A smoothie is a beverage made by pureeing ingredients in a blender. A smoothie commonly has a liquid base, such as fruit juice or milk, yogurt, ice cream or cottage cheese.

Other ingredients may be added, including fruits, vegetables, non-dairy milk, crushed ice, whey powder or nutritional supplements.A smoothie is a thick and creamy beverage and made from a variety of ingredients placed in a blender. The ingredients are pureed until you have a smooth concoction. One of the most excellent features of smoothies is that they can contain whatever is desired. Typical ingredients include:

Fruits

Vegetables

Yogurt

Seeds

Nuts

Juice

Milk or water

Protein powder

Spices

The following are five potential health benefits of drinking smoothies.

1. Increases consumption of fruits and vegetables

Eating enough fruits and vegetables is crucial to good health. One to two or three cups a day of each can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of developing some types of cancers, lower the risk of developing diabetes, and reduce cardiovascular and stroke risk.

2. Increases fiber intake

Fiber helps the digestive system and may help reduce the chances of developing heart disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. Some high fiber foods to add to smoothies include raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, pears, apples, bananas, dark leafy green vegetables, chia seeds, sunflower kernels, ground flaxseed, and almond butter, to name just a few.

3. Can be a meal replacement

If on a weight loss program, smoothies made with healthy ingredients can replace a meal and provide essential nutrients. If you are too busy to eat and cook regular meals and want to avoid fast foods, prepare a container of smoothie ahead of time for quick consumption.

4. Can provide a nutritional balance of fats, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals

The key to achieving nutritional balance in a smoothie is to use fruits and vegetables as the primary ingredients, enhanced with healthy fats in seeds, nuts or nut butter, and protein.

5. Helps manage food cravings

One of the benefits of drinking smoothies for breakfast is that they can provide a source of energy and protein. Research studies have found that higher protein intake makes people feel fuller and reduces food cravings later in the day. Proteins are complex molecules that take longer to break down than carbohydrates, so they provide longer-lasting energy.

Protein also helps prevent muscle loss when losing weight on a calorie-restricted diet, making high-protein smoothies a great weight-loss food. Many people add protein powder made from plants, milk, or eggs to their smoothies. High protein ingredients include almonds and other nuts, peanut butter, flax seeds, soy milk, and tofu, to name a few.

Fruit, Vegetable, and Nut Smoothie

1 cup blueberries

1 banana cut into chunks

1 cup chopped spinach

2/3 cup 1-percent milk

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon of honey

1 tablespoon sunflower seeds or ground flax seed

Once again, all you need to do is place all the ingredients in a blender. Then puree until you get the desired consistency.