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Food and Recipes

Perfect Smoothie Recipe (and the ‘Smoothie Rules’)

Happy weekend! This post is for all nursing Saturday morning hangovers –  my perfect smoothie.

Now lots of people probably crave a greasy fry-up or a McDonalds and Coke when hungover, but great though that temporary fix may be, your body won’t be thanking you for it. Bananas however, they’re the bomb, and the perfect hangover cure – sweet, creamy and full of booze-busting potassium. They are the way forward for your hangover. And actually, this is pretty much my favourite weekday breakfast too, even when not hungover! It’s filling, tasty, and easily keeps me going until lunch. Not to mention quick and easy to prepare.

So, enough of the waxing lyrical – what’s in this perfect smoothie I hear you ask? It’s simple – banana, kale, fresh grated ginger and turmeric, oats, flaxseeds and almond milk. And that’s it. Blend, and drink! (Okay, I’ll give you some more precise measurements in a minute, but it’s as easy as that really).

Smoothie Rules | Anna International

Smoothies are really popular at the moment, but I often get asked when I post a photo on Instagram what I put in them. It seems people opt for strawberries and raspberries with banana and milk, and think they have themselves a superhealthy breakfast. Don’t get me wrong – it’s better than a bowl of processed cereal, but it could be so much more! There are six simple ‘smoothie rules’ you can follow to ensure your smoothie is always delicious and nutritious.

How to make the perfect smoothie

1) Choose your fruit.

Ideally your smoothie will have no more than one, maybe two fruits. Yes, fruit sugar is better than refined white sugar, but at the end of the day it’s still sugar, and you can make great tasting smoothies which only have one fruit in. Good options are: banana, berries, mango, peaches, pineapple, or apple (juiced or grated). Try different combinations, you’d be hard pushed to make any nasty ones!

Smoothie Rules | Anna International

2) Add your greens.

The idea of spinach in a smoothie might be a difficult one to stomach for many people, but I promise, it won’t taste like vegetables and you’ll be getting all the amazing nutrients from the veg without even noticing. My favourites are spinach, kale, cavolo nero, romaine lettuce, lambs lettuce – basically, anything green and leafy. Avocado is also a great one to add – it contains lots of healthy fat and makes a lovely creamy smoothie. Probably best not used in combination with bananas which also up the creaminess.

3) Make it creamy.

So, I covered this a bit with banana and avocado, but there are other ingredients which can give a lovely texture to your smoothie and bring added health benefits. My favourite is to add a handful of oats, which also helps keep me full up afterwards. You can also add nut butters such as almond or hazelnut (peanut butter too, but not the kind with lots of added sugar), chia seeds, or coconut cream. Peanut butter and banana with a spoonful of cacao is like the best milkshake ever!

Smoothie Rules | Anna International

4) Add a liquid.

Ordinary cows milk does the job, as does water, but there are lots of other magic, healthy ingredients you could add for extra vitamins, so be a bit more adventurous. I love almond milk (or any nut milk) or coconut water, but you can also use fresh fruit juice (preferably juiced at home, if not, the stuff with no sugar or additives) or even iced coffee for a super-morning hit! In terms of how much liquid to add, the first time, use a measuring jug and gradually add it until the smoothie is the right thickness for you. Then check how much you used, and you’ll have a great guide in future. Nowadays I know the line on my blender the liquid needs to come to for it to be about right!

5) Add some flavour.

This is where you can go a bit wild if you like. My favourite thing to add into anything is freshly grated ginger, for a super zing. Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla essence, dates or honey are also all great to add a little taste and sweetness.

6) Add a health-boost.

You can skip this step if you like because if you’ve followed the rules above, your smoothie is pretty darn healthy already! However, if you want a bit more protein for the gym, or just to up the nutrients in your smoothie, there are all manner of things you can add. Protein powder or coconut oil add protein and healthy fats, and grated fresh turmeric is great for reducing inflammation in your system (just a smidgen mind you, it’s strong!). You can also add whatever superfood powder is in vogue – spirulina, maca, lucuma, wheatgrass, bee pollen, flaxseeds (or any other nuts and seeds) or if you want a chocolatey hit, cacao powder or nibs. A teaspoon of any of these won’t add much to the taste (except cacao) and will be a great boost, especially if you’re hungover!

Smoothie Rules | Anna International

So – following these simple rules, you can pretty much make a smoothie from anything, and I’ve tried them with practically everything and never had one taste bad. When combining such great ingredients, what could go wrong?

If you want a little more hand-holding though for your first go at a smoothie, or you just want to give my favourite a whirl, here’s my recipe for my favourite breakfast smoothie!

Perfect Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

  • Servings: 1
  • Time: 5 mins
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients:
  • 1 banana
  • 2 large handfuls of kale
  • 10g flaxseeds
  • 30g oats
  • freshly grated ginger
  • freshly grated turmeric (a teeny bit!)
  • 200ml almond milk
Smoothie Rules | Anna International
Method:

Add everything to the blender – blend for one or two minutes until your smoothie is, er, smooth! Pour into a glass (with ice if you like) and enjoy.

So that’s it – perfect smoothies made perfectly simple. What’s your favourite combination? I’d love to hear in the comments.

How to create the perfect smoothie everytime, no matter your ingredients, with six simple rules.

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Comments

  1. Jhuls says

    24 January 2015 at 1:03 pm

    Hey, Anna! I am so glad to see you here. 😀 And the smoothies look absolutely perfect. They are so beautiful. <3 Happy FF. Enjoy your weekend.

    • annainternational says

      24 January 2015 at 1:15 pm

      Thanks Jhuls! Pretty breakfasts make me happy! You have a nice weekend too…I’m just off to Ikea. :-0

      • Jhuls says

        24 January 2015 at 1:31 pm

        Hmm, I could imagine you’d be carrying more bags your arms can handle. 😛

  2. Hilda says

    24 January 2015 at 4:29 pm

    Smoothies are fun to make, because as you say it is pretty hard to go wrong. I like your favourite, as it contains ginger, which is my favourite addition. Thanks for bringing us this tasty and healthful drink to the morning after session!

    • annainternational says

      24 January 2015 at 4:37 pm

      Ginger is awesome. I often juice it into ginger ‘shots’ with a bit of apple – far more energising than coffee in the morning!

  3. chefjulianna says

    24 January 2015 at 7:26 pm

    Gorgeous smoothies Anna! This is all the info one would ever need for smoothie making! I love your idea of putting oats into the smoothies as well! This is awesome! I have a smoothie every morning for breakfast and I will definitely try some of your ideas! And hey – you’re not late because this party is going to last 2 weeks! Yikes! Can you believe that? 😀

    • annainternational says

      26 January 2015 at 10:32 am

      I can’t! But so great! I just need to start planning what I’ll bring next week now….! 🙂

  4. xoamys says

    24 January 2015 at 9:28 pm

    Yum! This looks delicious! Im obsessed with smoothies, especially green ones! I love avocado in them.. Be sure to check out my lifestyle blog with a nordic twist! I also have tones of smoothie recipes!

    http://www.xoamys.com

    • annainternational says

      24 January 2015 at 9:34 pm

      Thanks, some lovely looking recipes and gorgeous photos on your blog!

      • xoamys says

        25 January 2015 at 5:52 am

        Thank you!! Xxx

  5. BIG TED little ted says

    24 January 2015 at 11:45 pm

    Ermm! I have to say it. It sounds disgusting. The kale and the turmeric bit anyway. The other bits sound ok. But I’d worry I might choke on a flaxseed 😉

    • annainternational says

      25 January 2015 at 7:55 am

      Ha! It does, I know, but it really isn’t! You barely taste either of those ingredients, they’re just there, quietly being good for you! 🙂 And the seeds blend down pretty tiny!

  6. Julie is HostessAtHeart says

    25 January 2015 at 4:18 pm

    Your smoothie is so pretty and a great way to start the day! We will need it after all the treats here on FF!

    • annainternational says

      26 January 2015 at 10:31 am

      That’s what I thought! 🙂

  7. Selma's Table says

    25 January 2015 at 11:53 pm

    What an interesting and colourful post – so much great info – I make smoothies quite a lot, especially in the spring/summer but have never thought to add oats. Bookmarked and holding my breath for spring to arrive!

    • annainternational says

      26 January 2015 at 10:31 am

      Smoothies are all year round! A few days ago we had several inches of snow here in Yorkshire and it was pretty darn cold, but I still had a smoothie for breakfast (accompanied by a hot cup of tea or cappuccino though, it has to be said!). Great for getting all your vits in the cold months too. Give it a try Selma! 🙂

  8. indusinternationalkitchen says

    26 January 2015 at 3:41 am

    What a lovely post Anna. I am into smoothies lately and love all your ideas! This one with Kale and oats seems quite delicious too! 🙂

    • annainternational says

      26 January 2015 at 10:29 am

      Thanks Indira! And thanks for reblogging too! The oats really do fill me up and make it a meal rather than a snack or a treat!

  9. indusinternationalkitchen says

    26 January 2015 at 3:44 am

    Reblogged this on Indu's International Kitchen and commented:
    I loved this post by Anna where she gives some great ideas and tips on making smoothies! Smoothies are a perfect way to add healthy veggies and fruits in your diet. thanks Anna!

  10. thebrookcook says

    28 January 2015 at 2:28 am

    I am new to the green smoothie scene and am loving it!! I love your suggestions and guidelines- so great!! Thanks!! 🙂

  11. shenANNAgans says

    28 January 2015 at 2:52 am

    Yummy smoothies Anna. I kick my days off with a smoothie, going through a beetroot faze at the mo. I am looking forward to trying some of your recipes. Although, not sure about the turmeric?!

    • annainternational says

      29 January 2015 at 11:01 am

      If you don’t overdo it, it’s lovely! I think I might have to edit the post and warn people not to grate too much in! So good for you too! I love beetroot as well, but getting out my juicer as well as my blender is a bit much to bother with most mornings! Or do you just blend it? If so, definitely going to give that a try!

  12. Aine says

    27 December 2016 at 9:35 am

    These sound all sorts of yummy, although to be fair I’m guilty of multiple fruits in my smoothies and minimal veggies. I should definitely try adding more veggies and oats, I can use them as breakfast then! Great ideas my lovely 🙂

    Honestly Aine

    • Anna International says

      7 January 2017 at 1:47 pm

      I’m quite lucky that I do really like the taste of green juices with just a little fruit, but I find in smoothies its harder to get more veg in without making it taste odd, but a good handful of kale and spinach never goes amiss really. I do get annoyed with how quickly they go bad though and I’ve just portioned up some smoothie bags with all the fruit/veg/oats/flavouring and frozen them, so I just add my liquid and blend. Used the full bag of kale and spinach for once! 🙂 I think this may be the way forward for me because I’m never organised enough to have the right things otherwise! x

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Welcome to Make Life Simpler!

I'm a 30-something working mum living in rural Yorkshire with my husband, our young daughter and our pets. This blog is about my attempt at creating a nice home and life for us with minimal effort and time.

Here you can find simple recipes and meal planning, easy DIYs and crafts, home renovations on a budget, simple sustainability, jaunts around Yorkshire and further afield, and life in the countryside.

I hope you might find inspiration in some of the things I share and give them a go. Let me know if you do! Read More…

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