Smoothies rock and they make the world a better place.
Sweeping generalization? Maybe.
Biased? Almost definitely.
Awesome statement? Uh... Yeah!
This post is about my lifelong obsession with the smoothie, and my analysis of its constituent parts; A practical guide for creating quality smoothies for losing weight, gaining mass, or simply pleasure, whenever you want with minimal effort.
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| Liquid awesome |
Why I love smoothies
2. Nutritionally dense: Being composed of many ingredients simultaneously, smoothies pack a serious nutritional punch, and the ingredients can be tailored to match your dietary needs (eg: a diet with more protein, no milk, more fruit, etc..)
3. Simply delicious: Although I've been known to consume the most random things to satisfy my nutritional requirements (at one point during heavy training 5 raw eggs and a handful of raw spinach before bed every day for a week), I also love smoothies because they taste awesome!
Note: I realize this goes without saying, but I'm saying it anyway. There's no use knowing how to make the perfect smoothie without a blender or some sort of handheld blending device. If you own one, congratulations, this post will benefit you. If you don't, read on and I hope I can convince you to invest in one of these marvelous contraptions, or at the very least make you laugh with my bumbling musings.
The problem with most people when it comes to consistently making smoothies daily is that they lack a smoothie routine. The sheer volume of potential smoothie recipes can be daunting and there is a danger of over-thinking it, reducing smoothie making abilities to near zero levels.
Following individual smoothie recipes is an option, but this usually results in a lack of diversity and low smoothie compliance (the consistent consumption of smoothies throughout life). An individual rigidly purchasing ingredients for a specific smoothie recipe often gets sick of making the same smoothie every day. There is no flexibility in the recipe-based form of smoothie preparation. Also, the smoothie loving individual is often not conditioned to meet the ever changing demands of the cut-throat smoothie world, crushing the motivation to continue the humble but powerful smoothie lifestyle.
The result? A once glorious blender suffering an ignominious demise in a dark corner of the cupboard collecting dust, never to be seen or used again. All the while shadowed by the empty husk of a person once imbued with the glorious light of smoothie joy, now wallowing in the pain of a life without blended awesomeness.
'Tis a sad situation, but, thankfully, easily remedied! The solution? Dissecting the smoothie.
I enjoy delicious smoothies almost everyday. From my experience and observations, I've concluded that a smoothie is made up of 5 parts: I call them:
1. The Froster: This is any ingredient that adds a frozen or cold element to the mix, such as frozen berries, or ice.
2. The Thickener: This is any ingredient that adds thickness to the mix, a fluid thats not so, well... fluidy, such as yoghurt, or cottage cheese.
3. The Volumizer: This is any ingredient that adds liquid volume to the mix, such as milk, coconut milk, juice, soymilk, or water.
4. The Freshness Maker: Any fresh ingredient, most often fresh fruit, but can include vegetables such as banana, kiwi, strawberry, melon, cucumber, carrots, spinach.
5. The Wild Card: This spices up the mix and gives the smoothie that certain je ne sais quoi, effectively hyping it up to the max. This could be protein powder, peanut butter, honey, nuts, seeds, or any other dietary supplement added to the mix.
1. Bearing these concepts in mind, the next time you go to the store, don't follow a specific smoothie recipe. Instead, think, of the dimensions: "I need a froster, a volumizer, and some sort of wild card today.."
"As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Remember, principles almost always beat methods in developing habits and skills.
2. Its important to note, that essential aspects to this are the froster and the volumizer. Without either of these, your smoothie will end up either not cold, or with a cement-like texture, both of which are severely un-drinkable. In fact, its possible to create a smoothie with only these dimensions. Take, for example, fruit juice (volumizer) and a handful of frozen berries (froster), thereby creating a thick juice concoction bursting with antioxidants, vitamins, and general awesomeness.
3. Most of these can be stored in the freezer. For convenience, buy ingredients in the froster dimension in bulk and store in the freezer (duh!). Some volumizers such as coconut milk, are usually canned and can be stored. You will have to buy freshmakers every other day as well as some volumizers. Most wild cards can be stored. Think of what you can buy in bulk and do so. The benefits of having to purchase freshmakers daily is in adding variety to the mix, and well, the freshness obviously!
Here are a few of my favorite smoothies I make regularly, related to the 5 smoothie dimensions:
Note: I never measure out amounts because its boring and I can never be bothered to do it. I simply experiment with amounts that seem right to me and that I like. Everyone's different, so why should we follow the same recipes? Find out what you like and make it, that's the beauty of the smoothie lifestyle!
5 minute Breakfast:
1. The Froster: Frozen blueberries
2. The Thickener: Vanilla yoghurt
3. The Volumizer: Milk
4. The Freshness Maker: Banana
5. The Wild Card: Coco quinoa
3. Simply delicious: Although I've been known to consume the most random things to satisfy my nutritional requirements (at one point during heavy training 5 raw eggs and a handful of raw spinach before bed every day for a week), I also love smoothies because they taste awesome!
Note: I realize this goes without saying, but I'm saying it anyway. There's no use knowing how to make the perfect smoothie without a blender or some sort of handheld blending device. If you own one, congratulations, this post will benefit you. If you don't, read on and I hope I can convince you to invest in one of these marvelous contraptions, or at the very least make you laugh with my bumbling musings.
Smoothie compliance
The problem with most people when it comes to consistently making smoothies daily is that they lack a smoothie routine. The sheer volume of potential smoothie recipes can be daunting and there is a danger of over-thinking it, reducing smoothie making abilities to near zero levels.
Following individual smoothie recipes is an option, but this usually results in a lack of diversity and low smoothie compliance (the consistent consumption of smoothies throughout life). An individual rigidly purchasing ingredients for a specific smoothie recipe often gets sick of making the same smoothie every day. There is no flexibility in the recipe-based form of smoothie preparation. Also, the smoothie loving individual is often not conditioned to meet the ever changing demands of the cut-throat smoothie world, crushing the motivation to continue the humble but powerful smoothie lifestyle.
The result? A once glorious blender suffering an ignominious demise in a dark corner of the cupboard collecting dust, never to be seen or used again. All the while shadowed by the empty husk of a person once imbued with the glorious light of smoothie joy, now wallowing in the pain of a life without blended awesomeness.
'Tis a sad situation, but, thankfully, easily remedied! The solution? Dissecting the smoothie.
I enjoy delicious smoothies almost everyday. From my experience and observations, I've concluded that a smoothie is made up of 5 parts: I call them:
The 5 Dimensions to Smoothie Mastery
1. The Froster: This is any ingredient that adds a frozen or cold element to the mix, such as frozen berries, or ice.
2. The Thickener: This is any ingredient that adds thickness to the mix, a fluid thats not so, well... fluidy, such as yoghurt, or cottage cheese.
3. The Volumizer: This is any ingredient that adds liquid volume to the mix, such as milk, coconut milk, juice, soymilk, or water.
4. The Freshness Maker: Any fresh ingredient, most often fresh fruit, but can include vegetables such as banana, kiwi, strawberry, melon, cucumber, carrots, spinach.
5. The Wild Card: This spices up the mix and gives the smoothie that certain je ne sais quoi, effectively hyping it up to the max. This could be protein powder, peanut butter, honey, nuts, seeds, or any other dietary supplement added to the mix.
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| "Stop trying to drink me and drink me!" |
Practical tips and actionable steps toward smoothie joy
1. Bearing these concepts in mind, the next time you go to the store, don't follow a specific smoothie recipe. Instead, think, of the dimensions: "I need a froster, a volumizer, and some sort of wild card today.."
"As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Remember, principles almost always beat methods in developing habits and skills.
2. Its important to note, that essential aspects to this are the froster and the volumizer. Without either of these, your smoothie will end up either not cold, or with a cement-like texture, both of which are severely un-drinkable. In fact, its possible to create a smoothie with only these dimensions. Take, for example, fruit juice (volumizer) and a handful of frozen berries (froster), thereby creating a thick juice concoction bursting with antioxidants, vitamins, and general awesomeness.
3. Most of these can be stored in the freezer. For convenience, buy ingredients in the froster dimension in bulk and store in the freezer (duh!). Some volumizers such as coconut milk, are usually canned and can be stored. You will have to buy freshmakers every other day as well as some volumizers. Most wild cards can be stored. Think of what you can buy in bulk and do so. The benefits of having to purchase freshmakers daily is in adding variety to the mix, and well, the freshness obviously!
Personal faves
Note: I never measure out amounts because its boring and I can never be bothered to do it. I simply experiment with amounts that seem right to me and that I like. Everyone's different, so why should we follow the same recipes? Find out what you like and make it, that's the beauty of the smoothie lifestyle!
5 minute Breakfast:
1. The Froster: Frozen blueberries
2. The Thickener: Vanilla yoghurt
3. The Volumizer: Milk
4. The Freshness Maker: Banana
5. The Wild Card: Coco quinoa
Detox bomb:
1. The Froster: Ice
2. The Thickener: None
3. The Volumizer: Orange Juice
4. The Freshness Maker: Avocado, Pineapple *
5. The Wild Card: None
*Notice how I have more than one in The Freshness maker. No problem!
Pina colada post workout hit:
1. The Froster: Ice
2. The Thickener: None
3. The Volumizer: Coconut milk
4. The Freshness Maker: Banana, Pineapple
5. The Wild Card: Chilled green tea*
*Although this also acts as a Volumizer, the exotic nature of the ingredient compelled me to label it Wild Card.
Lacto Hell No:
1. The Froster: Ice
2. The Thickener: None
3. The Volumizer: Orange Juice
4. The Freshness Maker: Avocado, Pineapple *
5. The Wild Card: None
*Notice how I have more than one in The Freshness maker. No problem!
Pina colada post workout hit:
1. The Froster: Ice
2. The Thickener: None
3. The Volumizer: Coconut milk
4. The Freshness Maker: Banana, Pineapple
5. The Wild Card: Chilled green tea*
*Although this also acts as a Volumizer, the exotic nature of the ingredient compelled me to label it Wild Card.
Lacto Hell No:
1. The Froster: Ice, Frozen rasberries
2. The Thickener: None
3. The Volumizer: Coconut milk
4. The Freshness Maker: None
5. The Wild Card: Fresh spinach*
*Ok, I know this sounds weird, but you can hardly taste it, and spinach is an excellent source of protein in plants!
Funky and Fresh:
1. The Froster: Frozen rasberries
2. The Thickener: Vanilla yoghurt
3. The Volumizer: Apple juice, Mango juice
4. The Freshness Maker: Banana
5. The Wild Card: None
Ultimate mass gainer:
1. The Froster: Frozen mixed berries
2. The Thickener: Cottage cheese, Melon Yoghurt
3. The Volumizer: Full fat milk
4. The Freshness Maker: Banana
5. The Wild Card: Organic Peanut Butter, Vanilla Whey protein powder
Summary
The Froster, The Thickener, The Volumizer, The Freshness Maker, The Wild Card
Remember, this is the formation of a new habit. Give it time.
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| Hat-trick smoothie love |
So, why spend another minute not drinking an awesome smoothie... when you could be drinking an awesome smoothie?
I rest my case.
