Smooth Criminal - Make smoothies part of your diet to capture essential nutrients

Smoothies are a great way to tackle post-workout nutrition. Plus it’s like drinking a milkshake without all of the bad fats and sugars.

Making smoothies is fast and easy if you plan ahead and prepare.

First, you’ll need a decent blender. Blenders like the Blendtec and Vitamix are supposed to be awesome, but at $300-500 it’s tough to justify the cost. I have the NINJA that I picked up at Bed, Bath, & Beyond for less than $150. Just don’t go cheap – you want your blender to be powerful and built to last.

Next, you’ll need ingredients of course. It’s best to keep a stock of smoothie ingredients on hand so you can always throw together a tasty concoction.

Liquid base: Almond milk, soy milk, coconut water/milk, etc. This will be the foundation of your drink.
Protein powder: Pump up your shake with protein to help muscle building and recovery after your workouts. I use Hemp Force, a plant -based protein from Onnit. Whey or soy proteins are other good options.
Fruits: Bananas, apples, frozen blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, etc.
Veggies: You can add things like spinach, kale or avocados. They really don’t have an impact on the taste but give you all sorts of healthy nutrients.
Good fats: Peanut butter, almond butter, coconut oil.
Extras: Chia, flax, almonds, green tea. Toss in one of these for an extra health boost.
Ice: If you don’t have an ice maker, you’ll want to have a couple of trays ready to go.
Cups and straws: I’m assuming you can track down the approiapte sized cup but don’t forget the straws.

Finally, you’ll need some recipes. I generally follow some basic recipes and adjust based on the ingredients that I have on hand. Nothing wrong with experimenting along the way. When you finally make the perfect smoothie, write it down and send us the recipe!

Here are a couple of recipes that I enjoy…

The Betterman Loaded Breakfast Shake