Your guide to the perfect Smoothie & why I have a slight obsession with them...

Smoothies, a health nerds favourite breakfast/snack/post workout food. But why? What is so fantastic about liquifying fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and anything see you would find in the health food aisle at the supermarket?

Gentle on Digestion

Smoothies take the burden off your digestive system. With the components already being broken down it reduces the likely hood of food being passed into the intestines without being broken down. This means that the risk of bloating and digestive abnormalities like constipation is reduced.

Note that while this is beneficial in small doses, if we don't activate our digestive system regularly by eating proper foods then our overall digestive capacity may be compromised.

Quick and Easy

This is the reason why smoothies are my go to. They are so easy. Easy to make, easy to eat on the run, they tick all the boxes. Making a smoothie takes a maximum of 2 minuets, and can fill you up or ours. Minimal effort for maximum reward. You can even go one step further and pre-prepare everything you want to put in your smoothies for the week ahead by making up smoothie jars. In the jar you pop in everything (fruit and veg, nuts, seeds, protein powders) except the liquid, keep in the fridge and then when you're ready all you have to do is transfer all of the jars contents to the blender, add liquid and you're good to go!

Nutrient Dense

If you are just dabbling in changing your diet for the first time, starting with smoothies and packing it full of goodness is a great place to start. Even if you're not enjoying it all the much to begin with smoothies are something that can consumed quickly and provide you with a nutrition profile that can surpass many other healthy snacks.

You can also make the smoothie to fit your heath needs. Need more protein, increase the amount of protein rich foods such as protein powder, eggs, nuts, seeds, yogurt etc. If you need an anti-inflammatory effect then increasing the veggie content and adding some herbs such as ginger and turmeric to your smoothie.

Key tips:

There are a few important pointers which are needed when making a smoothie. It can take a little bit of practice, so if you fail spectacular, try again, and maybe follow a recipe :)

High powered blender

This is so important when it comes to smoothies. A high powered blender will allow you to put whatever you like into your smoothie and to pulverise it enough to become palatable. My blender is about 2000W, in my experience anything less than 1500W just wont cut it.

2 fruits per 3 veggies

When doing a green juice or any other vegetable based smoothie making sure you get the ratios right is essential. 2 pieces of fruit to 3 veggies seems to be a good ratio which makes the smoothie still taste amazing while having lots of goodness from the veggies.

Protein

In my opinion each smoothie needs to have some sort of protein in it. Including protein will help you feel full as well as stabling your blood sugar levels. Protein powders, eggs, linseed meal, nuts, yogurt; these are all types of protein and will help to add sustenance to your smoothie.

Liquids

If you want a milk based smoothie all you need is half a cup of milk (dairy, almond, coconut) plus one cup of water (coconut or plain) to give that milky consistency without overdoing it on the milk.

Just adding water is a fine liquid for a smoothie, it keeps it light and refreshing. If you want a bit more hydration adding coconut water will help to increase your electrolytes.