How to Make a Balanced Smoothie

Making a balanced smoothie is just like making a healthy meal.

So, when your smoothie is prepared with the right combination of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins and provides a source of essential vitamins and minerals, it can really be considered as a healthy snack or a meal replacement.

A healthy and balanced smoothie recipe should have the following components:

1. Liquid Base

2. Fibre-rich Carbohydrates

3. Lean Proteins

4. Healthy Fats

5. Health Boosters

First thing when preparing your smoothie is to choose the liquid base. Different ingredients affect the texture and consistency of the drink but also its flavour and nutritional profile.

By changing the amount used you can make the smoothie runnier or thicker according to taste.

Water & Brewed Tea

Choose water or brewed tea if you prefer keeping the calories intake low or if you don’t want to affect the overall taste of your smoothie.

By adding brewed tea like green tea or white tea in your smoothie you can benefit from the detoxifying properties of these plants and also boost your metabolism.

Coconut Water

Coconut water is a classic choice in many smoothies as:

• It is low in calories, fats, and sugars

• Adds a light texture and it’s perfect for tropically flavoured smoothies

• Promotes hydration and restores electrolytes after exercise as it’s rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium.

Cow Milk

If you want to give more richness and add nutrients to your smoothie you can choose milk as a liquid base. Compared to plant-based milk, cow milk has more fats but also more proteins. Moreover, milk is:

• A source of calcium and vitamin D, essential for strong bones and teeth

• Contain all the essential amino acids

If possible, prefer semi-skimmed milk to skimmed milk as it is higher in fat soluble vitamins.