Smoothies are easy to make and typically very nutritious. But you may wonder how to make smoothies yourself.

Keep reading to learn how to make smoothies, get free smoothie recipes, tips about smoothie blenders and more about making healthy smoothies at home.

Or if you have tips on how to make a smoothie, please feel free to comment and share.

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For those who are just getting started, here are some tips on how to make smoothies at home.

You don’t need an expensive blender – I have tested 12-15 different types of smoothie blenders, including a Blendtec, and although some of the less expensive smoothie blenders and smoothie mixers do not work very well, my
Oster 12-Speed Osterizer Blender with Glass Jar does the trick very nicely. This blender sells between $50-60. It actually beats my $400 Blendtec for smoothies. I prefer the glass jars as they seem to be more sturdy, easy to clean, and the blenders seem to work better.

Smoothie Blenders don't have to be expensiveSmoothie Blenders don't have to be expensive, but you do need to get a good quality smoothie mixer or smoothie blender in order to avoid ice or fruit chunks.

Begin with fruits and / or vegetables that you enjoy. Favorite smoothies are made with strawberries, raspberries, bananas, pears, apples, blueberries, mangoes, and other fruits. You don’t need to make it fancy or include all of the fruits, just the ones you like and mix and match them.

Many people will add protein powder or low-fat yogurt to their smoothies, or even ice cream (but that adds a lot of calories as well as sugar to your smoothie.) Smoothies can help you lose weight, have more energy and are a great meal replacement.

Wash your fruit well, peal bananas, and remove hard skins. You may wish to leave the skin on peaches or pears – there is no problem with doing this, just make sure you wash them well – and remove the seed/pits inside.

Most blenders do better if you cut the fruit up a bit before blending, and if you are using any frozen fruits, make sure to add enough liquid for your smoothie blender to liquify everything well.

Place all of your ingredients in the smoothie blender, add ice and liquid (water, milk, orange juice, apple juice or other liquid) and blend. It’s really not hard learning how to make smoothies at home, and can be quite fun. Just experiment a little. Fruit combinations can be really enjoyable and you can even add a bit of honey, sugar, or other sweetener if your fruit is too tart. Using fresh fruits in season do create better flavored smoothies, but frozen fruits work as well.

Learn how to make smoothies at home and save money.

Here is a strawberry vanilla smoothie I made today (I took a photo with my iPhone to share with you – and added just a little embellishing to make it look great!):

Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie

1 cup fresh strawberries
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup raspberries, blueberries
1 cup orange juice
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 tsp pure vanilla flavoring
2 cups ice
1 cup water

I put everything in my blender, and let it run. Delicious, refreshing, and very low in calories. I calculated that each serving is between 180-200 calories (depending on the protein powder.) This recipe makes 2-3 servings.

Take some time to learn how to make smoothies at home, and lose weight, feel better, save money and know you are adding nutrients to your diet.

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Detox smoothies are easy to create and can taste great.

Detox smoothies come in many varieties. If you select the right ingredients you can make many different types. Basically you should begin with high fiber fruits such as apples or pears (with the peel left on but washed well). You could also include berries or bananas. Citrus fruits are also good for detox smoothies as they help clean out the digestive tract. (Make certain to leave the white part of the peel of the fruit as that part contains the most nutrients.)

You also should add some extra fiber such as flaxseed, raw granola, oatmeal, or wheat germ. The added fiber will help your digestive system to be cleansed and gently detox. You may wish to add a small pinch of sea salt to help flush out the organs and aid in eliminations – just make sure to add it to your smoothie AFTER it has been blended – or your smoothie will end up tast

ing very salty.

Other detox recipes may include avocado, carrots, fresh greens, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, papaya, watermelon, or beets. Many people will add flax seed oil, yogurt, soy milk, green tea, or acidophilus, chlorella powder, bee pollen, liquid chlorophyll, lecithin, Vitamin C or other supplements to their smoothies for added nutrients and health benefits.

Detox smoothies can be a beneficial part of a healthy lifestyle. If you can gently cleanse the body by eating nutritious foods, it is much easier on your body than pursuing strong cleanses which may make you sick while you cleanse.

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Freeze fruits when they are in season to make frozen fruit smoothies later.

Some people will take the final weeks of a season, to take advantage of the still low-prices, and freeze their own fruits. Make sure you wash and cut up your fruit into small pieces (easier to break apart and add to a smoothie). I like to freeze fruits in small freezer bags – so one serving is in each bag. It makes it easy to just add the fruit, rather than trying to break apart fruit chunks if they get frozen to each other.

If your frozen fruit smoothies taste a little bit tart – you may consider adding a bit of honey, or agave, or other natural sweetener. Adding a bit of flavored protein powder also may help keep those frozen fruit smoothies a little on the sweeter side.

You can make any of our fruit smoothie recipes using frozen fruits. Just substitute the fresh ingredients with frozen.

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Green leafy vegetables contain tons of nutrients and antioxidants for better health, but most people either do not like vegetables, or do not get enough of them in our normal diets. Blending up greens into a smoothie not only can taste delicious but also provide those essential nutrients easily into our systems.

Enjoy green smoothies for more energy and better health.

The chlorophyll contained in greens will provide oxygen to your cells and place your body into a more alkaline state, where optimal health can be achieved. Good nutrition can lead to feeling better, having more energy, gaining a better outlook of life and simply having better health.

After several weeks drinking green smoothies, you may notice a change in your skin – including fewer blemishes, a more radiant glow and healthier tone. The reason is that the skin responds to what we eat and if we have good health our skin looks better – not having to dump toxins out through the skin as we take in unhealthy food choices.

Major benefits of green smoothies include more energy and weight loss!

Green smoothies can also taste delicious. Use a base of fruit (pears, apples, or bananas work well), and then simply add in your leafy greens. Note: Adding blackberries or blueberries help to mask the green color and kids love it – without even knowing they are eating their vegetables.

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