A few smoothie-making tips

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of green smoothies. Here are some quick and easy tips for creating the perfect blend of nutrition and taste:

• Cut the dairy! Instead of using milk or yogurt in your smoothies, try using an alternative milk such as rice, hemp, coconut, almond or soy (non gmo). You could also try coconut water, or even plain water works just fine. Obviously, the more liquid you put in the blender, the thinner your drink will be. Dairy interferes with your body's absorption of iron, plus there are plenty of ways to get calcium without ingesting dairy.

 

• Buy organic. Yes, it really does make a difference and yes, it really is worth the extra money. Would you really want to eat something that not even a bug would eat? Or would you want to eat something that would kill a bug? Would you spray Raid on your salad? I think not. Here's a list that you should be familiar with- the clean fifteen and the dirty dozen:

• Add lots of leafy greens. Today I threw in a large handful of spinach and 4 leaves of kale. Yum!

• Add nutrient-dense foods. Blueberries, spinach, kale, avocado, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, strawberries & tomatoes are all great in smoothies and their nutrition content is through the roof.

• Make sure you're using ingredients that you like and enjoy. Sounds like a no-brainer, but if you really hate bananas, don't add them to your smoothies!

• Buy fresh fruits and veggies, or pick your own if you can. I live in Oregon where there's an abundance of farmer's markets and pick-your-own farms. Instead of buying a bag of frozen fruit, I buy it fresh, cut it and freeze it myself. Usually, I don't even freeze my fruit, as I prefer to buy it in smaller quantities and use it before it goes bad. If you like your smoothies chilled, toss a few ice cubes in the blender- I find that 3-5 cubes will do the trick.

• Coconut oil rocks (click here to find out why). I add a spoonful to most of my smoothies. Another quick tip- lightly saute kale with a little bit of coconut oil, add sea salt and enjoy. So good!

• Try throwing some avocado in your smoothies. They have a nice, creamy consistency (use 1/4 - 1/2) and also have health benefits out the wazoo. Avocados aid in the prevention of several types of cancer and are loaded with vitamin E, potassium, magnesium & healthy fats. Plus, they taste fantastic. Kathryn Budig agrees.

• Don't be afraid to experiment. Tiffany Cruikshank wrote, "If you spent some time at my house you would know that when I make my smoothie in the morning I pretty much throw the entire veggie drawer in there." I have been known to do that myself. Sometimes, my smoothies look more brown than green, but it's not due to a lack of greens!

I never follow a specific recipe when making my smoothies. I do follow somewhat of a formula, but it's not an exact science. If you're new to the health smoothie world, I would recommend starting with 8-12 ounces of almond milk, a handful of greens, some fresh fruit and a spoonful of seeds (hemp, pumpkin, chia, etc). As your palate adjusts, you can try adding more veggies and less fruit.