Prepping Super-delicious Smoothies!

A healthy outside starts from the inside.

Robert Urich

I used to have a milky, sugar-loaded double shot latte for breakfast. Yep, nothing else. That was breakfast.

This year, I have resolved to embrace a healthier lifestyle. So the milky sugary coffees that I felt I NEEDED to stop me from getting all morning-stabby are gone.

And I have to say, I don’t really miss them. Sure, there was a bit of a twitchy transitional period, where I had a few cravings. And I haven’t been that cranky. Honest.

Well, actually I do get cranky when people throw about the word detox and cleanse. Drinking smoothies are not detoxing, cleansing or depriving. It’s just getting the nutrients you need in a liquidised portion.

But that doesn’t sound very sexy, does it?

Smoothies are so much better for you than juicing. Smoothies ensure you get the whole fruit or vegetable, including all the fibre.

While attempting to change some unhealthy habits this year, I have discovered for myself something that much smarter people have always known…

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.”

Buckminster Fuller

So I swapped my coffees for something much tastier! And, healthier.

Setting up the smoothie station encourages me to have a healthy, nutrient-rich breakfast, that will sustain me until lunchtime. All the ingredients are easily found at your supermarket or health food store. I make it so easy for to be healthy, I actually have to make an effort to be unhealthy. And I just can’t be bothered.

I have always loved smoothies, or more accurately, milkshakes. I would scoop in some berries for color, plus maybe a scoop or two of icecream, some honey, and top with milk.

I have swapped all the unhealthy stuff for a stash of ingredients at the ready, that provide flavour AND all the good things that my body needs.

Raw Cacao Powder

I love raw cacao powder. Only a few years a go it was hard to find, now it seems to be everywhere. It is not only delicious but loaded with nutrients and health benefits.

Hemp Powder

I know there are vegan protein powders out there, but this one is just ground whole hemp seeds with no additives. Like cacao, the long list of health benefits and nutrients is worth a look! Sorry kids, it won’t get you high.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon adds a great taste to smoothies but its effect on our body is a matter of dose. Too much, more than a mere teaspoon a day, can cause all kinds of problems. But smaller amounts have numerous substantiated benefits.

Stevia Extract

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but if you do, try a few leaves or stevia extract in your smoothies. I grow it at home in a pot that lives in my shade house, admittedly, it is a thirsty, kind of fussy herb. But given its incredible properties, I’m more than willing to accommodate a high maintenance plant.

Vanilla Extract

Quality vanilla extract is hard to beat. It is a familiar, comforting flavour that tastes sweet. I use an alcohol-free paste from the supermarket, but I am going to make my own using vegetable glycerine as soon as that runs out! I’ll keep you posted!

Freezer

Frozen Fruit

When bananas are in season, they are plentiful and cheap and I keep my freezer stocked. Mangoes, pineapple and even watermelon freeze really well. Just cut into chunks, freeze flat on a tray for a few hours and then put in a container. Alternatively, make fruit purees and freeze them in icecube trays.

Frozen Berries

I’m not lucky enough to have a prolific berry patch (yet!) Luckily, frozen berries are easy to find at the supermarket and they freeze very well. All kinds of berries are packed with anti-oxidants, fibre and flavour.

Frozen Greens & Purples

I don’t have a recipe as such for my frozen greens because it changes almost every time I prepare them. My favourite greens to use are a mix of mint, Italian parsley, spinach and kale. I whizz them up in my blender with a bit of water and freeze in ice-cube trays before popping them out into a container for storage.

Again this is a seasonal thing, but when beetroots and red cabbage are in season, I blend them together and freeze in cubes. They offer a sweet, earthy flavour to smoothies a great compliment to berry flavours

Frozen Coconut Milk

I don’t use a lot of coconut milk, so find it is easier to freeze in blocks and use when I need it.

Frozen Juice

When lemons and limes are plentiful, I squeeze and freeze their juice.

Below are my top 5 smoothie recipes, but the possibilities and combinations are almost endless! Each recipe makes one serve.

Banana Peanut Butter Choc Bomb

This is my go-to morning smoothie, the one I make regularly. It is delicious, creamy, nutritious and filling.

• 1 ripe banana (frozen)
• One heaped tablespoon of Cocoa
• One heaped tablespoon of Hemp powder
• One tablespoon of whole peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon
• Dash of vanilla extract
• 1 cup (250ml) of Whole Nut Milk
• Few cubes of ice to taste.

Whizz together and drink immediately.

Cacao-Cherry-Choc

I love fresh cherries yet they are only in season for a short time. Thankfully, they freeze very well. This is my daughter’s favourite.

• 1 cup of fresh or frozen cherries
• I heaped tablespoon of cocoa
• I tablespoon hemp powder
• 100ml of organic coconut milk
• 150ml of Whole Nut Milk
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash of vanilla extract
• Optional: Stevia extract

Blend together until all combined and serve straightaway!

Frozen Pina Colada

This one is a treat when Pineapple season is upon us! Frozen blitzed pineapple has the taste and texture of sorbet, & blended with coconut milk makes it feel like you are having dessert for breakfast. This works equally well with mango, or a blend of both fruits add ginger of even green chilli if you want some heat!

• 1 cup of frozen pineapple
• 100ml coconut milk
• 150ml Whole Nut Milk
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• Fresh mint, if available.

Whizz together in your blender until all incorporated. I serve it in a margarita glass to feel a bit fancy!

Green Gables

This is one of those drinks that is satisfyingly green and thick and you will feel like the healthiest (or righteous!) person on the planet as you consume it.

I must confess, I’m not a huge fan of green smoothies. It has to be very well blitzed, and very, very cold! I remember Steve Martin’s character in 1991’s L.A. Story sipping a green smoothie. He pulls a disgusted face and remarks “It’s like licking shag carpet.”  

• 1/2 a medium cucumber, skin on, cut into rounds.
• 1 small celery stick, chopped into small pieces
• A few green blocks, to taste.
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• Small amount of grated ginger, to taste.
• 1/2 cup of ice.
• Chilled sparkling water to thin if the mix is too thick for you.

Blitz all ingredients together until well mixed and smooth. Pour into a chilled glass and drink immediately.

Berry Bake

• 1/2 cup blackberries or blueberries or a combination of both, frozen.
• A few purple blocks if available, to taste.
• One tablespoon of oats
• One tablespoon of chia or flax seeds, or a combination of both
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground Cinnamon
• Dash of vanilla extract
• 1 cup or 250ml of Whole Nut Milk

This mix can be a little tart, especially if you use just blackberries! Add a little stevia extract if you want a sweeter drink.

Watermelon, Raspberry & Mint Slushie

This is more of a slushie than a smoothie, you could eat it with a spoon!! It’s a hit with the kids. On a hot afternoon, it’s hard to beat.

• About 200g of frozen watermelon chunks
• 1/4 cup of frozen raspberries
• A few fresh mint leaves.

Whizz together in your blender until all incorporated. Serve into a glass and enjoy! You can add some sparkling water if you want a little watermelon to go a long way.

What’s your favourite smoothie? I would love to hear from you, leave a comment below.