Nourish
HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT SMOOTHIE, EVERY TIME
With restaurant smoothies costing upwards of $7, we’re big on making our own. But there’s more to making a great smoothie than just tossing some delicious ingredients into a blender. “Smoothies can be rough for blood-sugar balance if you don’t build them appropriately,” explains nutritional therapy practitioner Stephanie Selinger. “It’s important to limit higher-sugar fruits and include plenty of quality fats, protein, and fiber to keep you satiated until your next meal.”
Her other expert tip? “Because a smoothie is essentially a bunch of foods blended together, is important that you chew it,” Selinger explains. “While blending does make it easier on the digestive system, your body won’t digest it properly without the initiation of the digestive process.” How, exactly, do you chew a smoothie? After you take a sip, swish it around your mouth before swallowing it. This will get your digestive juices flowing. “You can even try adding a crunchy ingredient such as a garnish on the top and eating it with a spoon,” suggests Selinger. “Drinking your smoothie at temperature rather than ice-cold is also easier on digestion.”
To help her clients make healthy smoothies, Selinger created a simple smoothie formula. Check it out below, along with her favorite ingredients for each category, two of her go-to recipes, and the recipe for that delicious smoothie pictured above.
BASIC SMOOTHIE FORMULA
- 8 to 12 ounces of liquid
- 1 serving of protein
- 1-2 tablespoons fat
- Up to one tablespoon fiber (start small and increase the amount over time)
- Up to ½ cup of fruit (add more if your body needs an adjustment to less sweet smoothies and decrease the amount over time)
- Up to 1 cup of vegetables (more even if you want!)
- Extras
SUPERSTAR INGREDIENTS FOR EACH CATEGORY
Liquid
- Pure, filtered water
- Organic, non-dairy, unsweetened milk
- Organic, unsweetened yogurt (dairy if tolerated, non-dairy if not)
- Coconut water (reduce sugar by adding water for half the liquid)
Protein – Choose high quality un-sweetened, grass-fed animal proteins and third-party tested vegan proteins when possible
- Organic pea protein powder
- Organic hemp protein powder
- Hemp seeds
- Grass-fed collagen peptides
- Grass-fed whey protein powder (beef or goat)
Fat
- Avocado (1/4 – 1/2)
- Seed or nuts/butters (organic peanut, almond, cashew, sesame/tahini, pumpkin seed etc.)
- Coconut butter
- Coconut oil
- MCT oil
- Cocoa butter
- Freshly ground flax
- Chia sees
- Ghee
- Extra virgin olive oil
Fiber
- Chia seeds
- Freshly ground flax
- Acacia fiber
- Avocado (1/4 – 1/2)
- Rolled oats
- Hemp seeds
- Shredded coconut
Fruit
- Organic berries (blueberries, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, blackberries etc.)
- Lemon (juice or flesh)
- Lime (juice or flesh)
- Apples
- Pears
- Peaches
- Kiwi
- Banana (Green tipped)
Vegetables
- Cauliflower
- Zucchini
- Greens (kale, chard, spinach, bok choy, dandelion, mustard, basil, arugula etc.)
- Raw or roasted beets
- Cooked pumpkin or winter squash
- Cilantro, mint, parsley
- Sprouts
- Cucumber
- Fennel
- Carrots
BONUS INGREDIENTS (These are not mandatory by any means, but adding spices, adaptogens, and superfoods can add nutrition and boost your energy and immunity, reduce inflammation, and balance hormones.)
- Pinch or two of sea salt (for electrolytes)
- Ginger (tip: store it in the freezer and just grate it into the container)
- Cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, turmeric
- Vanilla extract or bean paste
- Maca
- Mushrooms (reishi, corydyceps, chaga etc.)
- Cacao powder or nibs
- Matcha
- Moringa
- Spirulina
- Greens powder
- Probiotic powder
SELINGER’S GO-TO SMOOTHIE RECIPES
GOOD MORNING SMOOTHIE
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 serving collagen peptides
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
½ cup frozen blueberries
2 giant handfuls of spinach or kale
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients on high until smooth.
AFTERNOON TREAT SMOOTHIE
1 cup coconut milk
1 serving collagen peptides
1 -2 tablespoons almond butter
¼ large or ½ small avocado
½ cup frozen banana
½ cup frozen cauliflower rice
1 heaping tablespoon cacao powder
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients on high until smooth.
PINEAPPLE-CILANTRO-LIME SMOOTHIE
INGREDIENTS
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 cup chopped frozen pineapple
1/2 of a large, or 1 small avocado
4 Tbs. ground flax
2 Tbs. coconut oil
2 Tbs. cilantro, tightly packed
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1.5 cups coconut water
3 ice cubes
Dried coconut, pineapple chunks, and a couple of sprigs of cilantro (for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients on high until smooth. Divide between two glasses. Top with desired garnishes, and enjoy!
For more inspo, check out the smoothie category in our recipes!
With restaurant smoothies costing upwards of $7, we’re big on making our own. But there’s more to making a great smoothie than just tossing some delicious ingredients into a blender. “Smoothies can be rough for blood-sugar balance if you don’t build them appropriately,” explains nutritional therapy practitioner Stephanie Selinger. “It’s important to limit higher-sugar fruits and include plenty of quality fats, protein, and fiber to keep you satiated until your next meal.”
Her other expert tip? “Because a smoothie is essentially a bunch of foods blended together, is important that you chew it,” Selinger explains. “While blending does make it easier on the digestive system, your body won’t digest it properly without the initiation of the digestive process.” How, exactly, do you chew a smoothie? After you take a sip, swish it around your mouth before swallowing it. This will get your digestive juices flowing. “You can even try adding a crunchy ingredient such as a garnish on the top and eating it with a spoon,” suggests Selinger. “Drinking your smoothie at temperature rather than ice-cold is also easier on digestion.”
To help her clients make healthy smoothies, Selinger created a simple smoothie formula. Check it out below, along with her favorite ingredients for each category, two of her go-to recipes, and the recipe for that delicious smoothie pictured above.
BASIC SMOOTHIE FORMULA
- 8 to 12 ounces of liquid
- 1 serving of protein
- 1-2 tablespoons fat
- Up to one tablespoon fiber (start small and increase the amount over time)
- Up to ½ cup of fruit (add more if your body needs an adjustment to less sweet smoothies and decrease the amount over time)
- Up to 1 cup of vegetables (more even if you want!)
- Extras
SUPERSTAR INGREDIENTS FOR EACH CATEGORY
Liquid
- Pure, filtered water
- Organic, non-dairy, unsweetened milk
- Organic, unsweetened yogurt (dairy if tolerated, non-dairy if not)
- Coconut water (reduce sugar by adding water for half the liquid)
Protein – Choose high quality un-sweetened, grass-fed animal proteins and third-party tested vegan proteins when possible
- Organic pea protein powder
- Organic hemp protein powder
- Hemp seeds
- Grass-fed collagen peptides
- Grass-fed whey protein powder (beef or goat)
Fat
- Avocado (1/4 – 1/2)
- Seed or nuts/butters (organic peanut, almond, cashew, sesame/tahini, pumpkin seed etc.)
- Coconut butter
- Coconut oil
- MCT oil
- Cocoa butter
- Freshly ground flax
- Chia sees
- Ghee
- Extra virgin olive oil
Fiber
- Chia seeds
- Freshly ground flax
- Acacia fiber
- Avocado (1/4 – 1/2)
- Rolled oats
- Hemp seeds
- Shredded coconut
Fruit
- Organic berries (blueberries, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, blackberries etc.)
- Lemon (juice or flesh)
- Lime (juice or flesh)
- Apples
- Pears
- Peaches
- Kiwi
- Banana (Green tipped)
Vegetables
- Cauliflower
- Zucchini
- Greens (kale, chard, spinach, bok choy, dandelion, mustard, basil, arugula etc.)
- Raw or roasted beets
- Cooked pumpkin or winter squash
- Cilantro, mint, parsley
- Sprouts
- Cucumber
- Fennel
- Carrots
BONUS INGREDIENTS (These are not mandatory by any means, but adding spices, adaptogens, and superfoods can add nutrition and boost your energy and immunity, reduce inflammation, and balance hormones.)
- Pinch or two of sea salt (for electrolytes)
- Ginger (tip: store it in the freezer and just grate it into the container)
- Cinnamon, cayenne, nutmeg, turmeric
- Vanilla extract or bean paste
- Maca
- Mushrooms (reishi, corydyceps, chaga etc.)
- Cacao powder or nibs
- Matcha
- Moringa
- Spirulina
- Greens powder
- Probiotic powder
SELINGER’S GO-TO SMOOTHIE RECIPES
GOOD MORNING SMOOTHIE
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 serving collagen peptides
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
½ cup frozen blueberries
2 giant handfuls of spinach or kale
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients on high until smooth.
AFTERNOON TREAT SMOOTHIE
1 cup coconut milk
1 serving collagen peptides
1 -2 tablespoons almond butter
¼ large or ½ small avocado
½ cup frozen banana
½ cup frozen cauliflower rice
1 heaping tablespoon cacao powder
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients on high until smooth.
PINEAPPLE-CILANTRO-LIME SMOOTHIE
INGREDIENTS
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 cup chopped frozen pineapple
1/2 of a large, or 1 small avocado
4 Tbs. ground flax
2 Tbs. coconut oil
2 Tbs. cilantro, tightly packed
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1.5 cups coconut water
3 ice cubes
Dried coconut, pineapple chunks, and a couple of sprigs of cilantro (for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients on high until smooth. Divide between two glasses. Top with desired garnishes, and enjoy!
For more inspo, check out the smoothie category in our recipes!
