What Base Should I use for my Smoothies? (Part I)

Today we have so many options of liquids to use in our smoothies. The liquid portion is vital because we need liquid to allow the blades to move freely and breakdown the fruits and vegetables we have placed in the blender.

Here are some of the liquids I have used, they each have their own advantages.

ORANGE JUICE: This one is a good one for beginners. This will help the overall taste of the smoothie become sweet. Be careful using this one if you have a propensity to suffer from acid-relux. Oranges are acidic by nature. Obviously, if you are using a protein powder that has a flavor that may conflict with OJ, such as chocolate, this might not be a good option. In general, there are chocolate, mocha, coconut and other similar “themes” and also a fruit based flavor targets you can use for smoothies. OJ is a good one if you are trying to get a fruity taste. I buy the not from concentration 100% juice OJ option. Beware not all OJ is created the same, spend the extra couple dollars and get a good one. You are worth it! OJ is high in vitamin C, which is a great antioxidant! Folate, thiamine and potassium are also found in OJ.

Prune Juice: I have actually only recently started to use this one. It provides a nice fruity flavor. I had heard about the benefits of prune juice for years. Mainly hearing that prune juice was good for digestion. It was not until I was studying about both vitamin B6 and iron deficiencies that I discovered prune juice is high in both of these nutrients. It is also a good source of potassium.  I have now added this juice into my smoothie regimen permanently. For nutrition: iron, B6, manganese, potassium and fiber.

SOY MILK: This is one I used for many, many years. It was actually my go to for my smoothies. Sadly, there has been some controversy recently about ingesting large amounts of soy. Some people believe the estrogen found in soy negatively affects our bodies, men and women alike. One claim is that the estrogen in soy can interact with our own estrogen receptors and can promote breast cancer. I stand by the moderation is key theory and I am not quite willing to accept the dangers of soy as fact- I have switch to primary almond milk just as a precaution. As far as taste, I have always had luck with soy. It goes in every kind of smoothie I can think of. I am pretty “hardcore” and go with the organic, non-GMO, unsweetened option. There is a sweetened soy milk that you might want to buy if you plan to drink it outside of your smoothie. For nutrition here is what we have: a good source of protein, vitamin K, folate, iron, manganese, phosphorous and copper.

ALMOND MILK: As I mentioned. This is my new go to for my smoothies. It lasts a long time in the refrigerator, it has a great taste in smoothies and goes with almost anything. Be aware almond milk however, is not a good source of protein. Also, buy the organic, non-GMO variety. I go with unsweetedned but like I said with the soy, if you plan to drink outside of smoothies, you might want a flavored one. For nutrition: almond milk is a good source of vitamin A, D, E and calcium.

Be sure to check back for:

What Base Should I use for my Smoothies? (Part II) where we will go over cows milk, coconut milk and other juices– their benefits and draw backs.