Smoothies Every Damn Day
Damn, I'm addicted to smoothies. In my book, I mention surviving on smoothies. Literally. I used them to tame my emotional roller-coasters, to gain weight pre-chemotherapy, to sustain me during treatment, and now, as a nearly every-day meal. Personally, and I have announced this to my family several times, I consider myself a smoothie genius. After about 13 years of crafting smoothies, I've only had to dump two batches (yuck -- peaches and too much kale and something weirdly bitter). And in that time, I've come up with a bit of a formula which, if followed with creativity, will enable you to master smoothies. Nope, no measurements. Wing it. You can do it.
As an example, today I made a smoothie with: frozen wild blueberries and strawberries (half a bag each), two dates, spoonful of almond butter, a tablespoon each of ground flax and cacao powder, half an avocado, four big raw kale leaves (stems detached and fed to dog), Forager brand unsweetened cashew coconut milk, and coconut water (1/2 cup ish each and added more at the end). There was enough for two 16 oz. glasses.
THE FORMULA: Fruit, liquid, greens, fat, protein, sweetener (that’s not sugar).
FRUIT: I use berries (straw and blue), generally. Peaches, mangoes, cherries, raspberries and blackberries all all good options. Yum: Cherry/Mango. Pay attention to the heft of the fruit. For example, blueberries go very liquid. Balance with a hefty partner: avocado, coconut flakes, strawberries, mangoes. And the reverse is true: mango-based smoothies need more liquid than a blueberry-based smoothies.
LIQUID: Almond milk, coconut water, coconut milk, oat milk, water, cow's milk -- you get the picture.
GREENS: kale leaves, romaine leaves, spinach (raw or cooked and cooled).
SOMETHING SMOOTH: Yes, this is how I think of it: you need to add a thickener/smoothener to bulk up the texture and, with all of these, add fat: avocado, coconut milk (full fat), coconut oil, MCT oil, banana (I generally don't use banana -- too sweet for me). Silken tofu (organic, sprouted) is a great thickener and great protein.
PROTEIN: Almond butter, peanut butter, walnuts, walnut butter, protein powder, cahews.
SWEETENER: I almost always throw in a date. Honey also works, especially if you're making a really great, healing blend (spinach, kale, 1/2 banana, avocado, date, lemon zest, almond butter, honey). I stay away from Stevia or other sweeteners in smoothies, mainly because I don't like the taste combined with fruit.
CHOCOLATE: I need Raw Cacao Powder. Just saying. I nearly always add a tablespoon of this super food for the magnesium and fiber.
OR, NOT FRUIT: If you're focusing on a protein-based morning meal and just want to whir something up in your blender, you can go nuts with, yes, nuts. And veggies. And protein powder, cacao, coconut, avocado (I know, technically, a fruit), oat bran, and other sorts of powders (L-glutamine, maca, bee pollen -- the list is endless). If you indulge in dairy (I do not, mostly after I found out that I lack the protein to process dairy -- hello 23andme. Oh, except for last night when I based dinner on a divine loaf of Gourmet Sourdough from Gjusta in Venice which I slathered with triple cream and Irish butter and now I have a bread and dairy hangover), there is yogurt, regular milk and buttermilk. And butter.
RANDOM INGREDIENTS: I've also added Matcha, coffee, chai tea, green tea, maca powder, raw cacao nibs, mushroom powder, ground flax, and white tea to smoothies to make them more interesting.
BLEND, BLEND, BLEND: I use a Vita-Mix 5000 that I purchased in 2006 for $600 as a cancer present to myself. I have been using the same machine since then, nearly daily, for 12 years. I figure, by now, I'm making money every time I use it. I have replaced the carafe and the rotator (just this year) on the base as it was wearing down a bit. Probably because I mimic the smoothie makers at Jamba Juice and wobble the container to get the fruit to settle and blend. Don't do this. Use the big plastic thingy (with the top on) that comes with the machine. Don not use a wood spoon, unless you are prepared to throw out your woody smoothie and start over. Before the Vita-Mix, I used a KitchenAid Blender. I also had a Bullet that was really great for single smoothie making during cancer, especially because I could make a smoothie for one and take the container with me. The bullet was a gift from my sister's mom group in Colorado. Best cancer gift.
QUALITY: The quality of your ingredients is essential. Organic. Fresh (or fresh frozen). I mostly use frozen fruit for my smoothies, simply because they are easier to store. I have been known to buy a ton of organic berries from a farmers market and freeze them myself, but mostly, I buy organic frozen from the grocery store.
TEMPERATURE: Cold. Smoothies are cold. A cold meal is hard in winter. Sometimes, in LA, living in an old house, smoothies are too cold for summer mornings. My acupuncturist is always telling me to eat something warm in the morning. Sometimes I let my smoothies blend extra long to warm them up. I also let them sit on the counter to warm up to room temperature. I've poured warm water into a green smoothie before. If it's really too cold and I MUST have a smoothie, I have one for dinner.
ATTITUDE: It's a SMOOTHIE. Don't take it so seriously. Honey will make anything taste better. Same with some lemon zest. You can always add more fruit. Start with less liquid and add more as you go -- you might end up with a juice otherwise. Which, sometimes, is just what you need.
Stay tuned for a post on all of the products I use. By the way, I'm in no way asked to promote anything by anyone. I just do it because I like telling people what to do.
PS ALWAYS chew your smoothie. Yes, you will look like a dork. Do it. It's good for your mouth, teeth, and salivary glands and secretions from your active glands will help you digest all of that fiber.
What's your favorite smoothie combination?
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