Whether you enjoy smoothies for breakfast, a snack or even dessert, they’re a great way to increase your daily servings of fruits and vegetables. But depending on the ingredients they’re made with, smoothies can quickly become heavy on the calories and filled with sugar. One of the healthiest ways to enjoy a smoothie is to make your own so you know how much of and what foods you are getting. Wondering how to make a smoothie? A good smoothie should include some protein and fiber to help keep you full and provide antioxidants, vitamins and minerals—typically from fruits and vegetables. Need inspiration? Try one of our healthy smoothie recipes and check out our ingredients to choose and avoid for smoothies. Best High-Protein Smoothie Ingredients Adding protein helps make your smoothie more satisfying. Protein helps fill you up and there are plenty of ways to add it to your smoothie without using protein powder. If you do want to add protein powder, choose one without a lot of extra ingredients and no added sugars or sweeteners. Or try adding one of these protein-rich ingredients below. Plain yogurt (unsweetened)Plain milk (unsweetened)Plain kefir (unsweetened)TofuNatural peanut butterNatural almond butterPlain soymilk (unsweetened)Plain high-protein almond milk (unsweetened)Lentils Best Fruits for Smoothies Easy Smoothie Bowl Pictured Recipe: Raspberry-Peach-Mango Smoothie Bowl Pretty much any fruit is great for smoothies. Use fresh fruit, frozen fruit or fruit canned in water or its own juice. One great tip is to freeze your fresh produce if you know you won’t get to eat it before it goes bad. This works with overripe bananas, strawberries, blueberries, sliced apples and more (here’s more information on how to freeze your own fruit). Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)MangoPineapplePeachBananaAppleMelonCherriesApricot Best Vegetables for Smoothies 3758801.jpg Pictured Recipe: Pineapple Green Smoothie Use raw or frozen vegetables. Usually, the sweetness of the fruit masks the vegetable flavor but you may need play around with combinations and amounts to find what works for you. These veggies are all a good place to start. CarrotKaleSpinachAvocadoCucumberCauliflowerPumpkin Flavor and Nutrition Boosters Berry & Flax Smoothie Pictured Recipe: Berry & Flax Smoothie Add these to boost up the nutrition even more or add to the flavor of your smoothie. Flax and chia seeds add omega-3s and protein, oats deliver healthy fiber. Spices and extracts, like vanilla, add fun flavor. FlaxseedChia seedOld-fashioned oatsSpices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)Vanilla extractCoconut waterUnsweetened cocoa powder Smoothie Ingredients to Choose Less Often To keep your smoothie as healthy as possible, avoid using these ingredients all the time, which provide more calories in the form of added sugar, in some cases without many nutrients. Sugar-sweetened fruit juice or concentrateFlavored yogurtFlavored kefirWhipped creamIce creamSorbetSherbetChocolate syrupChocolate milkCanned fruit in syrup
Whether you enjoy smoothies for breakfast, a snack or even dessert, they’re a great way to increase your daily servings of fruits and vegetables. But depending on the ingredients they’re made with, smoothies can quickly become heavy on the calories and filled with sugar. One of the healthiest ways to enjoy a smoothie is to make your own so you know how much of and what foods you are getting. Wondering how to make a smoothie? A good smoothie should include some protein and fiber to help keep you full and provide antioxidants, vitamins and minerals—typically from fruits and vegetables. Need inspiration? Try one of our healthy smoothie recipes and check out our ingredients to choose and avoid for smoothies.
Best High-Protein Smoothie Ingredients
Adding protein helps make your smoothie more satisfying. Protein helps fill you up and there are plenty of ways to add it to your smoothie without using protein powder. If you do want to add protein powder, choose one without a lot of extra ingredients and no added sugars or sweeteners. Or try adding one of these protein-rich ingredients below.
Plain yogurt (unsweetened)Plain milk (unsweetened)Plain kefir (unsweetened)TofuNatural peanut butterNatural almond butterPlain soymilk (unsweetened)Plain high-protein almond milk (unsweetened)Lentils
Best Fruits for Smoothies
Easy Smoothie Bowl
Pictured Recipe: Raspberry-Peach-Mango Smoothie Bowl
Pretty much any fruit is great for smoothies. Use fresh fruit, frozen fruit or fruit canned in water or its own juice. One great tip is to freeze your fresh produce if you know you won’t get to eat it before it goes bad. This works with overripe bananas, strawberries, blueberries, sliced apples and more (here’s more information on how to freeze your own fruit).
Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)MangoPineapplePeachBananaAppleMelonCherriesApricot
Best Vegetables for Smoothies
3758801.jpg
Pictured Recipe: Pineapple Green Smoothie
Use raw or frozen vegetables. Usually, the sweetness of the fruit masks the vegetable flavor but you may need play around with combinations and amounts to find what works for you. These veggies are all a good place to start.
CarrotKaleSpinachAvocadoCucumberCauliflowerPumpkin
Flavor and Nutrition Boosters
Berry & Flax Smoothie
Pictured Recipe: Berry & Flax Smoothie
Add these to boost up the nutrition even more or add to the flavor of your smoothie. Flax and chia seeds add omega-3s and protein, oats deliver healthy fiber. Spices and extracts, like vanilla, add fun flavor.
FlaxseedChia seedOld-fashioned oatsSpices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)Vanilla extractCoconut waterUnsweetened cocoa powder
Smoothie Ingredients to Choose Less Often
To keep your smoothie as healthy as possible, avoid using these ingredients all the time, which provide more calories in the form of added sugar, in some cases without many nutrients.
Sugar-sweetened fruit juice or concentrateFlavored yogurtFlavored kefirWhipped creamIce creamSorbetSherbetChocolate syrupChocolate milkCanned fruit in syrup
Easy Smoothie Bowl
Easy Smoothie Bowl
3758801.jpg
3758801.jpg
Berry & Flax Smoothie
Berry & Flax Smoothie
