Veronica Hughes: How To Make Great Tasting Smoothies In A Blender

With the seasons changing and the temperatures rising, this is a great time of year to get in the habit of making some healthy and delicious smoothies. The great thing about smoothies is that you can put anything you want in them, and leave out things that you don't like.

It is important, however, to watch the sugar content of some smoothies that you are expecting to be beneficial for your health, because if they have too much sugar they can cause your blood sugar level to quickly rise and then plummet. Here are some great tips and tricks for making some healthy smoothies and other healthy meals in your blender this summer.

Some great things to put in your blender to make a smoothie are seasonal fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, peaches, and plums. There are also a lot of smoothie recipes that call for vegetables such as spinach and kale. This is a great way to increase your intake of fresh produce and it even gives you a chance to add some superfoods to your diet such as chia seeds and flax seed oil.

One great way to make sure that you always have what you need on hand is to find your favorite smoothie recipes and prepare the ingredients ahead of time. Chop all of your fruit and remove any seeds before packing each serving into a small plastic bag and sticking it in the freezer. This way, you can grab one on the go at any time for a healthy snack.

It only takes about five minutes to blend up a nutritious snack with your favorite healthy ingredients. You can easily add some protein with the addition of peanut butter or Greek yogurt as well. Here are some simple recipes to create in your blender.

Power Green Smoothie Recipe

1 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup frozen berry mix (blueberries, raspberries, etc.)
1 medium banana (frozen)
1/2 cup almond milk

Peel the banana before sticking it in the freezer for at least two hours in advance. You can also keep them in the freezer for weeks in advance so you always have them prepared and ready to go. To make this recipe, simply add all of the ingredients into your blender and blend until it is smooth. Add a tablespoon of peanut butter or protein powder if you want to make it into a meal.

Peach Pie Smoothie Recipe

1½ cups of frozen peaches
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup of water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 small packet of stevia

Combine the Greek yogurt, water, stevia, chia seeds, and spices in a blender until they are mixed. Add frozen peaches and puree. Pour into a glass and enjoy.

You can also make some fun summer recipes in your blender that are more savory than sweet. For example, this gazpacho recipe is easy and perfect for a hot day. All you need to do is puree your ingredients in a blender and top it with a bit of olive oil before serving. To make this, incorporate the following ingredients into your blender:

4 large tomatoes - cored and quartered
2 slices of white bread torn into pieces
1 diced cucumber
1 medium, seeded, and chopped green bell pepper
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

There are a lot of great recipes you can make in your blender, and it is easy to make them all healthy. Avoid using liquids such as fruit juices or whole milk to cut down on calories and fat and replace these things while real fruit and nut milk such as almond milk.

If you want to make a recipe extra creamy without adding cream, try adding 1/4 of an avocado to smooth up your treat.