Once you get in the habit of making daily herbal teas, adding tea to your smoothies is easy. The teas contribute a kaleidoscope of nutrients and flavor that turns smoothie-making into an altogether different experience than just blending fruit.
Sprigs of fresh herbs for adding to smoothies
Blend sprigs of fresh herbs into smoothies, such as basil, cilantro, dandelion leaves, lemon balm, lemon verbena, peppermint, rosemary, rose geranium, and rose petals. Herbal smoothies are a great place to sneak more leafy greens into your diet. Even if you are making a summer treat with bananas and strawberries, you can add a handful of fresh parsley or peppermint.
Fresh or frozen fruit
Each fruit has a different consistency and flavor that will dictate what else goes into the smoothie. Fresh fruits like banana, mango, apple, pineapple, and kiwi don’t usually need a sweetener, whereas strawberry, pomegranate, blueberry, and blackberry smoothies may require a little honey. Some berries are mild and sweet, like mulberries, and some berries are astringent and bitter, like raspberries. The bitter berries may take more sweetener than other fruits, depending on your taste.
If you want to add honey or syrup, it is easier to blend it into the tea before the fruit is added. Frozen fruit will give your smoothie a cold, crunchy texture without needing ice.
Ice
If you use frozen fruit in your smoothie, there is no need for ice.
Whole plain yogurt
Avoid low-fat yogurt; instead use organic yogurt made from whole milk.
Kefir
A little kefir in your smoothie adds flavor and is full of beneficial bacteria that builds strong digestion.
Herbed or fruited vinegar
Fermented vegetable juice
I am always looking for ways to sneak more fermented foods into our diet. Fermented foods are a very important staple for helping to replenish the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Healthy beneficial bacteria increase our ability to digest our food, and they also enhance the immune system. If you have sauerkraut in the refrigerator, you can pour a little of the juice into smoothies.
