Sm00thies: The Basics

For me, making smoothies is usually a "throw whatever I have around into the blender and see what happens" kind of deal. It is a great way to use up random stuff that you don't really want to eat on their own, like a bruised apple or some wilted greens. In terms of culinary bricolage, smoothies reign supreme for most versatile and potentially creative kitchen creations. I do, however, have some basics that I typically stick to that I would like to share. These tips are all about maximizing health and tastiness in any smoothie!

• Use almond milk instead of dairy. There is a lot of very convincing evidence that dairy does not really promote optimal health, contrary to what the Got Milk adds lead us to believe. Lactose intolerance is, at least in my opinion, a very normal response to the odd human tradition of drinking another animal's milk. Not to mention the way we milk cows in giant factories, like a scene from The Matrix, keeping them in constant states of pregnancy so we can steal their calves and their milk (kinda weird, right?). Smoothies are a great place to start weaning ourselves off of the cow's teat. Almond milk is high in vitamins and minerals and low in fat and calories. Boom. Done.

• Add grated ginger. So delicious and great for you, a little grated ginger goes a long way in a smoothie. Ginger root will last for a long long time in the fridge so I always keep it on hand. Check out ginger health facts and try it in a smoothie today!

• Add milled flax seed. As I have mentioned before, flax seed is a wonderful addition to any meal if you want to maximize nutrition. Remind yourself how great it is for you and make the choice to eat some every day! 

• Use Avocado. As I ranted about above, I don't advocate for the use of dairy if you want to be truly healthy, and that goes for yogurt, too. Yes, lots of advertisements are shoving yogurt down our throats, and of course it is always up to you to decide who to believe, but I have found a great yogurt substitute in avocados that is guilt-free. Avocados are a great way to thicken up any smoothie and they pack in tons of nutrition. Try it out!

• Of course...CITRUS. I can't say enough good things about lemons. I add them to everything and they are like little yellow magical entities that make everything OK. Just to remind you, here are some of the benefits.