7 Ingredients to the Perfect Strawberry Smoothie
Smoothies are pretty simple to make, but if you’ve never created one it could be hard to identify exactly what goes into the blender to result in the right flavors and consistency. Any smoothie can be made with these simple seven ingredients, and you can even interchange the fruit or even add more to mix it up here and there.
Making it simple and easy to follow, I’ll walk you through exactly how I make a smoothie without making you take out those measuring cups and what not. Start off with the liquids first, adding the ice so that the cubes float (we wouldn’t want a broken blender). Then go ahead and add the remaining ingredients on top. Below are the ingredients in order of when and how much you should add to the blender:
Milk (almond milk is best)
Pour enough milk or almond milk, which is desirable for a healthier smoothie, to fill up about ¼ of the blender. You could even use 3-4 of your fingers too if you would like to ‘eyeball it.’ You want enough milk to fill up a glass or two.
Organic greek vanilla yogurt
Next, I would add two single servings of organic greek vanilla yogurt. I usually buy a few individual cups when shopping and then use two at a time when making smoothies, however, if you wish to buy a larger tube of yogurt (or that’s all you have at the moment), then add about six spoonfuls to your blender.
Ice
Most like their smoothies to be somewhat cold or frosted. Now that you have both your milk and your yogurt in the blender, I would add about six ice cubes. Blend these three ingredients together until the ice is completely crushed and blended.
Nuts/ Seeds (flaxseed)
You may not have this at home, but adding flaxseed to your smoothie is a great way to incorporate an extra boost to your smoothie. Flaxseeds contain Omega-3, which is incredibly good for your heart. Adding about a handful of these to your smoothie also helps add fiber and antioxidants as well.
If you don’t have flaxseed in your pantry, I would add another seed or nut that you may have. Almonds or sunflower seeds are also healthy additions you could make. Add at most a small handful to your smoothie to avoid too much extra texture.
Spinach
Adding a green to your smoothie is essential, since it’s an amazing method to make sure you are consuming enough vegetables throughout your day. If you have problems eating your veggies throughout the week, smoothies are a great way to see that your body is getting the nutrients it requires. I add about two large handfuls of spinach to the blender.
5-10 Strawberries
Make sure you cut the green tops off your strawberries first, and rinse them as well to prep them for the blender. Add as few as five and as many as ten strawberries to your blender depending on size and preference. If your blender is getting too full for this addition, blend your spinach with the rest of the mixture first to see how many strawberries might be a good fit for your smoothie.
Banana or other fruit (optional)
This last ingredient is optional, as I did begin this article confirming we were only making a strawberry smoothie. But if you have other fruits around the house and would like to add some extra flavor or nutrients to your smoothie, a half of a banana or a couple berries make a great addition.
Blend all your ingredients together well, checking consistency for desired results. Make sure you don’t take that blender top off while the blade is running, you wouldn’t want that kind of taste test I assure you! Pour your smoothie into a glass or two to save for later or share with a friend and enjoy.
