Here are my firsthand tips for how to make a smoothie with healthy components! In this step by step tutorial, you’ll learn how to build smoothies that are filling, nutritious, and tasty and meet your needs for weight loss, weight gain, or general health. After reading, take your pick from the best smoothie recipes on my site!
This post was originally published in June 2021. It was updated with additional information in July 2026.
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Lizzie’s Notes
As a veggie enthusiast, I love smoothies! They’re such a great option for consuming more vegetables and plant foods, especially for those who don’t like eating veggies.
However, I often hear from readers that they have a difficult time making a smoothie that tastes good and/or doesn’t leave them hungry shortly after they drink it. As a dietitian, that’s where I can help! To solve your smoothie woes, I put together this post on the anatomy of a healthy smoothie with plenty of firsthand tips.
Basic Smoothie Formula
While smoothies can be customized to your liking, here’s a basic formula to give you a place to start. Adjust the ratios as needed to achieve your desired thickness.
- Liquid: Pour ½ to 1 cup of liquid into your blender first.
- Vegetables: Use 1 to 2 cups.
- Fruit: Use 1 to 2 cups.
- Protein and/or fat: Add 2 tablespoons and up to ½ cup of ingredients with these nutrients. They also help thicken the smoothie.
- Boosters: Add flavor boosters or sweeteners to taste.
Example green smoothie (without yogurt, with water): 1 cup water + 1 cup baby spinach + ½ avocado + 1 scoop vanilla whey protein + 1 cup frozen mango + ½ frozen banana + 1 tablespoon lime juice (based on my Avocado Mango Smoothie with Spinach)
Example frozen fruit smoothie (with yogurt): ½ cup almond or cow’s milk + ½ cup plain or vanilla yogurt + 1 frozen banana + 1 cup frozen mixed berries
How to Build a Healthy Smoothie
If you stick to the basic formula of smoothie ingredients outlined above, you’ll be on the right path. Using vegetables and fruits in a smoothie is a no-brainer, but incorporating a fat or protein source is not as intuitive. However, these nutrients are key to making the smoothie filling! Here’s more information about what to choose for smoothies.
Choose a Liquid
Before you have your ingredients in the blender, pick a liquid. Cow’s milk and plant-based milks like oat, soy, and almond milk are good choices. Coconut milk, especially the full-fat kind from a can, adds flavor and creaminess. You can also use water or coconut water, which I prefer in smoothies that use hydrating veggies and fruits. Use ½ to one cup of liquid, and add more to promote blending as needed.
Pick a Vegetable
Leafy greens, especially spinach, blend well in smoothies, but they’re not the only option. You can also use cauliflower, carrots, celery, peas, beets, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and zucchini. Check out my post on the best vegetables for smoothies for the full list. Both fresh and frozen veggies can be used in smoothies. Add one to two cups of vegetables.
Add Protein and/or Healthy Fat
Including fat and protein in your smoothie will make it more filling, so you won’t feel hungry shortly after drinking it. This may be helpful for both losing weight (by preventing overconsumption later) and gaining weight (by adding calories).
These nutrients also help mitigate quick increases in blood sugar that are followed by energy crashes. Finally, fat can help you absorb more of the fat-soluble nutrients (like vitamins A, D, E, and K) in the veggies and fruits you add to your smoothies.
Sources of healthy fat for smoothies include avocado, chia seeds, hemp hearts, milled flaxseed, unsweetened coconut flakes, peanut butter, almond butter, and walnuts. Many of these options, like the nuts and seeds, also provide protein. Add Greek yogurt or whey protein powders to smoothies for an additional protein boost. Start with one to two tablespoons of nut butters, seeds, and coconut flakes, half of an avocado, a scoop of protein powder, and ½ to one cup of yogurt.
Pick a Fruit
Fruits help sweeten smoothies while providing fiber, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial plant compounds. The best fruits to use in a smoothie include bananas, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, mangos, pineapples, passionfruit, cherries, and apples. Frozen fruit yields a creamier texture and colder temperature without releasing as much liquid as fresh fruit, but you can use fresh too. Add one to two cups of fresh or frozen fruit.
Some people shy away from fruits because of their high carbohydrate and natural sugar content, which can increase blood sugar. This might be a concern if you drink smoothies made with just fruit, especially for individuals who need to watch their carbohydrate intake, such as those with diabetes.
However, adding fruits to smoothies in combination with foods that don’t raise blood sugar, like non-starchy vegetables and fats or proteins, will help minimize increases in blood sugar. So, don’t fear fruit if you’re following the tips in this post for how to make a smoothie!
Include a Flavor Booster
Now it’s time to boost the flavor of your smoothie! Some of my favorite options for increasing flavor include fresh herbs (like mint and basil), citrus juices, dates, honey, maple syrup, unsweetened cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Start with a teaspoon of flavor booster, then increase up to a tablespoon to taste.
How to Blend It
If you’re wondering how to make a smoothie that’s actually smooth and not too runny or chunky, pay attention to the order of ingredients in your blender. Layer them from soft to hard in this order:
- Liquid: You want this as close to the blade as possible to help lubricate it and promote blending.
- Protein powder (optional): If adding, put it in right after the liquid so it dissolves.
- Leafy greens, soft vegetables, and thickeners/boosters like avocado, yogurt, or nut butters: These are soft enough to blend easily without clogging up the blade. If you are using fresh instead of frozen fruit, you can add it at the same time as these ingredients.
- Frozen fruit and hard vegetables: Frozen fruit is typically the heaviest ingredient, so it should be added last to avoid being too close to the blade while simultaneously pushing all of the ingredients down to be blended. Vegetables that are not soft, such as beets (in my Strawberry Banana Beet Smoothie) and carrots (in my Vegan Carrot Banana Smoothie), should also be added last.
- Flavor boosters: A squeeze of juice, sprinkle of cinnamon, or drizzle of honey are light enough to be added on top.
Blend on low first for about 30 seconds, then increase speed to high until smooth. If it’s too thick and blending stalls, add splashes of water or liquid of choice until the blade moves easily and blending resumes.
Recommended Equipment
You can use any blender to make a smoothie. However, high-powered blenders handle fibrous vegetables better than others. My favorite tool for making smoothies is the NutriBullet. If I’m making a bigger batch, I prefer the Vitamix, since it can handle more ingredients at one time.
Tips and Tricks
- Preventing chunky smoothies: If you are using a blender that is not high-speed, add the liquid and vegetables to the blender first. Blend until smooth, then add the rest of the ingredients, and blend again. This will ensure the smoothie is as smooth as possible without chunks. Another option is to use softer ingredients that are easier to blend. For example, cooked beets blend more easily than raw ones. Love Beets makes pre-roasted beets, and canned beets are another good option.
- When to add ice cubes/tips for making a thicker smoothie: Add a few if you are using fresh instead of frozen fruit or if your smoothie ends up too thin or runny.
- How to make a smoothie bowl: If you want a thicker smoothie that you can eat with a spoon, add avocado, nut butters, chia seeds, milled flaxseed, and/or Greek yogurt and cut down on liquid. See my Mango Kale Smoothie Bowl for a tasty recipe.
- Preventing indigestion: Some people may experience indigestion, gas, or bloating after drinking smoothies, often as a result of drinking them too quickly and/or using a straw. To prevent these feelings, drink your smoothies slowly. Using steamed or cooked veggies, instead of raw ones, can also help prevent indigestion.
- Yield: About 1 cup of liquid and 1.5 to 2 cups of produce will yield a single, 16-ounce smoothie.
- Make-ahead and storage: Smoothies can be made ahead of time and kept in airtight glass jars or containers (without headspace) in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours. However, they taste best when consumed right away. To prevent browning, add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice before storing. If the ingredients separate during storage, shake the smoothie vigorously before drinking.
- Freezing smoothie ingredients: For another make-ahead solution, portion out 1 to 2 cups of fruit and 1 to 2 cups of greens and store in tightly sealed bags in the freezer. When you want a smoothie, pour your liquid into the blender, add the contents of the bag, and add any dry ingredients (powders, seeds, etc) or additional boosters that can’t be frozen (Greek yogurt, peanut butter, etc).
- How to make a smoothie for kids: Use mild-tasting vegetables, such as baby spinach, zucchini, or frozen cauliflower. Add fruits they already enjoy, and use whole milk as the liquid for fat and protein.
FAQs
- How do you freeze bananas for smoothies? Peel bananas then place in freezer bags (like Stasher) in a single layer. Break them in half first if you want to have the option to add a smaller amount to smoothies. Seal tightly, removing as much air as possible from the bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Can I blend frozen fruit without adding liquid? Since frozen fruit does not release liquid as quickly as fresh, it does not blend well in smoothies without adding liquid. Doing so can cause the blender to stall and damage the blade over time.
- How do you choose the best protein powder for smoothies? As a registered dietitian, I recommend protein powders that have minimal ingredients, have reputable certifications, are third party tested for quality and purity, and include high-quality protein that’s ideally a complete protein source with all essential amino acids. Some brands that fit this criteria include Simply Tera’s Organic Whey Protein, NorCal Organic Whey Protein, and Thorne Plant Protein.
- Can I make a smoothie ahead of time? Smoothies taste best and have the best texture (without separation) when consumed immediately after blending. If you want to make them in advance, keep in airtight glass jars in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
Smoothie Recipes
- Super Green Broccoli Smoothie
- Celery Smoothie with Apple and Banana
- Cherry Chocolate Cauliflower Smoothie
- Green Grapefruit Smoothie
- Collard Greens Smoothie
- Cucumber Smoothie with Pineapple and Banana
📖 Recipe
Basic Berry Spinach Smoothie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup loosely packed baby spinach
- 1 to 2 tablespoons peanut butter - preferably a natural brand with peanuts as the only ingredient
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 frozen banana
Instructions
- If using a high-speed blender, add ingredients to the blender in the order they are listed. Blend on low for 20 to 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and blend until smooth.
- If you are not using a high-speed blender, put the water, spinach, and peanut butter in that order in the blender first. Blend until smooth and no bits of spinach remain. Add the frozen berries and fruit, then blend again until smooth.
- Taste and adjust consistency as desired. Add splashes of water to thin or a few ice cubes (and blend again) for a thicker smoothie.
Ellen
This is just what I have been looking for as a smoothie recipe tutorial! I have one question, under the Pick a Fat and/or Protein section you mention the option of adding a protein powder. I’m overwhelmed by the plant based protein powder choices out there – and the expense! Do you have a recommendation for a plant based protein powder you like?
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Ellen, I’m so glad this post was helpful for you! In terms of protein powder, I do not usually use them, but I know of a few good brands, including Garden of Life Organic Plant Based Protein for Sport and Naked Pea Protein.
Johnson
I appreciate this post! I am someone who does not eat vegetables at all. I know, it’s bad. All these years. I am in my early 20’s and finally thought to myself, what if I can drink them? I’ve tried fruit and veggie smoothies before, and they aren’t bad! So, I’ve been doing tons of research and realized that consuming vegetables through smoothies is the way to go! Especially since I don’t eat them. Coming across this article has helped me so much! After reading this, I now feel prepared to start this journey! Thank you so much!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I am so glad to hear that this article was helpful! Best of luck on your journey. I hope you enjoy many veggie smoothies!