Smoothies

I've had a lots of chatter and comments about smoothies as of late. They seem to be back in style these days, so I thought I would make a post about what I do for smoothies. Having never been much of a breakfast person, the smoothie to me is an ideal alternative. I don't have to actually eat anything, its easy, healthy and absolutely delicious. It's like a wonderful treat, but for some reason its okay to have for breakfast!

I know a lot of diets out there right now want to limit fruit intake (they are high in sugar, but in all fairness this is the best kind of sugar!), so I have a few variations that have veggies in them, as well as some ways to limit fruit as necessary. Personally I think that fruit is a great breakfast, and with a bit of yogourt or cottage cheese, some fiber and juice (100% juice no sugar added of course!) this is a great breakfast for anyone!

The blender; an integral part of the smoothie making process. There are tons out there, but don't think for one second that you need to go out and buy the TurboSmoothie Max 5000, for the most part any blender will do. Wide bottomed ones are the best, because it makes it easier for the ice to get crushed, but beyond that, they pretty much all do the same thing. I recently got a new blender (to replace my 10 year-old narrow bottomed, $25 one, which by the way worked just fine for me for the last 10 years; just to prove my point). My old blender completed wore out, and it was time for a new one. This one has a wider bottom, and I find it's ice crushing ability to be wonderful!

Now onto the delicious part!

I like my smoothies thick, so I use a lot of frozen fruit. If you're lazy (or if like me, you live in a place where a lot of fruit is often out of season) you can easily buy frozen fruit. You can also use canned fruit (and freeze it in advance) however if you do, make sure you buy canned fruit in juice, not in syrup, as the in syrup has added sugar. Just take a look at the label and get the sugar free kind. If fresh fruits are in season, I like to cut them up and freeze them in ziploc bags, that way I can have freshly frozen fruit for the whole winter (anyone want to buy me a deep freeze?).

As far as what fruits to put in a smoothie, pretty much anything goes.

• Some are a little less desirable, like citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits etc); the casings on them sometimes adds a weird texture, so you can either juice them first and put the juice in, or deal with the weird straw-clogging texture. 
• Apples and pears are good, and you don't even have to worry too much about the cores. I take the seeds out, but usually leave a bit more core than I would if I was eating them by themselves (the cores are full of natural pectins, which other than helping to make jams solid help our fingernails and hair grow strong!).
• Peaches, apricots, plums, nectarines and any fruit like them are wonderful! They are sweet, filling and the peel is so thin it doesn't need to be taken off first (don't worry about the tiny tiny hairs, they are pulverized and you won't even notice. I usually cut these into quarters before putting in the blender. 
• Mangoes & pineapple are amazing. Exotic & delicious, although a tad time consuming since they need to be peeled and chopped up first.
• Berries; one of the most amazing things in smoothies! Firstly, most berries are loaded with antioxidants, helping to clear free-radicals (cancer causing agents) from our bodies, and they are excellent general detoxifiers. Be warned that blackberries' and raspberries'seeds will still be there, but they do add great taste! Cranberries are great too if you like a tart smoothie! 
• Banana is great for keeping you full and helping to balance out your body's systems! Bananas are a bit starchy, so they help to keep you full, and are packed full of potassium, which helps regulate everything from brain growth to heart function. Yum!
• I'm not a fan of melons, so I never use them, however I have heard from melon lovers that they are quite delicious, although they do tend to overpower most other flavours.

The "others" in the smoothie

• I normally add yogurt and or cottage cheese to my smoothies, it helps to get your calcium intake for the day, as well as add a bit of protein. I normally use plain, sugar-free yogurt, just to keep it natural. 
• You have to add some kind of liquid, otherwise the blender gets a bit overwhelmed. I usually add some soy milk, or some juice. I like to use passion fruit juice, since passion fruit is very hard to find, but its so delicious. Any liquid will do though, coconut milk is also a favourite, although it is very high in fat (but the good kind of fat!), so just add a little bit! Coconuts also have a great detoxifying effect, so they add that element too! 
• Ice, unless you want a runny smoothie, ice is a must! I usually add about 4-5 cubes (these should be the first thing you put in the blender so they chop up better!) for a single serving.
• Some "roughage". I like my smoothies to be textured, so I often add a couple of tablespoons of oats, or wheat germ, wheat bran or flax seeds. Adding a bit of these helps to keep you full longer, and also helps to keep you GI tract in healthy working order. 
• I've recently started adding vegetable to my smoothies, for some extra nutrients
• Avocado, is amazing in smoothies! I love to mix it with mango the most. It reminds me of drinks we bought from street vendors while we were travelling in Ethiopia and Kenya. Avocado is also a great way to get some super healthy fats into your diet, and they are the kind that actually help to lower your cholesterol and regulate your blood sugar levels. Avocado is also super great for your eye sight, and being high in fibre actually help you to feel full longer! 
• Pumpkin, squash and sweet potato are easy. Just make sure they are cooked and peeled first! They are naturally sweet, so they complement fruit very easily.
• Beets (cooked first) are also a great addition. They do make the smoothie taste a bit beety, but I like the earthiness it adds to smoothies, and tastes great mixed with berries. Beets are a super healthy food, as their pigment helps to prevent cancer, and they are full of iron and folic acid (which is super essential for mommies-to-be). 
• Spinach, doesn't really change the flavour too much, but does alter the colour. Spinach is super high in iron so is great to add to a smoothie post workout! 
• Zucchini also doesn't change the flavour very much (if at all) but certainly does have some great health benefits! Its high in antioxidants, full of natural fiber and has been known to help lower cholesterol. I like to steam mine (or microwave for a minute or two) before adding it to a smoothie, I find it blends better if its par-cooked. 
• Carrots are a great way to spruce up a smoothie. They can go in raw (I would recommend grating them first) or cooked (last nights dinner leftovers perhaps) and are a great and natural way to help both your eyes and skin to be strong and healthy! 

Pretty much anything can go into a smoothie, just try experimenting and see what you like! When I was growing up we had smoothies all the time for breakfast, and I remember loving them. In the summer my mom also used to freeze them into popsicles for us, which is also a great alternative treat for young and old alike!