There’s more than one way to make a tasty and nutritious smoothie. In fact, the combinations are seemingly endless! The matrix below is a guide for making a basic green smoothie, including some of the more commonly used ingredients. Simply choose at least one ingredient from each column, blend, and enjoy a nutritious breakfast, snack or even dessert!

A few notes:

• Ripe, frozen bananas make a great smoothie base, adding a sweet flavor and creamy texture. Try using one banana and half a cup of other fruit. If you don’t like bananas, use a cup of one or more of the other types of fruit listed.
• If you’re shy about greens, try starting with 1 cup instead of 2, but be sure to use a whole cup of liquid.
• If you don’t have a high-powered blender (like a Vitamix or Blendtec), try blending the liquid and greens together before adding the frozen fruit. This will ensure a smooth consistency and make the mixture easier to blend.
• Feel free to use as many add-in’s as you like! They’re a great way to add flavor and extra nutritional punch to your smoothie.
• This matrix is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all possible smoothie ingredients. Once you’ve mastered the basic smoothie, don’t be afraid to experiment with other ingredients like avocados, carrots, tofu, soy yogurt, kiwis, apples, and other greens!

And finally, here’s my favorite combination!

The “Doesn’t Taste Green” Smoothie:

• ½ cup plain or unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 cups organic baby spinach
• 1 frozen banana
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• 1 T raw cacao powder
• 1 T mesquite powder
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 scoop vegan protein powder

Do you have an especially delicious or unique smoothie combination? Share it with us!