Current Obsession | The Nutribullet and Smoothies

You have probably seen at least one of our social media posts of late, featuring a smoothie. Since buying a Nutribullet in late December, Sean and I have become somewhat smoothie obsessed! It is true what everybody says about the Nutribullet; the little gadget is life changing. While I have not yet got around to designing my own smoothie recipes, I have a handful on rotation that feature regularly in our household (primarily sourced from Jessica Sepel’s ‘A Healthy Life’).

Step 1: The Basics

There a few core ingredients that I would recommend having in the fridge and pantry if you are to pick up a daily smoothie habit:
• Vanilla protein powder – this is a fabulous base for most smoothie recipes and is particularly great if you are substituting the smoothie as a meal;
• Frozen berries and bananas – I bulk buy berries and bananas at the start of the week and freeze these for the days ahead. Not only does it ensure you constantly have a supply (that has not over-ripened in the summer heat) but the inclusion of frozen fruit really amps up the taste in the smoothie;
• A superfood ingredient, such as chia seeds – these little miracle seeds increase the amount of fiber, helping keep one fuller, for longer;
• Unsweetened almond milk – without going into the dairy debate, I find almond milk is the perfect liquid to add an element of creaminess to a smoothie;
• Ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper;
• A selection of fresh fruit and leaves in the fridge – my go-to is lemon, green apples, baby spinach and fresh mint.

Step 2: Layering the Nutribullet ingredients

Obviously, for Instagram-perfect pics. Jokes! This step is very important as it ultimately affects how the smoothie is blended by the blades in the Nutribullet.
Always start with the items that require the least blending, such as the spinach leaves, followed by powders, cut fruit (fresh, then frozen) and lastly the ice. Never fill the ingredients and liquid past the “max” line on the cup. I find the tall cup is perfect for Sean’s morning smoothies where I chuck in his post-workout supplements.

Step 3: My tried and tested recipes

The Green One (the best morning pick up me!)

This is my variation of Jessica’s “Glorious Green Smoothie” – I dropped the kale (I’m sorry who actually likes this stuff?!) – and added a pinch of cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper supposedly helps kick start the metabolism.

• Cup of spinach
• Small handful of mint leaves
• Half a green apple (cored)
• Half a frozen banana
• Teaspoon of chia seeds
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Squeeze of lemon
• 3 ice cubes
• Just less than a cup of water

Blend very well! I despise finding chunky bits of spinach in my drink, so I blend into the Nutribullet until there are no ‘particles’ to be seen. The hint of mint and lemon make this the most refreshing way to start the morning; it has also automatically reduced my coffee consumption in the mornings.

The Best Protein Smoothie

Again adapted from JSHealth – name. I make this smoothie for Sean every morning after his workout: and is ideal for him as he can’t stomach a proper breakfast until 9am, so at least it gets his metabolism going for the day. The original recipe calls for stevia to be added, but I think the inclusion of the berries and banana make it perfectly sweet enough already.

• Scoop of vanilla protein powder
• Half a cup of baby spinach
• Half a frozen banana
• Handful of frozen berries (I think blueberries work the best)
• Teaspoon of chia seeds
• Ground cinnamon powder
• 3 ice cubes
• 1 cup of almond milk/water (I usually work on 50:50 ratio)

This recipe is too delicious for words. It never comes out tasting the exact same, or even the same colour, but I have not ever made one that has not been incredibly tasty.

The 10am Snack

A smoothie at 10am is the most perfect mid-morning snack – I blend just before I leave the house and pop it into the fridge as soon as I get to work. This is based on Jessica’s ‘slim down smoothie’ but I’ve added berries.

• Scoop of vanilla protein powder
• Handful of berries (fresh or frozen)
• Ground cinnamon
• Teaspoon of chia seeds
• 3 ice cubes
• 1 cup of almond milk/water

This very simple smoothie is a great base for experimenting with flavours and ingredients.

An ode to the Tasha’s Peanut Butter Smoothie

Last September I discover the Tasha’s peanut butter smoothie, immediately captivated with the taste. The best thing about having the Nutribullet is being able to make something almost-as-good as the café version at home. I save this as a treat; to me it is a milkshake replacement!

• Vanilla protein powder (optional)
• Full banana (fresh or frozen)
• 1-2 teaspoons of peanut butter (Woolies’ no added sugar version has my heart)
• Teaspoon of chia seeds
• Ground cinnamon
• ½ -1 of almond milk (depending on desired thickness)
• 3 ice cubes

The Tasha’s smoothie included agave syrup (which you could add) and probably good-old-fashioned sugar-added peanut butter which is why I love making this at home 🙂 Sprinkle with some more cinnamon, serve in a glass and enjoy!

As you can see, my “base” ingredients are all used multiple times in the above recipes, which means I am not wasting food (or money) during the week! If you have any fabulous smoothie recipes to share, please do; I am always in the market for new recipes (as I said to Ilaria: “I make, I don’t create!”).

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