Recipe: Creating a Smoothie Recipe By OncoLink Team, November 2, 2011

You don't need to look for the perfect smoothie recipe to find a smoothie you'll enjoy. The greatest part about making smoothies is that you can experiment with flavors until you find your perfect combination!

Instructions

To make your perfect smoothie you only need to know about the three basic elements. These elements are fruits/vegetables, thickeners, and liquids. The fruits and vegetables give your smoothie its base flavors while nourishing your body with vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. The thickeners and liquids give your smoothie texture, allowing you to create a thick rich smoothie or an icy chiller smoothie.
To create your smoothie, choose at least one ingredient from each category. Start by combining equal amounts from each category to the blender and adjust amounts as necessary to achieve your desired consistency and flavor.

Ingredients

Fruits and Vegetables

Strawberries Grapes
Bananas Tomato
Blueberries Broccoli
Raspberries Carrots
Peaches Cucumber
Apples Avocado
Kiwi Celery
Mango Red bell pepper
Orange Fennel
Blackberries Spinach

** Using frozen fruits and vegetables can be a cheaper and more long lasting alternative to fresh fruits and vegetables; if you choose to use the frozen versions only use about half of the ice you would normally include in your smoothie.

Thickeners

Ice
Plain yogurt
Flavored yogurt
Cottage cheese
Ensure®
Carnation® packets

Liquids

Cow's milk
Soy milk
Apple juice
Orange juice
Fruit juices

These are just some of the ingredients that you could use to create your smoothie, but your options are limitless. Try using fruits and vegetables that you have not had before or 100% fruit juice blends that can be found in grocery stores.