Smoothies are one of our favourite no-fuss recipes. They are super easy to make and you can pack them full of goodness. A key characteristic of a smoothie is its wonderfully smooth texture and thick consistency – but this is not always as easy to achieve as first meets the eye. You might find that your smoothies are a tad watery sometimes, besides being underwhelming, this can also leave you hungry again in less than a couple hours!
We’ve gathered some ingredients that you can add to your smoothies to bulk them out, improve their texture and keep you fuller for longer.
Go Bananas
It’s almost like bananas were made just to go in smoothies. From leafy green to chocolatey and peanut buttery, there isn’t a smoothie that can’t be improved with a banana. They add a subtly sweet flavour without stealing the spotlight, and immediately improve its texture – even if you’ve opted for water over milk! A ripe banana will give you that perfect creaminess whilst a frozen banana provides a texture similar to ice cream. The choice is yours!
Creamy Avocado
Making a green smoothie? Add avo. With a neutral flavour and creamy texture, they will give you that luscious consistency your green smoothie might be missing. Better yet, avos are super nutritious, providing a source of vitamin C, B, E and Omega 3 fatty acids. An overall health hero supporting immunity and energy. Try out this Creamy Wheatgrass Smoothie recipe.
Rolled Oats
The trick here is to grind up your oats using a blender rather than adding them to your smoothie whole. This will bulk out your smoothie whilst also providing protein, fibre, antioxidants, manganese, magnesium and copper. And you know what that means – energy, immunity, and protection from oxidative stress. Teamed up with some superfoods like cacao, hemp protein, and maca and you’ll be closing in on your RDI for several essential nutrients in one quick meal!
Plant Power - Protein Powder
Even with just milk/water and protein powder you get a relatively thick and delicious shake -that’s why adding protein to a smoothie will truly take it up a notch.
Along with great texture, protein powder also provides delicious flavour and yes, you guessed it, protein! If you’re looking to fuel an active lifestyle there’s few more important nutrients than protein. Muscle recovery, maintenance, and growth – we need to nurture our muscles so they can propel us through the adventures life throws at us.
We have a range of 100% plant-based protein powders with natural flavours, wholesome ingredients, smooth textures, and absolutely no fillers. 5 uniquely delicious flavours – chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana and berry. They’re a perfect low-cal, low-sugar smoothie sweetener.
Superseeds - chia and flax
Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and a range of minerals, these superseeds also possess a magical thickening power. Both are highly absorbent creating a ‘gel’ when added to liquids – this is why they’re substituted for eggs in vegan baking! But this also means just one or two tablespoons left for 10-15 minutes will thicken up your smoothie. Try it out, your smoothie might just ex-seed your expectations ;)
Sweet potato
Out of all the healthy smoothie thickeners mentioned on this list, sweet potato might be the biggest surprise. Surely, potato in a smoothie slightly far-fetched? We don’t think so. With the nutrients held in sweet potatoes we’d add it to pretty much anything… But seriously, to get it right you’ll only need about half a cup of cooked, pureed sweet potato. This will transform the consistency of your smoothie. Be careful not to add too much though, otherwise your smoothie become too thick for gravity to deliver it to your mouth.
