It can be really hard to get the all the recommended servings of vegetables you need in a day. Smoothies almost always have fruit but the key to an extra-nutritious smoothie is to include both fruit and vegetables. Vegetables in a smoothie may seem crazy to some but trust us, it’s delicious!
Keep reading for our tips on how to level up your next smoothie with vegetables.
Why should I add vegetables?
Adding in an extra handful of veggies will provide more:
- Fibre
- Fibre feeds our gut bacteria and helps keep our gut healthy and functioning well.
- Vitamins and minerals
- Different vegetables all contain different vitamins and minerals. Try adding a new type each week to get a variety.
- Phytochemicals:
- These are compounds found in plants that benefit our health by reducing inflammation, acting as antioxidants and reducing chronic disease risk.
What kind of vegetables can I add?
A good rule of thumb is to add ½ cup (125 mL) veggies to your smoothie or 1 cup (250 mL) if adding leafy greens.
Our favourite vegetables to add to a smoothie are:
Leafy greens
- Greens give amazing colour and a boost of nutrients to any type of smoothie without affecting the flavour.
- Spinach and kale are both great options. Stronger flavoured greens like swiss chard or collards can be used but the flavour is more noticeable.
- If you find greens often go bad before you can use them up, try pre-freezing a bag of spinach and grabbing a handful next time you’re making a smoothie.
Carrots
- Carrots add a lovely colour and slightly sweet flavour to smoothies. They pair well with apple, pineapple, mango and banana, to name a few.
- Steam and cool carrots before blending if you don’t have a high powered blender.
- Keep the pre-cooked carrots in the freezer so they’re ready when you need them.
Beets
- Beets have a sweet, earthy flavour and super bright colour when blended. Their flavour goes best with oranges, apples and berries.
- Lightly steam and cool beets before adding them in unless you have a high-powered blender (then feel free to add them raw).
- Try our yummy berry beet smoothie (below).
Sweet potato/squash/pumpkin
- Cooked and cooled sweet potato (or canned pumpkin puree) has the ability to make any smoothie taste like pie!
- If buying canned pumpkin, make sure you buy unsweetened “pumpkin puree” not sweetened “pumpkin pie filling”.
Cucumber
- Cucumbers taste super refreshing in a smoothie and help keep you hydrated. The flavour goes well with apple, pineapple or melon.
- Try our super fresh cucumber pineapple smoothie (below).
Zucchini
- Zucchini is very neutral in flavour and won’t affect the taste of your smoothie at all.
- Freezing the zucchini helps create a super creamy smoothie (similar to adding a frozen banana), perfect for those who don’t love or can’t tolerate bananas!
Berry Beet Smoothie
- ½ cup- 1 cup (125-250 mL) water
- 1 medium orange
- ½ cup (125 mL) raspberries or strawberries, frozen
- 1 medium banana, frozen
- ½ cup (125 mL) peeled beets
- Choose 1 protein source:
- ¾ cup (175 g) greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp (15 mL) hemp hearts
- 1 scoop protein powder
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Start with the smaller amount of water and add more as needed. For a thicker smoothie, add ice when blending. If the smoothie is too thick, add more water or other liquid of your choice.
Cucumber Pineapple Smoothie
- ½ cup-1 cup (125-250 mL) water
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) coconut milk (can sub other non-dairy milk of your choice)
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) cucumber
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) frozen pineapple
- 1 medium banana, frozen
- 1 cup (250 mL) spinach or kale
- Juice of 1 lime
- Choose 1 protein source:
- 2 Tbsp (15 mL) hemp hearts
- 1 scoop unflavoured protein powder
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Start with the smaller amount of water and add more as needed. For a thicker smoothie, add ice when blending. If the smoothie is too thick, add more water or other liquid of your choice.
Check out the LyfeMD app for more veggie packed smoothie recipes.
