutritionist, I notice the following situations way too often: People ordering freshly-made smoothies at a local juice/smoothie bar or purchasing a bottled smoothie drink in a store, without realizing that what they are drinking is actually full of “junk” or simply not nutritious at all. No wonder, they end up reaching for a muffin mid-morning or they still feel hungry before their lunch break. Making a healthy smoothie at home – the do’s in this article- or choosing the right type of smoothie (if you are purchasing it) – the don’ts in this article – is really not that complicated. You simply need to learn a few basic principles and follow these simple guidelines:

THE DO’S & DON’TS OF A HEALTHY SMOOTHIE

As I mentioned earlier, creating a perfect and healthy smoothie, every single time, is no rocket science. However, there are a few important nutritional rules that you should keep in mind while you create your next smoothie to make sure it actually ends up being super healthy for you. Here are:

The do’s of creating a healthy smoothie

1. Pick the right ingredients

 

The whole purpose of you making a smoothie at home is to consume a healthy drink (at least, I hope so). Therefore, you want to avoid nasty ingredients, such as refined processed sugar, syrups, food colorants, dairy (I would not recommend it as it can create a lot of internal inflammation and cause a lot of mucous within the body) or even: fruit juices. Yes, fruit juices are not as healthy as you may think. They are often made with pureed old fruits or from fruit concentrate. All of the healthy fibers and vitamins are pretty much gone as well. Do yourself a favour, if you wish for a orange flavored smoothie, simply take a whole orange with some added water. That would be a much healthier option.

Some other healthy and clean alternatives for the base of your smoothies are: filtered water, coconut water, almond milk, coconut milk, green tea, herbal teas, etc.

Some clean sweeteners options would be: pre-soaked dates, frozen bananas, raw honey, organic maple syrup (do not overdo it, of course), or simply real ripe fruits.

2. Get some protein in there

Your body digests proteins and fats at a much slower rate than carbs. If you want your smoothie to fuel you for a few hours, it is important to include some healthy protein in there. This will also help your body’s metabolism.

Some healthy proteins options are:

Nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc)
Seeds (chia seeds, sunflower seeds,..)
Nut or seed butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, tahini…)
Spirulina (yup! A great source of protein)
Coconut yogurt or sheep yogurt (if you consume animal products, I would recommend sheep over cow as it digests more easily)
Avocado (another great source of plant-based protein)
Protein powders (Vega or Sunwarrior are the only two brands I really trust but I rarely use them as I try to stick to whole foods)

3. Add in some healthy fats

Fat is definitely another important macro nutrient that should be included into your smoothies. Not only will it help you feel fuller longer, but it also signals to your brain satiety. Fats are also very important for your brain cells’ functions and to give you energy. A healthy fat will also have anti-inflammatory properties within your body.

Some examples are: coconut oil, avocado, ground flax seeds, flax oil, hemp seeds or hemp oil, chia seeds, almond butter or even coconut flesh.

4. Try some spices and herbs for an extra healing boost

 

Certain spices and herbs can be so beneficial to the body and can be extremely healing as well. If you take cinnamon, for example, it can help regulate your blood sugar levels. Turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory spice. Ginger, is also great for the digestive system and can help boost your stomach digestive processes. Certain herbs, like cilantro or parsley, are excellent in aiding your liver detox. So don’t be shy and try adding some herbs or spices in your smoothies. Here are a few examples on my blog:

Ginger Coconut Green Smoothie

Anti-viral Smoothie

Cinnamon Tahini Green Smoothie

5. Make it interesting with a superfood or fun topping.

Superfoods are another great addition to your smoothies because they are so jam-packed with nutrients. I usually like to add these into my smoothies:

Spirulina (a real powerhouse)
Bee pollen
Hemp or chia seeds
Raw honey
Raw cacao (for a nice chocolate flavour!)
Raw cacao nibs (for a nice crunchy kick)
Maca powder
Dried cranberries
Dates
Coconut flakes
…

The possibilities and various tastes you can create are endless but always make sure that you include all of your macro-nutrients into your smoothie (i.e. a healthy carb, protein and fat) and choose clean ingredients.

Extra tip: You don’t always need to add ice cubes into your smoothies, frozen fruits are a great way to get your smoothie to be cold without needing ice.

The don’ts (when you purchase your smoothie)

1. Avoid pre-bottled smoothies (freshly made is always best)

Many stores prefer to make their healthy drinks in advance and then bottle them up or they simply sell pre-bottled smoothie drinks from other companies. Honestly, I would strongly avoid those types of drinks as they are not as fresh and often contain added preservatives if they have been made more than 48 hours ago. The whole concept of a smoothie is to fuel your body with fresh, raw nutrients- not old, oxidized nutrients or food chemicals.

2. Less fruits, more veggies!

So many people start drinking smoothies by drinking the fruity smoothies. Yes, fruits are great but if you choose smoothies made of only fruits and some ice, you are essential drinking a lot of fruit sugars. Eating a fruit whole is very different from drinking it into a smoothie or juice. Fruity smoothies, if they are made with just fruits and water or fruits and juice, are just going to spike up your blood sugar and leave you hungry for more a few minutes later. Instead, choose smoothies that also contain some vegetables, especially the ones with lots of fibers, such as leafy greens, celery, herbs, pineapple, avocado, etc. These will be a lot more beneficial for your health.

3. Avoid dairy

Many smoothies sold in stores are made with frozen yogurt or even worse frozen sugary ice cream or frozen flavored! Dairy can have a very inflammatory response inside the body and frozen yogurt is usually loaded with sugar! *Little anecdote for you: I used to get this highly customized dairy-free  healthy (or so I thought) smoothie while living in Sydney, Australia. And one day, I inquired about that “sorbet” they would always add into it. Mind you, sorbets in my mind were just frozen fruits and that’s it. Well, after inquiring about the ingredients of their sorbet, I found out that it was made of ice, sugar (dextrose to be exact) and corn syrup! So it was pretty much liquid sugar- yikes! How is that supposed to be healthy?! Trust me, folks. Always double check the ingredients when you purchase your food outside…

4. Avoid anything made with fruit juices as the liquid base- Substitute for water & real fruits

Again, most smoothies out there use very little real fruits. What you see most often as the primary ingredient and liquid base is: orange or apple juice. Don’t be fooled, these juices are usually store-bought processed fruit juices, loaded with… you guessed it: unnecessary sugars and chemicals. Stay away from those choices and ask if they can substitute the orange/apple or whatever juice for some water and real frozen fruits instead. Most stores are very accommodating. No matter what, stay away from processed sweeteners and chemicals, often found in processed fruit juices. Pay attention and always ask exactly what goes into your smoothies!

5. Avoid hidden sugars

The best way to avoid hidden sugars in your smoothies is to always ask about the ingredients. And if they add some sort of flavored syrup, chances are it is also full of sugars. Another important thing to note is that some stores will make you a smoothie with milk, ice and flavored fruit powders. Yes, I have seen that too! It goes without saying that you should stay away from those choices too. Don’t be shy and always ask about the ingredients! Better safe then sorry ;).

And there you have it, folks. I hope that with these tips in hand, you will now feel better equipped to either make your own favourite healthy smoothie at home, or purchase a better one whenever outside and on the go.

Have fun with it and remember to always ask questions!

Stay vibrant,
Sarah.