I have a confession to make: I’m recovering from a prejudice against unusually delicious food. Why? Because what pleases the tongue rarely pleases the body. Take for example cheap sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, tasties made with hydrogenated oils, or any kind of fried food. My taste buds can’t get enough of that stuff, but my body begs to differ: It runs better, smoother, and cleaner on a good old whole foods vegan diet, front-loaded with loads of fruits and vegetables.
About eight months ago, however, I became intimate with a “superfood” that turned my prejudice on its head: smoothies. Just by adding together the awesomely healthy stuff I already ate, I discovered how to create nutritiously sound concoctions that amounted to much more than the sum of all parts. In fact, I still can’t understand how 6+ servings of fruits and vegetables can taste like ice cream!
Yes, ladies and gentleman, the smoothie is the nutrition-packed superfood you thought you knew, but didn’t. So let’s get you reacquainted. But first off, besides their deliciousness…
Why make a smoothie in the first place?
1) High quality energy. Not all energy is created equal. Getting charged up on a healthy smoothie is a 180˚ turn from imbibing two shots of espresso, or devouring a bag of Sour Patch Kids. The main difference? Nutrition density. A smoothie delivers huge quantities of healthy vitamins and minerals, and the unrefined sugar negates the crash that is inevitable from other sugar sources and stimulants. When it comes right down to it, a well-rounded smoothie delivers some of the best and most natural energy available. Your body- and your mind- will thank you for it.
2) Convenience of creation. I would estimate that the entire time required for a full-blown, 6+ fruits and vegetable smoothie, with juicing and cleanup included, is about 15 minutes. Skip the juicing, and you’re down to around 5 minutes. You just can’t beat that cost/benefit ratio in today’s world. That’s why I regularly consume two to three per day!
3) The easiest and tastiest way to consumer fruits and vegetables. Hate salads? Indifferent to fruit? Smoothies can deliver the benefits of both while tasting 500% percent better than either does in isolation. Even the most bitter of greens can be obscured in a heavenly blend of fruits, cacao, and healthy protein powder. So not only are you consuming more F&V’s faster, but they’re tasting better going down.
Interested? Good. But before you jump in, you should understand the basic principles behind artisan-level “smoothieship.” Here they are, compiled by yours truly, for your consuming pleasure.
8 Steps to Becoming a Smoothie Connoisseur
1) Invest in a juicer. They’re available for under $100 and as Tony Robbins says, they’ll take you farther than your car. Once it’s up and running, you’ll see he was only half kidding.
Why do I love juicers? Because they’re the ultimate tool for consuming gobs of vegetables without actually having to chew on them. Believe me, drinking dark greens alongside delicious fruit is a hell of a lot better than eating the equivalent quantity with a fork.
2) Set up the blender. You can go without the juicer if you’re feeling extra stingy, but if you don’t have a blender, you don’t have a smoothie. Don’t go cheap here. A high-quality blender works better and faster.
3) Prepare your banana baseline. This is the one fruit you’re obligated to include. It’s amazing to taste the difference between a banana-less and banana-full smoothie: just that one fruit adds a whole world of texture and sweetness that can’t be replaced- adding essential vitamins and minerals all the way.
4) Prep the veggies. It’s time to put the “healthy” in smoothie. Whip out the juicer and run 2-3 carrot sticks, celery chutes, dark greens (I’m partial to kale and rainbow chard), and/or beets. 3-4 different veggies is plenty; adding more will overpower the taste of your smoothie. Beware above all the beets: although incredibly healthy, they have been known to turn off many a smoothie acolyte who couldn’t take the… beet.
Regardless of which you pick, preparing veggies is always the same: wash them clean, run them through the juicer, and immediately pour the content into your covered blender (minimizing oxidation from the air, which depletes precious vitamins and minerals from your smoothie).
5) Add the magical fruit. This is where the smoothie comes to life. My favorite smoothie-making fruits are as follows, in order of awesomeness: blueberries, apples, pineapple, watermelon and strawberries. Be creative here; different combos yield different results, and the sky is the limit. With the exception of apples, chop them up and add them directly to the blended brew (apples should be juiced).
6) Buff up with some healthy protein. As a highly active vegan, I’m always looking for healthy ways to increase my protein intake, and smoothies are my source of choice. So take one scoop of your favorite protein powder and dump it in the blender.
What powder rules? That depends on your ‘buds and your budget. Spirutein is an affordable tri-part protein (soy, pea, rice) available at most health food stores and in my opinion, tastes the best. But if you really want to become the picture of good health, try Vega: it’s an über-premium whole foods protein powder containing just about every supplement you can dream of- though IMHO, it tastes a bit “bleh.”
7) Embellish with healthy supplements. To take your smoothie the extra mile (health-wise and taste-wise), it’s time to add a few special ingredients. My absolute favorite addition is raw cacao powder (about ¼ cup)- not be confused with the sugary, processed cocoa powder that goes into hot chocolate and desserts. It’s not only one of the healthiest foods on the planet, it’s ungodly delicious in a smoothie. Try some out and you’ll see what I mean. Supplement #2 is the sea vegetable dulse (½ cup), a sea vegetable that yields great vitamin and mineral dividends, including the coveted B12.
Your smoothie is now on fire!
8) Bring in the milk substitute. It might sound a little weird accompanying all that juice, but some kind of healthy, organic milk substitute is a must for texture and taste purposes. Soy milk, hemp milk, or rice milk (depending on budget/preference) are all good bets. This will provide a creamy, delicious and nutritious edge to your smoothie. If you eat raw or simply aren’t feeling this, try alternating with water. Just know that you’ll be taking the creamy kick out of your finished product.
If you’ve faithfully followed steps 1-8, your smoothie should look something like this:
1 banana (chopped)
2-3 carrot sticks (juiced)
2-3 celery chutes (juiced)
1-3 apples (juiced)
1 beet/several leafs of dark greens (juiced)
1 cup blueberries (whole, frozen is fine)
1 cup watermelon (chopped)
1 spoonful protein powder
¼ cup cacao powder
½ cup sea vegetable dulse
Milk substitute until level with ingredients
and always make sure your lid is sealed on tight…
Yes. That is mission critical.
Another reason to get a good blender: You won’t ever need to stick a knife in a live blender to “un-chunk” the bottom. Incidentally, I once did, and it resulted in the loss of both blender and knife. But I DID gain an awful mess of smoothie and glass!
You’re selling the smoothies! But not the “Sour Path” kids.
[...] What I’m doing in 2010: I recently bought a juicer and have been incorporating tons of freshly juiced F&V’s into my diet. They make a great snack on their own, but become downright delectable in a good smoothie, my favorite way to start the day (try adding some cacao powder, vega, and soymilk- my favorite recipes to come in a future post). [...]
Typo fixed ;)