Lately I’ve been drinking smoothies for lunch almost every day. They’re quick to prepare, easy to drink while caring for a toddler, and super healthy. But I crave variety as well, so I’ve started using a basic recipe and then mixing and matching my flavor combinations.
For two big smoothies (and I usually drink both…what can I say? I’m hungry!), my base recipe goes something like this:
1/2 cup water or fruit juice
1/2 – 3/4 cup yogurt (I usually use vanilla for a little sweetness)
1 banana
1 1/2 – 2 cups other produce
Add-ins such as additional sweetener, flax, etc.
Additional liquid if necessary (or a few ice cubes if you used all fresh produce)
Some of my favorite smoothie add-ins include chia seeds, ground flaxseeds, a drizzle of honey or a dab of homemade jam, a big handful of spinach, and up to half of an avocado. Obviously, I don’t put all of those things in the same smoothie. 
I know the avocado sounds kind of gross, but as long as the other produce you’re using is really flavorful, you won’t taste it, and it will lend a nice fluffy texture to your smoothie. Not to mention all of those healthy fats!
The smoothie flavor combination I’ve been obsessed with lately includes 1/2 cup pineapple juice, 1/2 cup yogurt, 1 banana, 1/2 cup pineapple, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds, 2 tsp chia seeds, 1/2 an avocado, and a squirt of honey. It’s seriously SO delicious and filling.
What are your favorite smoothie flavor combinations? Do you have a go-to lunch for busy days? What is it?
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I tend to use berries and bananas (with a handful of spinach) the most due to their accessibility, but other great add ins are pumpkin puree and roasted beets. Last time I tried beets, I used raw, and I wouldn’t recommend it. It just didn’t puree up very smoothly and I’m not a big fan of chewing my smoothies.
Ooh, I’ve never thought to use pumpkin puree. Does it change the taste of the smoothie very much?
I think you can taste the pumpkin, but I add some cinnamon and maple syrup and it is like drinking pie! Whats not to love. Our families fav is 3 super ripe bananas, a little yogurt, a large spoon of PB or almond butter, flax seed and some milk to thin. We call them Super Monkey shakes and my kids love them. Esp my 2 yr old daughter who asks for smoothies every day.
Mmm…a pumpkin pie smoothie? That sounds delicious! The Super Monkey shakes sound really good, too. Now I’m excited to experiment with new smoothie ideas.
I love berries, yogurt, spinach, a squirt of minced ginger, and some flax seeds. Best thing ever.
What do chia seeds taste like?
They don’t really taste like anything, actually, which makes it really easy to throw them into smoothies.
As a random aside about chia seeds, I’ve found that a lot of stores have them in both the spice section and the bulk section, and everywhere I’ve seen that situation the bulk section has been so much cheaper- $6 to 7.99 a pound compared to $14+ a pound. At my local Sprouts, the bulk spice chia seeds are $13.99, but the bulk chia seeds with the flour/grains/beans are randomly $7.99. I have no clue why, since they’re the exact same product.
I’ve seen some going for as expensive as $25 for a one pound bag! I was deterred at first but then they popped up in bulk last year and I’ve been happily buying them ever since. Just a heads up that if you want to buy some but see them going for a crazy expensive price you can probably find them for much less.
The price of chia seeds is really baffling to me! I’ve seen the same thing. A local health food store had 8 oz for $14 in their spice section, and 8 oz for $8 in their bulk foods section. I ended up buying 2 lbs from Amazon for something like $11. We won’t need to buy chia seeds for a LONG time!
You know I love this post
My two favorite smoothies right now are mango lassis with the addition of a bunch of spinach blended in, and the following smoothie: 1 c frozen blueberries, half a frozen banana, 1 tb flax seeds, 4 dates, 1 tb cocoa powder, 1 c almond milk, and a couple good handfuls of spinach 
I still need to try putting spinach in lassis! Your other recipe looks delicious too…I will have to pick up some dates and try it.
I love to add protein powder–my favorite is the Red Raspberry flavor of Biggest Loser protein powder, but it’s expensive so I don’t use it real often.
I like having smoothies for breakfast because it’s such a good way to get a ton of fruits and veggies in first thing. I usually put about a half of a cup of something frozen- blue berries, strawberries, or even chunks of butternut squash or pumpkin that I’ve chopped up and frozen- along with about two big cups of raw greens- usually kale, chard, or spinach- and a banana for smooth texture and sweetness, because I don’t add any sugar or juice. On top of that I always throw in two tbsp of chia seeds and two tbsp of ground flax, and some kind of protein- usually one blob each of almond and peanut butter to make a complete protein. OH, and a scoop of black beans and great northern beans are actually really good as well, you can’t even taste them- ditto for cooked carrots. If I’m in the mood for something on the sweet side I’ll double the banana, leave the greens, and add a splash of coconut milk and some unsweetened cocoa powder. Or I’ll make a pumpkin/banana/greens mixture with a cup of chai tea mixed in, also with a splash of coconut milk. I find in both cases having two bananas in there really takes care of the sweetness for me so that the chai and the chocolate tastes come through.
Random add ins are unsweetened, shredded coconut, ginger, cinnamon, and like you I add in avocados- I’ve always loved them in shakes/smoothies. One of the best drinks ever is a bubble tea avocado shake. I got one every day in Chicago because I hadn’t had one since I left Dallas! Soooo good
Your smoothies sound so healthy! I need to start putting more vegetables into smoothies. I’m really intrigued by the pumpkin/squash.
True story- the squash was totally an accident. I thought it was peaches! It was early in the morning
I didn’t even catch on by taste either- it wasn’t until the next night that my partner was looking for the peaches in the freezer, and I described the jar to him, and he said “um, that’s butternut squash” haha.
Strawberry, orange, pineapple blended with milk. It’s a major dose of vitamin C.
In the summer I like to make a double sized smoothie, then pour the extra (if it doesn’t all get drank) into popsicle moulds and stick in the freezer for a treat later. I have only done this with fruit/yogurt smoothies, so I’m not sure if it would work with flax/chia/peanut butter additions, but it might be worth experimenting with.
Yum! That is a great idea.
This reminded me how much I love smoothies and I had one for breakfast.
Banana,
van. yog.
milk
squirt of choc.
Not nearly as healthy as all of yours, but good.
You also reminded me to try spinach and/ or flax. I’m hesitant, but I’ma gonna’ give it a try.
Funny, I’m not a big fan of cooking and I’m never looking for recipes, but I’ve lifted two from this site in the past two days..huh, interesting.
That smoothie sounds delicious to me! Now I’m craving a banana/chocolate/peanut butter smoothie…mmm.
I really never notice the spinach or flax in smoothies (though I like the taste of both in general, I don’t really want to taste spinach with my pineapple). Just make sure you blend the smoothie until you can’t see any more green spinach flecks, and you’ll be good.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes!