Blend Smoothie and Salad Bar is located on the outskirts of New Paltz in a town called New Windsor (about 25 minutes South on I-87). Blend is exactly how it sounds, offering a wide variety of colorful, healthy, organic food from smoothies, to açaí bowls, to salads, and let me tell you, everything is delicious. I have been a loyal customer since day one and after contributing an estimated $2,000 to their business (I should be part owner by now), I do not exaggerate when I say that Blend is the real deal. Although it may be a little bit of a hike for those students without cars, I highly suggest you gather your group and make your way down, because you will not be the same after your experience. Yummy, healthy food is hard to come by these days so when you discover a small, local business devoted to making your body happy, it should be talked about.
Smoothies
Photo Courtesy of @blendsmoothiebar on Instagram
So, it’s mid-morning on a Saturday and your body is crying from all of the pizza and alcohol you contaminated it with last night, and you are craving something light and refreshing that will make your stomach say “thank you.” Oh, you want a green machine? Do you prefer an almond milk or apple juice base? Blend’s green machines are the perfect blend (ha, see what I did there) of apples, bananas and kale, so you don’t take a sip and think “I can only taste the spinach,” or “Is there even fruit in this?” It is just pure green goodness.
Photo Courtesy of @blendsmoothiebar on Instagram
Blend offers just about every fruit and veggie you could ever imagine. So, whether you’re in the mood for a smoothie that will make you feel like you’re vacationing in Hawaii, like the Tropical Blend (kiwi, pineapple, and mango), or prefer the Body Cleanser (cucumber, carrot, apple), to purge those sweet regrets from the weekend, Blend is your go-to.
Juices
Photo Courtesy of @blendsmoothiebar on Instagram
Aside from smoothies, Blend also doubles as a juice bar. Imagine, any fruit and vegetable you could ever want, pressed into a delicious juice. My taste buds are going wild just thinking about it. One of their most popular juices is the Daily Detox (carrot, cucumber, apple, ginger, lemon) because the combination is notorious for weight loss and body cleansing.
Photo Courtesy of @blendsmoothiebar on Instagram
Let’s say you love the Daily Detox so much that it inspired you to go on a juice cleanse. Blend offers one-day, three-day, and five-day juicing plans to fulfill all of your juicing desires. The best part about it? You can pick up the whole package in one trip and don’t need to troop from New Paltz to New Windsor one million times throughout the week.
Salads
Photo Courtesy of @blendsmoothiebar on Instagram
Now, if you’re anything like me and salads aren’t your meal of choice (you kind of just eat them because you feel like you have to), then you will be impressed with Blend’s salad options. Whether you’re craving a summery salad with strawberries, a spicy chipotle kick, or you’re dying for a taste of shrimp without spending an arm and a leg (because spending an arm and a leg on shrimp really is a thing when you’re a college student), Blend is your place.
Açaí bowls
Photo by Erica Aulogia
I have saved the best for last. I initially started going to Blend for the smoothies but I stayed for the açaí bowls, the reason I’m a regular customer. I didn’t even know what an açaí bowl was before I tried Blend’s. For those of you who don’t know, they’re basically a smoothie bowl topped with fruit, granola, and honey. Ugh, my mouth is watering just thinking about them. My order is the classic açaí–strawberry and banana–but they make one with pineapple and coconut shavings as well, which has a warm, tropical feel to it. No offense to açaí bowls I have tried elsewhere but there is no competition.
Photo Courtesy of @blendsmoothiebar on Instagram
Blend is basically the answer to all things health but another great reason why it’s worth a shot to try is because you’d be supporting a great local business in the beautiful Hudson Valley. I know I probably sound like I’m endorsing them and maybe I am a little biased but that’s only because I know what delicious, healthy food is, and believe me when I say that this is it. I decided to only elaborate on Blend’s most popular foods in my article, however they make a ton of other delectable treats as well.
See the goodness for yourself: