Color & Cream: Creating The Perfect Smoothie
During these dire days, home cooked meals are certainly aplenty, but sometimes you need a meal that’s not a meal. Get your fruit and vitamin fix by blending up a creation of your own.
My two main factors in any smoothie I make: color and cream, hence the title of this post. It’s important to blend (literally) the optimal combination of flavors to create a consistency and bright colorful smoothie that is pleasant to drink.
Sometimes, you’ll make a smoothie with all the ingredients that TASTE delicious together, but the final result looks like brown sludge, and/or feels too icy in the mouth. Prevent that. I’ll tell you how.
In my fridge, I always have at least one kind of alternative milk. Lately I’ve been on that oat milk life, like soooo many people, but it really is the creamiest and richest alternative milk out there. It’s also the most caloric (surprise!) so if you’re counting your intake, opt for cashew milk, still rich, still nutty and flavorful but substantially less heavy.
In my freezer, I always have at least one bunch of sliced frozen bananas. This is the secret sauce in any smoothie, creating a rich, ice cream-like texture when blended with the milk of your choosing.
What also works:
Frozen blueberries (see photo) - a large handful of these give your drink a blue/purple color and they’re packed with antioxidants.
Fresh spinach (not frozen) - use a large handful of fresh spinach with bananas and peanut butter for a bright green vibrant smoothie filled with the healthy stuff you need.
Fresh raspberries (if you got ‘em) - if you want a PINK, tart smoothie, I love throwing these in with FRESH strawberries.
What doesn’t work:
Frozen strawberries - for me, they’re too icy in a smoothie, but great for frose!
Not much else. Use your creativity and blend away.