Please note that I may earn a small commission from purchases made through product links in this article at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Last updated: August 26, 2021
One of the easiest and quickest ways to get your nutrients in is by regularly preparing a delicious smoothie with fruits, vegetables and extra ingredients.
Some people believe that smoothies are created just by tossing all sorts of ingredients together in and letting the blender do its magic.
That may work, but to get the best flavors and the most nutritional value, it’s important to put a bit more thought into creating that perfect smoothie.
In this article, I am going to share my eight secrets to blending a real smoothie masterpiece!
8 Smoothie Blending Tips
Here we go, 8 practical tips to create that perfect smoothie, with the most delicious flavors and the best texture.
1. Start With the Liquids
Putting ice or frozen fruits in first may be one of the most common mistakes a smoothie lover can make. Trust me, I’ve been there.
The blender is of course an essential part in the process, and we want to keep the blades in the blender sharp and functional. Putting in the base liquids first helps to avoid the blades from being damaged by ice, frozen fruits, or other hard ingredients.
With a good liquid base, your blender can give a wonderful swirl to your ingredients, giving your smoothie a nice consistency while taking in all those mixed flavors.
Your base liquids can be anything, from water to milk or almond milk. I usually prefer almond milk since it’s low in calories and sugar, and high in vitamin E and other essential nutrients.
Adding 1 to 3 teaspoons of natural sweetener like honey also makes the smoothie more tasty, especially when you’re blending greens.
The amount of liquid needed to achieve that decadent smoothie is typically 1 full cup of your liquid of choice when you’re planning to blend it with 2 to 3 cups of frozen fruit.
2. Be Generous With Those Greens and Veggies
Greens like kale, celery or spinach are healthy but they also have a tendency to turn smoothies into bitter tasting drinks with unfavorable texture. Luckily though, it doesn’t have to be that way.
The secret in incorporating nutritious greens with your smoothie recipes is to freeze those veggies because they become milder in taste when they’re frozen.
Add them in after the base liquid and before the fruits and other ingredients. Make sure to remove the hard bits such as the stems so as to not affect the consistency of your smoothie.
Since green leafy vegetables take more time to break down, start blending your base liquid with your greens before you push through with the other ingredients.
I recommend to add in 1 large cup of greens for the most nutritional benefits, without sacrificing the sweetness of the fruits or added sweeteners.
>> Tips for blending kale the right way.
3. Level It up With Some (Greek) Yogurt
Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, is packed with probiotics that are great for digestion. Greek yogurt is an effective workout recovery food with a good amount of protein, calcium and potassium.
More than its nutritional benefits, adding in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt to my smoothies makes them creamier and thicker.
Its sour taste balances out the sweetness from the fruits and the often somewhat bitter taste of vegetables.
4. Make Your Smoothie Extra Creamy With Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese sounds like such a bizarre addition to a smoothie, but it can actually make it creamier and decadent.
With cottage cheese’s neutral flavor, you also don’t have to worry too much about it ruining the flavors of your smoothie.
What’s great about this surprising ingredient is that it’s a great source of protein and also fits perfectly in any weight loss diet.
This healthy ingredient reinforces the smoothie principle: don’t judge the recipe until you’ve tried it!
5. Add in Those Frozen Fruits
One of the best things about smoothies is that creamy texture that makes drinking them so pleasant, while your taste buds are busy enjoying the burst of flavors.
To achieve that perfect smoothie texture with all the right flavors, I often go for frozen fruits, instead of using fresh ones combined with ice.
Using 2 to 2 1/2 cups of frozen fruits prevents my smoothie from being watered down and losing the rich flavors in the process.
However, ice can still be helpful if your smoothie ends up a bit too thick, or otherwise a bit too sweet. Adding in 1 small cup of ice can easily solve those issues.
Also note that bananas and avocados can also make your smoothie thicker and creamier, if you’re aiming for that creamier end result.
6. Boost That Smoothie With Powerful Add-Ins
When I make my smoothies, I want to make sure that I get as many different nutrients in as possible. One easy way to achieve that is by adding in some extra smoothie ingredients.
Chia seeds, for example, are rich in protein and antioxidants, and adding these to my smoothies just makes me feel even more satisfied.
Flax seeds are also a perfect addition to a smoothie, with a healthy dose of fiber and vitamins from the fruits and vegetables.
Not only do these smoothie add-ins add lots of nutritional value to your smoothie, they also enhance the drinking experience with their texture and crunch.
Sometimes I also toss in some almonds because they’re a great source of dietary fiber and they’re also great for weight loss. Not to mention, blended almonds add in another level of creaminess to the drink.
Oh, and ginger. Never forget ginger. Not only does ginger add a powerful flavor to your smoothie, you also get to enjoy lots of extra nutritional value.
7. Start Blending at Low Speed
I know, it’s so tempting to ramp up the blender on high speed, and get it all done as quickly as possible.
But not only can blending at high speed cause damage to your blender, you also run the risk of ending up with a smoothie that has chunks of fruits and veggies.
A perfectly blended smoothie is created when you start blending at low speed, and speeding it up a little bit every 30 seconds until you reach that desired consistency.
This way, you’re sure that all ingredients are well blended, giving you that perfectly smooth texture and all the right flavors.
8. Layering Makes All the Difference
As much as we are tempted to just put everything in a blender, to create that smoothie masterpiece it’s recommended to follow a certain order.
This is the layered process I typically follow:
- Liquids:
- Natural sweeteners:
- Greens:
- Soft ingredients:
- Frozen fruits:
- Extra ingredients:
- Add some ice:
As stated, start with the liquids. Whether it’s almond milk, coconut juice, plain water, or any other type of liquid you prefer, drop it in the blender before the other ingredients.
Add in some natural sweetener or protein powder after the liquids.
Next, toss in your greens and veggies. Blend them for 30 seconds or more before topping it up with the next ingredients. Mind you, this is optional, depending on how strong you blender is. If you have a powerful blender, you can add in the rest at the same time.
Add in some of your favorite soft ingredients, like yogurt or cottage cheese, for that extra creamy goodness.
Now it’s time for the frozen fruits. Make sure you pick a few different ones to get a mix of flavors.
If you have some add-on ingredients, such as ginger, chia seeds or almonds, now is a good time to add them in the blender.
Add some ice on top and blend it all together for a nice and thick smoothie consistency. Start with a lower speed, and finish the blending job with 30 seconds at high speed.
>> Tips for the best smoothie ratio.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully you’ve been able to pick up some useful smoothie tips here, but I’d love to hear your blending tips also, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.
If you’re keen to try out more delicious smoothie recipes, have a look at the following smoothie lists:
- Delicious smoothie recipes with Greek yogurt
- Healthy breakfast smoothie recipes
- Tasty smoothie recipes with avocado
