12 Healthy Smoothies You Can Make At Home

Smoothies are considered to have become popular in the USA after the blender came into existence in the 1920s. But they seem to have existed in the Mediterranean and Eastern cultures much before that – as pureed fruit drinks.
For the uninitiated, a smoothie is a creamy, cold beverage made by blending whole fruits or vegetables along with cream or yogurt. Thicker than a fruit juice, a glass of smoothie is a great way to not only kick-start your day but also have as a meal. A smoothie also has more fibre than a glass of juice, making you feel fuller for a longer period of time.
So, whether you’re pressed for time or looking to pack in a punch with breakfast, these 12 easy-to-make smoothies will sort you out.

1) Banana smoothie

A classic loved by most, this smoothie is an energy-booster packed with protein, fibre and potassium.

What you need:
2 bananas
Yogurt
Half-cup milk or almond milk
Flax meal
Vanilla extract

Blend all the ingredients in a blender. If you prefer a thicker consistency, use frozen bananas and for a thinner concoction, add more milk. Keen on banana smoothie with a twist? Add in honey, strawberry or peanut butter.

2) Berry Smoothie

Loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C, copper and manganese, berries are also good for skin.

What you need:
1 cup frozen raspberries
¾ cup milk or almond milk
¼ cup frozen cherries
¼ cup frozen blackberries
¼ cup frozen strawberries
11/2 tablespoons honey

Blend the berries with milk till the mixture turns smooth. Then, add honey. Garnish with a mint leaf or pieces of berries.

3) Peach Mango Smoothie

While peach is considered to help reduce weight, mangoes are supposed to be good for digestion. This tropical-flavoured smoothie makes for a refreshing summer drink.

What you need:
2 frozen peaches
1 frozen mango
1 frozen banana
¾ cup milk
¼ cup yogurt
1 tablespoon honey

Peel the mango and peaches. Cut them in cubes. Blend with banana, yogurt and milk till you get a smooth paste. Add honey and blend again. Garnish with banana slices or mango chunks.

4) Avocado Smoothie

If you thought avocado was just a topping for toast, think again. Avocadoes not only offer a silken texture to smoothies but pack in health benefits as well. The green-hued magic potion is a good source of fibre, protein and healthy fat.

What you need:
½ big sized avocado frozen and peeled
1 ½ cup cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A pinch of salt

Blend avocado with cold milk and vanilla extract until it’s creamy. Add a pinch of salt and blend again. You can even replace milk with coconut milk of the same quantity.

5) Carrot-Pineapple Smoothie

If carrot juice makes you run up the wall, try it in an energy-boosting smoothie instead.

What you need:
½ tablespoon peeled ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ tablespoon turmeric
1 cup frozen or fresh pineapple
½ cup carrot juice
1 frozen and peeled banana
1 cup unsweetened milk

Blitz two cups of carrots with 1.5 cups of water to make carrot juice. Strain the pulp. Blend the remaining ingredients in the juice till smooth. You can adjust the flavours by adding more pineapple, lemon or ginger.

6) Dragon Fruit and Apricot Smoothie

While the low-calorie dragon fruit is rich in fibre and vitamin C, apricots are loaded with antioxidants and help hydrate your body. The result: a healthy and highly Instagrammable, purple-pink glass of goodness.

What you need:
1 dragon fruit
2 apricots
2 tablespoon yogurt
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup unflavoured oats (optional)

Peel the dragon fruit and apricots. Cut them in cubes and freeze. Blend the fruit and apricots with milk. Then, add yogurt, honey and oats to the blender and blitz till smooth. Garnish with slices of dragon fruit, strawberry and mint leaf.

7) Strawberry-Guava Smoothie

Make the most of the in-season strawberries with a glass of smoothie that not only makes for good breakfast but dessert too.

What you need:
2 medium guavas
4-6 strawberries
1 cup milk
1 cup yogurt
1-2 tablespoons sugar
Cardamom powder

Boil a cup of milk and let it chill. Wash and roughly chop guavas, strawberries and freeze them. Blend the chopped fruits till puree is formed. Then, add milk, chilled and whisked yogurt, sugar and a pinch of cardamom powder. Blend it well. Garnish it with strawberry pieces. For a deep-coloured smoothie, replace white guava with pink one. You can also replace sugar with another sweetener.

8) Apple-Ginger smoothie

The apple-ginger combo may sound unusual but the flavours actually pair well to make a detox smoothie.

What you need:
1 frozen apple peeled and chopped
½ inch ginger root peeled and chopped
3 teaspoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons honey
1 cup water

Blend chopped apple, ginger and water. Add lemon juice and honey and blend again. You can also add half-peeled carrot or replace the apple with green apple, water with ¾ cup milk and add 1/2 frozen banana to the smoothie.

9) Melon-Kiwi Smoothie

This smoothie has an irresistible sweet and citrus-y flavour.

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What you need:
1 cup milk
½ frozen banana
½ frozen and peeled kiwi
½ peeled melon cut into small pieces
2-3 papaya slices
½ to 1 tablespoon honey
½ cup oats

Blend the fruits together till puree is formed. Add milk, honey and oats. Blend well. Garnish with thin kiwi slices.

10) Spinach-Orange Smoothie

They may seem like two ends of the spectrum, but just like opposites, these attract to each other too. A glass of this smoothie also helps you overcome morning dizziness.

What you need:
1 peeled and frozen orange
1 cup roughly chopped spinach
¼ cup coconut water
½ cup frozen banana pieces

Remove seeds from orange. Blend it with banana first. Then, add spinach and coconut water. Blend until smooth. Garnish with thin banana slices.

11) Pineapple-Coconut smoothie

Think piña colada but without the alcohol. The tropical smoothie, packed with fibre, proteins, vitamins and minerals, is considered to be an immunity booster.

What you need:
1 ½ cups coconut water
2 cups chopped pineapple
1 ½ tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon honey

Freeze the coconut water in ice trays so that they turn into ice cubes. Blend pineapple and lime juice. Then add the ice cubes, honey and blend again. Garnish with a slice of pineapple.

12) Beetroot Smoothie

Deep red in colour, this smoothie makes for a heartening breakfast as its ingredients are rich sources of antioxidants.

What you need:
1 peeled and cubed beetroot
3 medium sized carrots
1 sliced radish
1 garlic clove
Handful of parsley chopped roughly

Blend all the ingredients until they’re in thick, liquid form. Garnish with mint leaves and parsley. You can also add one or two tablespoons of honey to enhance the taste.

There you go – now you have no excuse not to start your day on a healthy note. Which smoothie are you most excited to try? Let us know in the comments below.

Images used are for representational purposes only. All images from Unsplash.