Smoothie Makers, help!

[hydrangea1019]

I use frozen fruit (usually strawberries and mango, or mixed berries), a bit of plain Greek yogurt, half of a banana, and a bit of orange juice to thin it out. Yummy, satisfying, and the Greek yogurt helps it stick all morning.

ETA: I keep my bananas on the counter, until I cut it in half. Then I put it in a baggie to keep in the fridge for the following day.

[hydrangea1019]

Instead of the orange juice I use, you could use coconut milk. I've never used protein powder, but maybe just add it in.

Smoothies are kind of a 'try until you make it good' kinda thing in my mind. Just keep experimenting and you'll find what you like

For the banana keep it in the peel and it won't run brown. Just cut it with a knife first and then only peel the half you're going to use.

[BabyStandish]

Target has a "tropical" frozen fruit bag in the freezer section that has mangoes, pineapple, and banana.

My go to is:

1 cup kale (sorry lol you can just skip this one)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup yogurt
1-2 tbsp peanut butter
1 banana
1/3ish cup frozen fruit
1 teaspoon of honey

[dashook]

Odd that you had a bad experience with freezing your bananas. I always make my smoothies with a frozen banana because it blends up creamy and I like that it adds coldness without the wateriness that adding ice can result in. Did you peel them before freezing? Were they really overripe?

If you're not totally off of the frozen bananas, my favorite and most delicious easy recipe is 1 cup orange or pineapple juice, 1 frozen banana, 3/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (or mango works really well too). If you ever want to try it green you can also add 1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach on the top. It's so good!

Also, I have to say that I have never had a good smoothie with protein powder. I have tried so many different kinds and no matter what, it always tastes chalky. You could try using other ingredients like peanut butter or hemp seeds to boost the nutritional value. I've done 1 cup almond milk, 1 frozen banana (I really am all about these, apparently), 2 tbsp. peanut butter, and 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and it's frickin' amazing.

[dashook]

Jan 26, 2016 21:18:10 GMT -5 ****** said:

Jan 26, 2016 21:15:41 GMT -5 dashook said:

Odd that you had a bad experience with freezing your bananas. I always make my smoothies with a frozen banana because it blends up creamy and I like that it adds coldness without the wateriness that adding ice can result in. Did you peel them before freezing? Were they really overripe?

If you're not totally off of the frozen bananas, my favorite and most delicious easy recipe is 1 cup orange or pineapple juice, 1 frozen banana, 3/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (or mango works really well too). If you ever want to try it green you can also add 1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach on the top. It's so good!

Also, I have to say that I have never had a good smoothie with protein powder. I have tried so many different kinds and no matter what, it always tastes chalky. You could try using other ingredients like peanut butter or hemp seeds to boost the nutritional value. I've done 1 cup almond milk, 1 frozen banana (I really am all about these, apparently), 2 tbsp. peanut butter, and 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and it's frickin' amazing.

H froze the whole bundle. With peels, still attached to each other!! Itvwascpointkess nightmare to peel. I'll give them another shot because I have 5 more in freezer. I asked him to peel and slice first, but he didn't!

Lol ugh I can only imagine how annoying they were to peel!  

So while I do think it's more common for people to peel and slice their bananas before freezing, I actually freeze mine whole and then just break them in half before throwing them in the blender.  I don't have a super fancy or high powered blender or anything, but it's a decent one, so if yours is pretty reliable you can save some time on the slicing part.  You owe yourself after what you went through with this last bunch

ETF words

[wannabmama]

I love pretty much anything in smoothie form...a current favorite is: strawberry, banana, dates, and almond butter (sometimes I add almond milk or plain Greek yogurt).
Frozen bananas are a nice trick but if you use frozen fruits otherwise you can usually get a good cold smoothie without watering it down.

[wannabmama]

Jan 26, 2016 22:12:52 GMT -5 ****** said:

Jan 26, 2016 22:07:13 GMT -5 wannabmama said:

I love pretty much anything in smoothie form...a current favorite is: strawberry, banana, dates, and almond butter (sometimes I add almond milk or plain Greek yogurt).
Frozen bananas are a nice trick but if you use frozen fruits otherwise you can usually get a good cold smoothie without watering it down.

dates?? For sweetness?

Yup, exactly! They're a good way to thicken and sweeten without any added sugar. They also provide good fiber...

[ohinvrtedworld]

My fave is a green smoothie, but I'm sure you could omit the green part:

- Handful of baby spinach
- Half a frozen banana
- Scoop of fresh pineapple chunks
- Squeeze about half a small lime's juice in
- A teeny bit of fresh or powdered ginger
- Almond milk up about 3/4 of the side of the other ingredients

In regards to you mentioning peanut butter, it may sound odd, but I am OBSESSED with peanut butter strawberry smoothies. Kinda like a fresher peanut butter and jelly? I just do peanut butter (or I use PB2 in smoothies, powdered peanut butter with less fat), frozen strawberries, a little bit of banana for creaminess, and almond milk. It's divine.

[ohinvrtedworld]

If you don't love frozen banana for some reason but don't want to water the smoothie down with ice, I've frozen Greek yogurt in ice cube trays before so you can pop some of those in the smoothie to make it cold and creamy.

[peaseblossom55]

Jan 26, 2016 21:15:41 GMT -5 dashook said:

Odd that you had a bad experience with freezing your bananas. I always make my smoothies with a frozen banana because it blends up creamy and I like that it adds coldness without the wateriness that adding ice can result in. Did you peel them before freezing? Were they really overripe?

If you're not totally off of the frozen bananas, my favorite and most delicious easy recipe is 1 cup orange or pineapple juice, 1 frozen banana, 3/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (or mango works really well too). If you ever want to try it green you can also add 1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach on the top. It's so good!

Also, I have to say that I have never had a good smoothie with protein powder. I have tried so many different kinds and no matter what, it always tastes chalky. You could try using other ingredients like peanut butter or hemp seeds to boost the nutritional value. I've done 1 cup almond milk, 1 frozen banana (I really am all about these, apparently), 2 tbsp. peanut butter, and 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and it's frickin' amazing.

I do a similar smoothie but instead of cocoa powder I use chocolate soy protein. I love them.

[easilyunamused]

My go to smoothie is

Frozen mixed berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry)
Banana
Spinach
Kale
Plain whey protein
Coconut water

It doesn't taste "green" to me.

MH loves putting peanut butter in his smoothies. I'm not a fan.

[butlerfan]

We are just starting to get into this as well...I'll read and post later but I hate bananas and not a fan of tropical fruits....suggestions on a smoothie recipe for that

[Deleted]

Jan 27, 2016 0:08:49 GMT -5 butlerfan said:

We are just starting to get into this as well...I'll read and post later but I hate bananas and not a fan of tropical fruits....suggestions on a smoothie recipe for that

H's favorite is mixed berry, vanilla, or plain greek yogurt, frozen berries (the bag we usually get has black berries, raspberries, and blueberries in it (I think)), milk, and whey protein powder depending on mood. 

I've also been known to throw in leftover jello for sweetness. 

[mosdub]

I loved to buy Pomegranate juice and put a little splash into the smoothie. Pom juice is really high calorie so it's not as practical to drink solo but it gives your smoothie a tart flavor. If you don't like tart though, I wouldn't try!

[wannabmama]

Another weird but good mix in is oatmeal! It makes it really hearty. You can just dump em into just about any normal smoothie, but I really like this one:
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for dusting
Pinch of turmeric
1 apple, cored and roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 fresh date, pitted and chopped (optional)
Ice cubes

[hydrangea1019]

Jan 26, 2016 22:07:13 GMT -5 wannabmama said:

I love pretty much anything in smoothie form...a current favorite is: strawberry, banana, dates, and almond butter (sometimes I add almond milk or plain Greek yogurt).
Frozen bananas are a nice trick but if you use frozen fruits otherwise you can usually get a good cold smoothie without watering it down.

I totally forgot about dates.... Yum!! They're good in smoothies

[notagoddess]

I love putting avocados in smoothies. It makes it rich and creamy like a milkshake. Here are several ideas with avocado:

Ripe avocado
Banana
Milk

Ripe avocado
Handful of spinach
Frozen peaches
Ginger
Soy milk

[notagoddess]

+1 to oatmeal in smoothies. I like this a lot:

Frozen berries
Vanilla yogurt
Scoop of quick oats
Milk

[notagoddess]

Also I agree with smoothies being one of those things you just experiment with. Since setting up my blender I've had a different smoothie every day. You basically need:

Fruit or vegetables:
Banana
Frozen fruit mixes
Mangoes
Avocados
Spinach or kale
Whatever else

Liquid:
Milk
Coconut water
Juice
Almond / soy / rice / cashew milk

Optional:
Peanut butter
Nuts
Yogurt
Oatmeal
Protein powder
Dates
Sweetener

[spicysalmonroll]

Everyone is all healthy with their soy and protein and I'm over here like "so I'm the only one who uses chocolate" hahah.

Ice
skim milk
strawberries
Hershey's chocolate syrup

It's definitely more milkshake family than fruit smoothie but sometimes you just need that!

[BabyStandish]

Jan 26, 2016 21:16:03 GMT -5 ****** said:

Jan 26, 2016 21:10:50 GMT -5 BabyStandish said:

Target has a "tropical" frozen fruit bag in the freezer section that has mangoes, pineapple, and banana.

My go to is:

1 cup kale (sorry lol you can just skip this one)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup yogurt
1-2 tbsp peanut butter
1 banana
1/3ish cup frozen fruit
1 teaspoon of honey

hmmm, I'm intrigued by peanut butter in a smoothie.

Peanut butter is soooo good. I accidentally got the crunchy kind so once in awhile I get a piece of a peanut It's like a little surprise. 

[notagoddess]

Jan 26, 2016 21:15:41 GMT -5 dashook said:

Odd that you had a bad experience with freezing your bananas. I always make my smoothies with a frozen banana because it blends up creamy and I like that it adds coldness without the wateriness that adding ice can result in. Did you peel them before freezing? Were they really overripe?

If you're not totally off of the frozen bananas, my favorite and most delicious easy recipe is 1 cup orange or pineapple juice, 1 frozen banana, 3/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries (or mango works really well too). If you ever want to try it green you can also add 1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach on the top. It's so good!

Also, I have to say that I have never had a good smoothie with protein powder. I have tried so many different kinds and no matter what, it always tastes chalky. You could try using other ingredients like peanut butter or hemp seeds to boost the nutritional value. I've done 1 cup almond milk, 1 frozen banana (I really am all about these, apparently), 2 tbsp. peanut butter, and 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and it's frickin' amazing.

I made this for lunch today (with an unfrozen banana) and it was so freaking good.