SmarTasty
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A good smoothie is made from leafy greens, a little fruit, some protein or fat, and liquid. That makes it more of a meal than plain juice. Here you'll find green, fruity and protein smoothies with no refined sugar.
Smoothies are an easy way to get more fruit and veg into your day. Our recipes start with a green base (kale, spinach, cucumber) and add 2–3 portions of berries, plant protein (hemp seeds, pea protein) and healthy fats (linseed, nut butter).
A smoothie for a meal has five building blocks: a handful of leafy greens as the base, a portion of berries for flavour and plant compounds, a tablespoon of fat from linseed or nut butter, a protein source like skyr, quark or hemp protein, and finally liquid. If you only blend fruit and juice, you mostly end up drinking fruit sugar.
The most common beginner mistake is too much fruit. Two portions of veg to one portion of fruit is a good guide: spinach and cucumber barely taste through, while kale and celery take a little getting used to. Half a banana or a few dates are plenty of sweetness – and as you get used to it, you can cut the fruit further without the smoothie tasting flat.
Liquid first, then leafy greens, then soft ingredients, and frozen things and hard seeds last – that creates a vortex so the blades can grab everything. For green smoothies, a blender of about 1000 watts or more is worth it, otherwise you'll notice the fibres. With a less powerful machine, smoothies made from soft fruit work well if you grind nuts and seeds first.
At least: 1 handful of leafy greens + 1 portion of berries + 1 tbsp linseed or chia + 1 protein source + water or plant milk. Go easy on fruit – no more than 1 banana.
For green smoothies, a high-performance blender (at least 1000 watts) – otherwise fibres stay in bits. Cheaper option: make smoothies with soft fruit and grind nuts and seeds beforehand.
It can, if it has protein (20 g or more) and some fat. Fruit-only smoothies are more of a snack than a meal.
It depends on what goes in. Three bananas plus juice plus honey easily add up to 500 kcal. With a green base, a portion of berries, protein and 1 tbsp of fat, the same cup comes to 250–300 kcal. Each recipe shows the values.
Usually the smoothie: when you juice, the fibre stays behind in the pulp; in a smoothie the whole fruit stays in, fibre and all.
Yes, as freezer bags: freeze measured fruit, veg and seeds, then in the morning just blend them with liquid and protein. Once blended, a smoothie keeps for about 24 hours in a closed jar in the fridge – it separates, but a quick shake fixes that.