Oh lawdy, I love a good fruit smoothie. Don’t you? Well, if you don’t, I’ll have to live with it, but if you’re reading this post, changes are you are all up in the fruit-smoothie-loving camp!
Welcome.
Ok, so fruit smoothies are awesome, but there are some ways to make them even more awesomer. I mean, sometimes I feel like I’m cheating when I made up a strawberry-banana fruit smoothie (with frozen bananas, yo. the only way to make it!)
So to assuage that unnecessary guilt, I like to add some other sneaky, quality ingredients to make me feel like I’m being a super health conscious girl!
So if you are looking to lighten your fruit smoothie guilt (I mean because if you do it right, it does taste quite ice creamy-ish…), I have 10 ideas for ya!
10 Ways to Super Charge Your Fruit Smoothie
1. Organic Protein Powder
Add protein powder – duh. I know this is probably the first thing you might think of when you want to super charge your fruit smoothie! But boy, do I have a protein powder for you!
My favorite is this vanilla plant based protein powder from Vega!
The vanilla flavor is delicious with fruit. I do love chocolate too, but if I want to do a strawberry/banana or a cherry/banana, then I prefer to use the vanilla because it lets the other flavors shine through. Now, if you want to make a chocolate peanut butter/banana, then obvs go for chocolate!
2. Grass Fed Collagen
If you need some extra cushion in your jointal regions, I hear collagen is a great additive to your daily regimen! Apparently, it is good for your skin and hair, your joints, your gut, your metabolism (yay!), as well as your liver and heart health!(1)
Dr. Axe has a great article on collagen if you’d like to learn more about it!
3. Organic Ground Flax Seeds
Flax is a great way to get some things moving, if ya know what I mean! Not only is it good for digestion, it has Omega 3’s, lignons (which lower the risk of cancer) and protein! (2)
I prefer using ground flax because it goes down smoother and I can hardly tell I added them.
4. Avocados
Avocados, especially frozen ones, are a great addition to a fruit smoothie. If you want that creamy texture like a frozen banana is going to give you, but don’t want the added fructose that day, try using frozen avocados.
They give a tangy flavor to your smoothie, but if you use plenty of other fruits, frozen cherries, strawberries, etc., you’ll never know you’re using this delicious, but not sweet, fruit! Plus they are full of lots of vitamins and minerals, and as I mentioned, low in sugar! (3)
5. Organic Chia Seeds
Now, I know that chia seeds can be a bit of an acquired taste, but they are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and calcium. (4) And like flax, use ground chia and you won’t feel like you’re swallowing tiny balls of jello seeds!
I also love to make a chia pudding with milk and chocolate protein powder. Oooo, I need to do that for you soon!
6. Hemp Hearts
Now, these are a new find for me. Hemp hearts have a nutty flavor and are
rich in healthy fats and essential fatty acids. They are also a great protein source and contain high amounts of vitamin E, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron and zinc. (5)
7. Coconut Oil
If you’ve ever followed the keto diet, then you probably have coconut oil in your cabinet! I’m not keto anymore…(it kinda messed up my body and made it really hard for me to sustain healthy blood sugar through the night. ugh.) But I still think there are some benefits to using healthy fats!
Coconut oil is high in healthy saturated fats that have different effects than most other fats in your diet. These fats can boost fat burning and provide your body and brain with quick energy. They also raise the good HDL cholesterol in your blood, which is linked to reduced heart disease risk. (6)
8. Garden of Life Alkalizer & Detoxifier
Whenever I feel like I need a bit of a detox, this is my go-to product! Not only does it help eliminate toxins, it helps to alkalize your body. On its own, it has loads of fruits and veggies, but added to a fruit smoothie, you get a great taste. I love it!
Sometimes, I even just mix this with milk alone. It has a good taste and is a great option if I’m in a hurry!
9. Bone Broth Powder
If you’ve ever tried to make your own bone broth, you know what a hassle it is. And for all its benefits- joint health, gut health and immune support (7) – it’s kind of gross. You have to simmer bones for 24-48 hours and it ends up kinda greasy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s supposed to be really good for you, but after a couple of times making it, I gave it up.
BUT, this bone broth powder is the perfect alternative. All the benefits with none of the hassle. Drop it in your smoothie and voila! Bone broth that tastes great!
10. Green Banana Flour
Recently, I’ve gotten more interested in pre-biotics. I’m sure you’ve heard a LOT about PRO-biotics (like in yogurt), but have you ever heard of PRE-biotics? These are the substances that your good bacteria like to feed on! So you’re encouraging them to grow. Just taking PRO-biotics doesn’t really help your gut to encourage their growth really.
But adding in this green banana flour or potato starch will help you good bugs to thrive! (8) After struggling for 20 years with systemic candida, I need all the help I can get!
Gosh, there are so many things you can add to your smoothie to give it that extra heath kick! I generally add whatever I feel like will help me at that time. Right now, I’m all about the collagen because I’m trying to get my body better at moving so I’m riding the recumbent bike almost everyday. Walking, much less running, is really hard on my joints right now, but biking is working out great! Eventually, I’d like to be back to running, but I’m not going to hurt myself in the process.
Do you have any other suggestions for supercharging your smoothies? Just comment below in my FB post and let me know! I’d love some more ideas!
xoxo
Gwen
P.S. For more smoothie ideas, visit my Smoothie Gallery!