Fresh mixed berry smoothie topped with granola
Food & Drink

How to Make a Yummy and Healthy Smoothie Recipe

How to make delicious, nutritious smoothies in just a few minutes. All you need are basic ingredients like fruit, milk, and peanut butter and a blender.

December 05, 2021

Why eat your vegetables when you can drink them? Smoothies are packed with a deceptively high amount of nutrients. What tastes like sorbet is actually a drink loaded with protein, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Smoothies are a healthy canvas for your creativity. Once you learn how to make a basic smoothie recipe like the one given below, you can swap out virtually any ingredient for whatever you prefer. Instead of berries or bananas, use any blendable fruit, from peaches to apples. Substitute honey for agave or yogurt for a plant-based milk. The combinations are endless. If you’ve ever been to a smoothie shop and had to spend several indecisive minutes trying to make the perfect combination from a mix-and-match menu, you understand. Once you become a pro at making breakfast smoothies at home, you can create freely, trying out every last combination your heart desires.

How to make a smoothie

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: None

Total time: 5 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 1 medium ripe banana, cut into pieces (frozen banana also works)

  • 2 cups blueberries and/or strawberries (fresh or frozen)

  • ½ cup crushed ice

  • 2 cups plain greek yogurt

  • ¼ cup honey

  • 1 scoop protein powder (optional)

Preparation instructions

  1. Blend the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.

  2. (Optional) Top with some nuts or fresh granola and a sprig of mint before serving.

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes.

Nutritional values per serving

  • Calories: 389

  • Fat: 4 grams

  • Cholesterol: 14 milligrams

  • Sodium: 165 milligrams

  • Carbohydrate: 80 grams

  • Fiber: 7 grams

  • Sugar: 67 grams

  • Protein: 14 grams

Nutritional values are based on the recipe above without protein powder.

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sonyakamoz – stock.adobe.com

Remix: ingredients for good smoothie combinations

Establish your own “house blend” by experimenting with different types of smoothies made from ingredients of your choosing. We’ve divided this list up into categories because a tasty smoothie usually contains certain types of ingredients: some fruit, a protein source, a liquid like juice or milk, and a sweetener. You can also add bonus “fun stuff.”  

Fruit and vegetables:

  • Pineapple

  • Mango

  • Peaches

  • Carrot

  • Celery

  • Pears

  • Kiwi

  • Raspberries

  • Kale

  • Apple

  • Dates

  • Coconut

  • Watermelon

  • Orange or other citrus fruit like nectarine

Chef’s tip: Be sure to peel fruit and cut or part into small pieces before blending.

Proteins/healthy fats:

  • Peanut butter

  • Almond butter

  • Cashew butter

  • Tahini

  • Avocado

  • Low-fat or greek vanilla yogurt (you can use flavored yogurts as well)

Liquid:

  • Milkor plant-based milk like almond milk or oat milk

  • Coconut milk or cream (a great dairy-free option that also adds flavor)

  • Coconut water

  • Fruit juice like orange juice

Sweetener:

  • Agave

  • Maple syrup

  • Chocolate syrup

  • Brown sugar

Fun Stuff (add-ins and toppings):

  • Nutella

  • Cocoa powder

  • Vanilla extract

  • Oats

  • Chai tea mix

  • Matcha powder

  • Acai powder

  • Chia seeds

  • Flax seeds

  • Turmeric

  • Hemp seeds

  • Sliced almonds (best as topping)

  • Pecans or walnuts (best as topping)

  • Chocolate chips (best as topping)

Chef’s tip: Try making a smoothie bowl instead of the drinkable variety. Pour the mixture, usually a bit thicker than a smoothie you’d drink, from the blender into a bowl. Top with an aesthetic array of sliced fruit and other toppings like shredded coconut, nuts, and even chocolate chips.

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lilechka75 – stock.adobe.com

Smoothie FAQs

What can I not put in a smoothie?

When thinking about what to put in your morning smoothie, consider flavor combinations. Try to recreate flavors you’ve enjoyedbefore. A peanut butter and banana sandwich is delicious, so the logic stands that a smoothie made with those ingredients would also be delicious (and it is). The short answer is, if your ingredients pertain to the categories above, you’re probably on the right track, and there isn’t much that you absolutely couldn’t put in a smoothie.

We do recommend staying away from salty or highly acidic ingredients and anything that is difficult to blend and could damage your kitchen equipment.

Do I need a blender to make a perfect smoothie?

Here’s some good news for anyone who doesn’t own a blender: You don’t necessarily need one to make a delicious smoothie. You won’t be able to blend up tough ingredients like frozen fruit or nuts, but you can easily combine nut butters, protein powder, milk, and sweeteners using other types of kitchen equipment like a hand mixer (or even a fork and a bit of elbow grease). If you aren’t trying to make a fruit smoothie recipe or one that includes hard veggies, you can likely find a workaround.

Do all smoothies contain ice?

No, but most yummy smoothies recipes contain frozen ingredients. This gives the smoothie texture and a crisp, refreshing finish. When possible, we recommend using frozen fruit for your smoothie instead of adding ice cubes, as they can water the drink down.

What are common types of smoothies?

If you want to freestyle, consider the types of smoothies that are already big hits. We’d put them into the following categories: berry smoothies (with bright flavors and nothing bitter), nutty smoothies (usually a banana base with plenty of nut butter), chocolate smoothies (often heavy on the nut butter, banana, and liquid or powdered chocolate), and green smoothies (made with leafy green vegetables and fruit juice instead of milk products). Home from the gym and craving a nutrient-rich smoothie as a healthy breakfast? Order everything you need from Gopuff and get the ingredients delivered straight to your door in a matter of minutes. Time to fire up the blender.

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