{"id":2339,"date":"2020-05-21T15:39:35","date_gmt":"2020-05-21T15:39:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=food&p=2339"},"modified":"2020-06-26T17:02:12","modified_gmt":"2020-06-26T17:02:12","slug":"vegan-smoothies","status":"publish","type":"food","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/food-drink\/vegan-smoothies\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegan Smoothies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Smoothie\"Smoothies are a quick and easy way to consume fruit and veg and they can be very tasty too. They are often nutritious and are an excellent way to get a good whack of your \u201cfive a day\u201d with minimum hassle. They are also great to consume either before or after exercise, especially if you include a vegan protein powder<\/strong> and, as if that wasn\u2019t already enough, smoothies are also a superb way to use up fruit or veg that might be a little past its best before end up being wasted.<\/p>\n

Some people might think of smoothies as being expensive but this latter point means they are also perfect for using up reduced price items in the supermarket. If you see a bag of browning bananas or a punnet of just-turning-mushy raspberries for 10p and think, \u201cWow, that\u2019s cheap but I\u2019m not sure I really want to eat it,\u201d get it in your trolley \u2013 they\u2019ll be perfect for smoothies. What\u2019s more, frozen and tinned fruit and veg are also excellent for smoothies, so they certainly aren\u2019t something you should think of as being expensive. Whilst you can easily pay \u00a35 or more for a smoothie in a shop or bar, you can knock one up for yourself in minutes for less than 50p.<\/p>\n

Are Smoothies Vegan?<\/h2>\n

If you do intend to make your own smoothies then ensuring they are vegan couldn\u2019t be easier. We\u2019ll look at the main things to look out for later in this piece but in short, the only things you really need to avoid are dairy products (and possibly honey). The simplest, and often best drinks, are just a mix of fruit and veg and, in order to get the desired consistency you can use water, ice, fruit juice or non-dairy milk. In other words, just don\u2019t use dairy milk, yoghurt or ice cream and the chances are you\u2019ll have yourself a mighty fine vegan smoothie.<\/p>\n

If you buy your smoothie at a bar, restaurant, shop, kiosk or anywhere else, the chances are the menu will make it clear whether or not your pick is vegan. Smoothies are often considered to be a health food, although in truth they aren\u2019t necessarily always that healthy. But what that does mean is that many that sell them are often slightly ahead of the game when it comes to an awareness of vegan needs and providing proper menu information and\/or labelling.<\/p>\n

If it is unclear whether or not your desired smoothie is vegan, then looking out for dairy in the ingredients is a great first step. The best course of action, and the easiest, is just to ask the vendor.<\/p>\n

Best Vegan Smoothie Ingredients<\/h2>\n

\"Smoothie<\/p>\n

You can add pretty much anything you like to a smoothie \u2013 and believe me, we\u2019ve seen some pretty weird and wonderful combinations \u2013 but many of the best vegan staples are also fairly core additions to many smoothies. Take a look at some of our favourites below and get creative \u2013 you can mix and match any of these as you see fit, although obviously some work better together than others.<\/p>\n

Note that this is also just a few of our notions of the \u201cbest\u201d but really, just about any fruit, veg, nut, seed or vegan milk substitute<\/a> can be used, whilst tofu, lentils and other legumes are great sources of vegan protein<\/a> that can also be thrown in there.<\/p>\n

Top Options for Vegan Smoothies<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Item<\/th>\nBenefits<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Greens, such as kale and spinach<\/td>\nLow in sugar and calories but high in fibre and a range of micronutrients<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cruciferous veg \u2013 includes many greens plus others, such as cauliflower<\/td>\nAs above and also contain glucosinolates, which have been linked to reduce cancer risk<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Herbs & spices<\/td>\nPacked with healthy compounds and can add flavour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nuts & seeds (including nut\/seed butters)<\/td>\nFibre, protein, healthy fats, various vitamins and minerals<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Berries (various)<\/td>\nHigh in antioxidants, fibre and many vitamins and have a low glycaemic index<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bananas<\/td>\nAdds body to your smoothies, plus slow release energy, vitamin B6 and various minerals<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Apples & pears<\/td>\nHigh in fibre, nice flavours and various vitamins and nutrients<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tofu<\/td>\nAdds protein and body<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Non-dairy milk<\/td>\nMany are fortified with vitamin D, calcium and other nutrients vegans can struggle with<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lentils or other legumes<\/td>\nAdds texture and provides protein and fibre<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

You can combine virtually any of these ingredients to create your own unique drink and smoothies can be a great way to get nutrients into your diet. As well as tailoring your smoothie to create one which you love the taste and texture of, you can also create one that delivers vitamins or minerals that you might otherwise struggle with.<\/p>\n

Hide Healthy Foods You Don’t Normally Like<\/h3>\n

For example, if you don\u2019t like Brazil nuts but know what a brilliant source of vegan selenium<\/a> they are, just chuck a couple in and you\u2019ll get all the goodness and probably not even notice their taste.<\/p>\n

Smoothies are also a great way to incorporate extra herbs and spices into your diet and as well as offering great flavours, pound for pound, these are often the most nutrient-dense foods around.<\/p>\n

Herbs & Spices<\/h3>\n

As well as essential vitamins and minerals, herbs and spices often also contain high levels of other antioxidants and phytochemicals. Frequently there is insufficient research to categorically prove the health benefits of these but there is lots of anecdotal evidence and lots of scientific research to suggest they might help.<\/p>\n

Moreover, as we can be almost certain they are not harmful there is no reason not to take them. Almost every herb or spice can offer you something, with, for example, chilli thought to possibly raise the metabolism, ginger and mint said to aid digestion, turmeric considered anti-inflammatory and linked with preventing cancer and Alzheimer\u2019s, and cinnamon another potential anti-inflammatory that also boosts sweetness and may help regulate blood sugar.<\/p>\n

\n

Our Number One Vegan Smoothie<\/h3>\n

A smoothie can be made in any number of ways but our preferred method is to use a blender. It is possible to make a smoothie by hand, although the stick blender, NutriBullet (essentially a popular brand of blender primarily designed for smoothies), or food processor can also be used.<\/p>\n

As we keep reiterating, you can really put anything you want into your vegan smoothie, so get creative. We quite like the BBC Good Food Guide\u2019s<\/a> overview as a starting point for beginners (ignore the non-vegan ingredients, of course!) but if you want a simple, tasty and nutritious option, here\u2019s our go-to vegan smoothie:<\/p>\n

Ingredients<\/h4>\n