How To Make Delicious Healthy Smoothie Recipes

A high speed blender allows you to add healthy frozen ingredients and ice and blend them with ease, creating awesome creamy smoothies. The two most popular high speed blenders on the market are the Blendtec and the Vita-mix. I had a Vita-mix for years; now I have a Blendtec. They are both great machines.

You will be happy with either one, and though they are expensive, you will definitely get your money's worth with these blenders because they last for years. And you won't just use them to make smoothies- they are great for making all sorts of healthy recipes, from soups to nut butters. I don't think a day goes by when I don't use my Blendtec blender.

If you are making a smoothie for 1-2 people, you will need anywhere from 1-2 cups of fruit.

Some ideas for fruits to use are: banana, berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.), peaches, mango, papaya, and pineapple. You can use fresh or frozen fruit. Frozen fruit is very convenient because you can keep it stored in your freezer at all times. Frozen fruit will also make a creamier smoothie than fresh fruit. You can also use a combination of fruits, some fresh and some frozen.

I recommend buying bags of all different fruits next time you are at the store. That way you can start to experiment and come up with your own favorite healthy smoothie recipes.

In my freezer, I try to keep large bags of frozen blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mango, peaches, etc. on hand at all times. I also buy large bunches of bananas, peel them, cut them in half, and then keep them in plastic bags in the freezer. You can save money by buying overripe bananas--just peel and freeze them as soon as you get them home.

Organic varieties of fruits are preferred, but organic fruit can be very expensive, especially in the winter. Load up on organic fruit when it's on sale, if possible, and freeze your own fruit when it's in season and locally available.

Good choices for mild greens that you probably won't taste in your smoothie include some chopped romaine lettuce, a small head of baby bok choy, or a few handfuls of baby spinach or arugula. Your high speed blender will blend these in completely.

Kale is incredibly nutritious and is a wonderful addition to a green smoothie, too, but it has a stronger flavor and it's taste probably will not going to go unnoticed.

If you are trying to keep the calories to a minimum, you can use water as your blending liquid.

Your smoothie will probably taste better, though, and it will be more nutritious, if you use a liquid such as plain organic yogurt or kefir (this ups the calcium content of your smoothie, too).

Other options for liquids are some raw milk or grass-fed organic milk, or, if you prefer your smoothie to be dairy-free, you can use organic coconut milk or a nut milk.

If you are using nut milk, it can be homemade from soaked nuts such as almonds, or it can be store-bought (Almond Breeze is a good brand).

I do not recommend adding fruit juice to smoothies as juice is generally high in sugar and low in nutrients.

I am not a big fan of most protein powders, but they ado work well for adding protein to smoothies. I believe you should stick to those that are whey or rice-based. I don't recommend soy protein powder--in fact, for optimal health, you should stay away from all but the fermented soy foods. Hemp-based protein powders are also good.

One of my favorite protein powders is Sun Warrior Protein Powder- it's made from sprouted raw brown rice and it's GMO-free.

Another protein option is raw egg yolks--if you use very fresh, local, free-range eggs, these are high in omega 3s and the risk of salmonella is very very low...Eggs whites, however, are best not consumed raw.

Adding plain yogurt, kefir, good quality milk raw or organic grass-fed milk, and/or nuts/seeds such as almonds or hemp seeds are also ways to increase the protein content of your smoothie.

If you like, you can add some organic coconut oil (aids in weight loss) or coconut flour (thickens a smoothie nicely, but don't use too much unless you want it more like a pudding), raw organic cacao powder or cacao nibs (high in minerals including magnesium), Maca powder (good for improving stamina), Goji berry powder (high in antioxidants), ground flax seeds (good source of fiber and essential fatty acids), local bee pollen (strengthens immunity), spirulina or other greens powder (cleansing and nourishing), and herbs including fresh mint, cinnamon and ginger (tasty and healthy). Raw organic oats can also be blended into a smoothie--this increases the fiber content, and oats contain B-vitamins that help to combat stress.

Adding a sweetener to your smoothie is probably not necessary but a small amount of raw honey, agave syrup, or stevia powder may be added if you don't find your smoothie to be sweet enough.

You could also use some soaked dried dates or figs to sweeten your smoothie naturally.