My Best tips to create the Perfect Smoothie

• Add a touch of lemon juice.  Work your machine back up to its highest speed, and process for 10-20 seconds.
• Tip: Fruits add their own natural sweetness, so use a balance of sweet and citrus fruits and reduce or eliminate other sweeteners like honey, pure maple syrup or agave.

Alrighty then, What is  the anatomy of the perfect smoothie?  

Step 1: Frozen fruit

When we think “smoothie,” many of us think of bananas. That’s because bananas offer sweet (but not too sweet) flavor and when they’re blended, they provide that signature rich, creamy-smooth texture a smoothie is named for. So you can’t go wrong with bananas in your smoothie base. That said, bananas are higher in sugar, so save them for higher carb days. If you are trying to stay low carb, always opt for fresh or frozen berries. 

I suggests storing peeled, ripe bananas in quarters in a sealed container in your freezer. That way, you can just pop in however many you need for whatever type of smoothie you’re making. “You never have to worry about bananas getting overly ripe on your counter this way, and it cuts back on waste,”  Also, try storing kale and spinach that's about to turn this way.

Don’t like bananas? Popular substitutes to achieve the same thick, creamy quality include cooked oats, avocado, yogurt, silken tofu, or just a half to a whole cup of your favorite fruit. Frozen fruits work well here.

Of course, you can skip the frozen produce and make a smoothie with that amazing fresh fruit you just picked up at the farmer’s market. You’ll just need to add plenty of ice if you like it chilly, and stick with soft, ripe fruits.

For super smooth smoothies, try fruits without a tough skin. If you have a powerful blender like a vitamin for blendtec, it will have no trouble blending up apples and pears. 

Some of my favorite fresh ingredients for smoothie are include fresh spinach and Kale, and ripe avocado. Spinach is detoxifying and vitamin packed, but with an actually sweet taste and no bitterness—this is ideal for those that are nervous about anything green in their smoothies.

And ¼ to ½ of an avocado can turn any smoothie into a decadent meal you can eat with a spoon. Plus, The healthy fats found in an avocado will help you stay full for hours.

Any optional ingredients come next. This can include:

Nut or seed butter. Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, soy butter, and sunflower seed butter are all delicious additions—and they add protein  and heathy fat to help curb your appetite.

Powders. A scoop of protein powder or a nutrition boosting powder can be a great addition to almost any smoothie, and beneficial if you’re looking to add more protein into your diet. I usually always add Collagen to my smoothies. It's tasteless, so it doesn't alter the flavor, if I want to add a little flavor, I'll put a couple drops of vanilla extract or some raw cacao for antioxidant-rich chocolate yumminess. ent lists of things you can't pronounce!”

Sweetener. To sweeten naturally, add a drizzle of honey or pure maple syrup. But be sure to taste your smoothie before you add sweetener, as you may not need it if you’ve used sweet, ripe fruit, such as frozen mango, banana, or blueberries. 

Texture or crunch. A sprinkle of cocoa nibs or chia seeds can give your smoothie a fun crunch to it, and added minerals and good healthy fats! Cashews add the perfect amount of creaminess and satisfying feel, without being overly nutty tasting.

Seasonings and spices. I loooooove throwing in spices for both a nutritional boost as well a kick of flavor. Some of my favorites include cinnamon for balancing blood sugar, ground nutmeg, vanilla extract, maca for hormonal balance and fresh turmeric and ginger for reducing inflammation. 

Next, pour in ¼ to 1 cup liquid—almond milk, coconut milk, water and yogurt are probably most popular. This will help your smoothie stay thin enough to sip.

Then, blend all your ingredients so far. This will help ensure that the fruit is fully pureed and the flavors are mixed together before your blender does the hard work of crushing the ice.

Add about a half-cup of ice—a tiny bit more or less depending on how cool and frosty you’d like your smoothie to be.

Blend everything together until smooth. Then pour it into a glass or cup, and your smoothie is ready to drink.