no fruit in your smoothie? hear me out, guys. it’s not that bad, i promise. good, even! ever since i’ve been making smoothies on the reg, i’ve been looking for ways to get creative with the ingredients and add volume without adding anything unnecessary [sugar, calories, etc.]. don’t get me wrong; fruit is great. it usually has a ton of fiber, and it’s literally nature’s candy. but if i’m going to have fruit, i want to eat it, not drink it. so here we are, a year+ later, and i have a couple of hacks to share to make smoothies more nutrient dense sans fruit.
zucchini [sub for banana]
zucchini is the unsung hero of the veggie world. zucchini is a utility player. want to make noodles, but don’t want it to be carb-laden? zucchini. want to bake, but use veggies instead of oils? zucchini. want to add volume and nutrients to your smoothie without adding a ton of calories? you guessed it … zucchini. we get a ton of zucchini from our garden every year, and i’ve found that cubing it and freezing it is a great way to use it up if you’re sick of zucchini noodles. i just cut it into little chunks and store it in ziplock bags in the freezer and pull out whatever i need when i’m making smoothies. according to this article, zucchini is a great sub for frozen banana in making your smoothie creamy and thick. i don’t disagree.
frozen cauliflower
i’ve talked about it before, but my new secret weapon is to add riced cauliflower to my smoothies to [sounding like a broken record here] … add more volume. it also adds fiber and a creamy texture, making it a great sub for a banana as well. i buy the riced cauliflower from target, making sure there is no salt added. the idea of salt in my smoothie weirds me out, unless it’s himalayan pink salt. and yes, i realize how very millennial i sound saying that. off to get my avo toast, y’all.
load up on the nut butter + protein
if i’m doing a fruit-free smoothie, i don’t usually hesitate to really lean into the nut butter/chocolate combo, even though my smoothie looks green from all that spinach. add sunflower butter if you want a really smooth texture, and use a combo of peanut butter + chocolate proteins so that you can get that “reeses in a cup” flavor.
use coconut
the frozen coconut chunks from trader joes only have 3 net carbs, meaning it won’t spike my blood sugar too high. i also use them in the banana nice cream i make for logan and myself, and they add great texture. are you sensing a theme? texture + taste + volume, my friends, are the keys to a great smoothie.
and there you have it! i promise, if you have some good protein and all the veggies + greens, plus a healthy fat, you’re in for a delight of a healthy smoothie. fruit not required.