Building a Smoothie 101

Hi, my name is Brittany and I'm a smoothie addict. GUILTY. At least in the Summer, I crave a thick, creamy smoothie bowl every morning topped with ALL the goods. I'm all about the crunch so I like to add some toasted coconut, pumpkin seeds, and cacao nibs - THE BEST. By this point, I've got my favorite smoothies and smoothie bowls down where I just throw stuff in but I know it's not that easy for everyone. SO... here is your building a smoothie guide!

I try to throw as much nutrition as I can into my smoothies and prefer a natural sugar (from fruits), not overly sweet one. Once I started adjusting my smoothies, my taste buds adjusted so I now I don't need as much sweetness. If you're not quite there yet, try adding 1-2 dates. Check out my Instagram page for some smoothie and smoothie bowl recipes! 

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Building a Smoothie 101

The "Smooth" in Smoothie: adds creaminess/thickness
-1/4 of an avocado
-1/2-1 frozen banana
- 1/3-1/2 cup riced or a few steamed florets of cauliflower

Fruits: adds nutrition & sweetness
-1/4-1/2 cup of any frozen fruits
*If I already add a banana for creaminess then that's already my fruit for the smoothie. 

Veggies & Greens: adds nutrition & some veggies add creaminess/thickness
-handful of greens like kale or spinach
-handful of veggies like cooked beets, zucchini, carrots, butternut squash, pumpkin

Superfoods: adds nutrition boost
-1-2 TBSP of flax/chia/hemp seeds
-1-2 tsp of cacao powder or maca powder
-1-2 TBSP of coconut oil 

Protein
-2 scoops of Further Food collagen peptides (use code BASOUSA10 for 10% off!) 

Complimenting Spices/Extracts: add warmth and depth of flavor
-1/4-1/2 tsp of pure vanilla or mint extract
-any variety of spices (cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, cardamom, etc.)*
*The amount depends on the spice, some are more potent than others! Start with a few dashes & add more to taste. 

Nut or Seed Butter: adds healthy fats, protein, & nutty flavor
1-2 TBSP of:
-almond butter
-cashew butter
-coconut butter
-sunflower butter

Liquid*
1/4-1 cup of: 
-coconut milk
-nut milk 
-hemp milk
*if making a smoothie bowl, add less liquid! 

Ice: add if necessary*
*if fruits are room temperature
*for thicker smoothie