Tips and Tricks to Get Creative with Your Smoothie Recipes
Over the summer, my husband, brother-in-law, a friend, and I all went to play pickleball to get out and get moving. We had a blast, but the sun was beating down on us at 105 degrees F. When we finished playing, we all were craving something cold and delicious. So we headed back home and broke out the smoothie bar.
I love a good homemade smoothie. With so many unique combinations and ingredient options, you can personalize smoothies to anyone’s taste buds or switch things up and try something fun and new. Here are some of my favorite tips to start a collection of ingredients for your own homemade smoothie bar.
The Base
All smoothies start with a liquid base. It may seem like there are only a few good options for a smoothie, but you may be surprised.
Water is a great go-to for your base. You can also try milk, oat milk, almond milk, or goat’s milk if you prefer. Looking for something a bit more tropical? A splash of juice, coconut water, or coconut milk are also popular choices.
Fruits
Next comes the fruit. With so many delicious choices, where do you start? You really can’t go wrong. Popular choices are strawberries, bananas, mangos, peaches, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. But don’t let this stop you from getting creative! If you want, branch out and use plums, papaya, pineapple, dragon fruit, or passion fruit. When it comes to choosing between frozen and fresh fruits, I prefer fresh, but both work well in smoothies.
My homemade smoothie bar did not appear in a day. I didn’t intentionally set out to buy 10 different fruits specifically to freeze for smoothies—not to say you can’t do that! Instead, every time I bought fruit from the store and it was about to go bad or I wanted to make it last longer, I cut it up and froze it. Don’t be worried about having a small amount of options to start. When freezing your leftover fruit, your smoothie bar will naturally grow!
Pro tip: Have you ever frozen fruit only to find it all stuck together when you try to use it? Get a baking sheet layered with parchment paper, and spread your produce over the baking sheet so it’s not touching each other. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours and then transfer the produce to a labeled container or freezer bag.
Vegetables
Smoothies are an easy way to sneak extra greens into our diet. The most common choices are leafy greens like spinach and kale. But there are other less common options, as well, such as avocados. Adding avocados to your smoothie will up the creaminess factor!
Protein
Protein is another great ingredient to add to your smoothies. You can use classic, natural peanut butter or natural almond butter. Plain, live cultured yogurt or kefir is another tasty option. If you’re looking to add even more protein, you can add soy protein powder.
Extras
Besides the basic ingredients, add some of these extras for added nutrients, calories, or flavors: chia seeds, flaxseed, old-fashioned oats, or spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Finally, add ice as desired to make it cold and refreshing!
Experiment
Now that your smoothie bar is stocked up with ingredient options, start experimenting! You can even open up your Balance of Nature Fruits & Veggies supplements and add the powder to your creations. Try new combinations, find new favorites, and invite your friends and family over for a smoothie bar night!
