My Formula For the Perfect Smoothie

Smoothies are such a quick and easy way to get a healthy start to your day or a mid-day reboost. If you have a good smoothie formula to work from, you can whip them up any time with ingredients you have on hand.

I have my own smoothie formula I try to stick to when combining ingredients. It’s a helpful guideline to make sure I get a good combination of nutrients and the right ingredients for a smooth consistency.

a collage of graphics of food items and a blender needed to make a smoothie

Smoothie Formula

My smoothie formula looks more complicated than it is since the list includes several items. I don’t always include every item on the list, but I try to in order to get the most bang for my buck out of each smoothie.

Here’s what I try to include in each smoothie:

one soft fruit/vegetable (banana, avocado, pureed carrots)
two handfuls of fresh fruit (berries, peaches, mango, pineapple, cherries)
one handful of dark greens (spinach, kale, chard, collard greens)
2-4 T of protein powder
2-4 T of a binding ingredient (yogurt, nut butter, oats, flax or chia seeds)
1-2 cups of liquid, depending on how thick or thin you want it (milk, juice, coffee, tea, water)
Flavor enhancers (cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, agave nectar, extracts, cocoa powder)

Sometimes if I use a protein-rich binding ingredient like Greek yogurt or nut butter, I’ll skip the protein powder. I also skip the flavor enhancers a lot, though I do try to work in cinnamon as often as possible because it’s packed with health benefits.