7 Things You Never Thought to Add to Your Smoothie

In an attempt to increase my health and fitness this year, I’ve been trying to drink one smoothie a day. They have the benefit of being totally refreshing, while also helping you get fruits and veggies into your body (without having to resort to a salad). I’m here to share some of my favorite health hacks that I’m sure you’ll be able to incorporate into your own smoothies.

Turmeric Powder

Turmeric has been creating quite a buzz lately. The bright yellow color makes for amazing presentation, but this root is also full of health benefits. By adding just a single teaspoon of ground turmeric to smoothies, it will help boost your immune system and prevent indigestion. 

Silken Tofu

Tofu is usually used in savory dishes, but trust me when I say that it works in smoothies. Silken tofu has a soft and delicate texture that blends into a pudding-like consistency—this makes the soy product a great thickener to any runny smoothie. 

While it doesn’t add much to the flavor, tofu packs a wallop when it come to protein and calcium. Guess I won’t need to buy protein powder anymore.

Cauliflower

This strange vegetable took the food world by storm last year, and instead of fighting the trend, we’re going to join it. A great way to add this versatile veggie to your diet is by throwing a few florets into a smoothie. Aside from being high in vitamin C and vitamin B, it also has a good amount of fiber. 

Cayenne Pepper

Unlike other members of the pepper family this spice has very little heat. It’s used for flavor and when put in smoothies it can tone down the sweetness of a drink and make for a more complex beverage. Cayenne has the potential to increase metabolic function as well as aid digestion, so you might as well add it to everything you drink.   

Fresh Lemon Juice

Lemon is one of my favorite fruits on the planet. Its versatility is unparalleled—it can be put in everything from pasta to salad to dessert to plain old water. It also has the benefit of smelling damn good.

This yellow fruit is loaded with almost every vitamin in the book and it’s been said to help with weight loss. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into your morning smoothie and start your day off right.

Spinach

My boyfriend hates eating vegetables so I always try to sneak a handful (or two) of spinach into his morning smoothie. It’s one of the few veggies that blends easily and doesn’t wind up tasting too strong. This leafy green is high in vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin A. Vitamin K keeps bones healthy while vitamin C, E, and A are antioxidants. Popeye totally knew what he was doing when he ate all that spinach. 

Green Tea

Since I tend to make my smoothies for breakfast adding green tea to them helps me wake up (coffee can be a bit much). It adds a touch of flavor and is a nice switch from water. By adding green tea to a smoothie you not only wake yourself up in the morning, but also help your body burn fat and boost your metabolism. 

• Fitness
• Health
• Juice
• Nutrition
• Vegetarian