With a bit of thought, smoothies can be an awesome addition to your day and are perfect when you want something quick, easy and nutritious. I will often have a smoothie for breakfast or as a recovery snack after a hard training. Smoothies are a much better option than fresh juices because they contain all of the fibre, vitamins and minerals from each ingredient, whereas a lot of this goodness is removed during the juicing process.

You can get really creative with your smoothie and pretty much add anything you like, but I have created a fail safe formula (below) to help you get a well-balanced smoothie that will keep you going for a good couple of hours.

How to make the perfect smoothie:

Start with the star of the show. This could be any of the following:

• 1/2 cup frozen berries
• 1 peach/nectarine, chopped, stone removed (canned peaches in natural juice work well)
• 1 carrot
• 1 apple
• 1/2 small fresh beetroot
• 1/2 mango
• 1 small banana

Add a bit of sweetness (don’t need this if using banana/mango above as they are sweet enough):

• 1 tsp honey/maple
• 2 chopped dates
• 1 small banana
• 1 scoop vanilla/chocolate protein
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 2 tbsp yoghurt

Add some healthy fats (choose 1):

• 1 tsp nut butter (peanut/almond/cashew)
• Approx. 10 cashew nuts/almonds/walnuts
• 1 tsp LSA
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds/sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
• 1/4 avocado

Make it even more awesome (choose 1-2):

• 1 tsp cocoa/cacao
• 2-3 tbsp oats
• 1 Weet-Bix
• Handful baby spinach/kale
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• Sprinkle of cinnamon

Don’t forget the liquid (1-1.5 cups depending on how thick you like it):

• water
• cows milk
• almond milk
• coconut milk
• coconut water
• soy milk

Tip: Ice is also a nice addition. Freezing your overripe fruit prevents wastage and gives you a chilled, thicker smoothie.

Tip: A good blender (I love my Nutribullet) is a great addition to your kitchen as it has no trouble breaking up nuts, veggies and fruit skins, giving you a much smoother smoothie!

Tip: I also like to top mine with a bit of muesli or coconut to give it some texture.

Remember: These portions below are just a guide, everyone’s needs are different so play around with what works for you and adjust to suit.

Happy blending!

Top left: carrot, frozen banana, vanilla protein powder, lite coconut milk, water

Bottom left: frozen banana, spinach, vanilla yoghurt, LSA, oats, milk

Middle top: berries, maple syrup, cashews, oats, chia seeds, ice, milk (topped with granola)

Middle bottom: Frozen banana, peanut butter, oats, cinnamon, milk (topped with flaxseeds)

Top right: Banana, dates, avocado, cocoa, chia seeds, milk, ice

Bottom right: Apple, 1/2 banana, spinach, LSA, ice, coconut water (topped with muesli)