I’m sure you know that old trick about freezing bananas that have seen better days. You hold onto them until the banana-bread bug bites you bad, and then you embark on a marathon baking session. Well, I’m a devotee of this method—it’s as if the freezer performs some magic to transform fruit that looks too ripe to even touch into an exotic delicacy.
But you know, bread isn’t all those bananas are good for—why not try a smoothie? A frozen banana makes an excellent any-smoothie base because it produces a rich, creamy texture that’s just like ice cream.
LIKE ice cream, but better.
That’s because smoothies are a great way to boost your nutritional intake and still feel like you’re getting away with something. Liquids make more nutrients available than solid food, and are absorbed faster, too. They’re also easier to digest and frequently more appetizing than solid food when you’re rushed, sick, pregnant, or just plain bored.
So grab your blender.
Drop in that banana, add some frozen fruit: flavor-wise, it’s hard to go wrong. Berries, stone fruits, grapes, citrus, and tropical fruit all contribute a tart, punchy kick that’s as intense and colorful as candy.
Now for the veggies.
Yup, that’s right—I said VEGGIES. Smoothies are a great way to use the fresh or frozen vegetables you have on hand. It may sound scary, but don’t run screaming from the blender just yet. Greens may have a big impact on the color of your drink, but they usually contribute a fairly delicate flavor, especially alongside all that sweet fruit. So toss in frozen vegetables like peas, broccoli pieces, or spinach by the handful. Their natural sweetness will make the vitamin boost completely painless.
You can also boost your smoothies by blending in your vitamin supplement, a scoop of wheat germ, a handful of nuts, a smear of nut butter, a chunk of fresh ginger, drizzles of honey or maple syrup, or spoonfuls of milled flaxseed, wheat germ, or ground cinnamon.
Now pour in a little juice, water, or yogurt to help it all liquefy and let ’er rip. Blend everything until smooth, and then taste a bit to see if you need to tweak the flavors or consistency. There are no hard and fast ratios or recipes. Just experiment with what you have and what you know you like.
Still feeling less than confident? Allow me to share a few of my favorite non-recipes:
Ruby Dream: Leftover cooked beets (go easy), frozen strawberries, apple juice, and fresh carrots (Just a note on beets: they, hmmm, walk out the same color as they walked in. So no smoothie-inspired 911 calls, k?)
Winnie Nielsen 
MaryJane 
Jane Sabbe 
Lesa Gottwalt 
Kathy 
Laurie Scott 
Mary Beth Schwarz 
Laurie Dimino 
Terry Steinmetz 
Megan 
Elizabeth 
Gerald 
Dee 
Marietta Dodson 
Eileen Widman 
Denise 
Wow, what a great list of smoothie ideas to try. The idea of adding veggies makes sense and fusions are ever so popular today in restaurants and in grocery stores. My favs on this list are Cherry Pie and Carrot Cake. I think I might have to wade into the water gently with the veggies. I love veggies , but not sure about them raw in smoothies? Perhaps, I just need to get brave and try the one with kale or peas.
You don’t have to juice the carrots first?
Nope.
Oh my, your comments about beets and 911 made me laugh. My veggie loving mother DESPISES beets with every ounce of her being and so we NEVER had them growing up. I didn’t have fresh beets until I was 30 and my friend sauted them. I ate so many… and screamed like a little girl in the bathroom later. My friend drinks an insane amount of water so she’d never really noticed the “orangeyness” herself – we were pretty sure I was dying of some sort of bizarre urine disease. 🙂
Guess what I had for lunch today? BEETIFUL beets. Yesterday I baked 8 big ole whole beets. Once they cooled off, I put them in the fridge. Today for lunch I peeled three of them (these were BIG OLE, so I ended up with a PILE o’magenta “sugar” cubes), cut up some companion raw cauliflower, laid a pile of almonds on the plate, and devoured every morsel. Pretty soon now, I’d be dialing 911 if I didn’t know beeter.