Blood sugar concerns and allergies don’t need to stop you from making a smoothie. Fruit smoothies may be better known, but they aren’t the only way to have a chilly, tasty, healthy drink. I will walk you through plenty of outstanding non-fruit smoothie ingredients.
Make a No-Fruit Smoothie
A healthy, tasty smoothie without fruit is a great way t start your day. Luckily, here’s no reason you need berries or banana in your drink. Most people include them because they like the taste, but it’s not a requirement.
There are plenty of outstanding smoothie ingredients outside the fruit spectrum. For example, many protein smoothies have no plants at all in them. Plus, you can avoid blood sugar spikes and crashes.
Diabetics and health fanatics aren’t the only ones who can benefit from no-fruit smoothies. Anyone can enjoy the texture and taste. Moreover, you don’t have to give up the sweetness just to skip the fruit.
Try adding a sprinkle of stevia into your smoothie. Additionally, carrot juice is surprisingly sweet without all the added sugar from an apple or mango. Here’s a step by step guide to making a fruitless smoothie.
Steps For a No Fruit Smoothie
- Set up your blender as normal. You don’t need any special equipment to create a tasty fruit free smoothie.
- Choose your liquid. Purified water, milk, and milk alternatives or even pure yogurt will work great. Naturally, you should not pick fruit juice. However, a vegetable juice is ideal.
- Next, add any powders you might want to use. For example, powdered peanut butter, or healthy add in’s like ginseng or Gotu kola for energy work well. Collagen and lecithin are also solid options.
- After your powders, add in any leafy greens you’ve chosen. Spinach, kale, and even cabbage are all smart smoothie additions.
- If you’re adding larger pieces of solid vegetables, nuts or seeds, they go in after leafy material. Make sure you cut them to small bite-size so the blender can do its job properly.
- Finally, add your ice. I suggest frozen coffee, and vegetable juice cubes if you want more flavor or a pick-me-up in the morning.
Always add your smoothie ingredients in the proper order to get a good blend. Plus it will help avoid unnecessary wear and tear on your blender.
Choose the Right Blender
A great smoothie blender is vital to non-fruit smoothie making. Particularly if you plan to have one daily, it’s important to follow the right steps for blending, and keep your blender clean and working. Properly cared for, a high-quality blender will last years.
You want great blades and high RPMs on your blender. Because they’re not designed to run for more than a few seconds at a time, your blender needs to be efficient.
Blenders should typically run in thirty seconds or shorter bursts. Additionally, you shouldn’t take more than three minutes total to make anything in a good blender. Plus, always remember to let it cool down for at least twenty minutes between uses.
I recommend the Ninja Professional 72oz Countertop Blender for smoothie lovers. The six blades help crush ice quickly and efficiently. Plus, Ninja is a well known and respected brand. Read the reviews on Amazon, click here.
Don’t Use Outdated Blenders for Smoothies
Sure, you can pick up a yard-sale blender from the 70s easily enough, but it’s safer and healthier to use modern technology. Plus it’s a lot less risky. You never know what you’ll get from a secondhand blender.
Bad wiring and broken parts won’t make you a very good smoothie. Plus, older wiring can become a fire hazard. Upgrade your smoothie game instead and enjoy fruit free smoothies as often as you like.
Add Liquids to a Fruitless Smoothie
Since the first step in making your fruit free smoothie is the liquid, it’s important to choose right. In general, water is always a good choice. After all, hydration is vital.
Coffee works well too, but make sure you cool it down so it doesn’t cook your vegetables. Alternately, if you’re looking for a creamier smoothie, you might want milk.
Cow and goat milk are both fine choices. However, nut and soy milk also make outstanding smoothies. Personally, I love almond milk, but the choice is up to you.
You may also want to try using a sugar-free yogurt in place of more ‘wet’ liquids. Alternatively, oat-milk is a good choice for more fiber. Plus it’s a great source of healthy grains.
Finally, you can always use vegetable juice. I like carrot, but any vegetable will do. Celery, beets, and even cabbage all make good juice for non-fruit smoothies. You can freeze leftover juice into ice cubes, and add them later.
Powdered Smoothie Ingredients
Any powders you plan to add to your fruit free smoothie should go directly into your wet ingredients. There are plenty of vitamins and supplements that make great additions. I like moringa and Gotu kola along with some collagen powder.
If you’re using protein powder, be sure to read the label. Many of the healthy protein powders draw some of their flavor and vitamins from the fruit. Unfortunately, that defeats the purpose of a smoothie with no fruit inside.
Spices also count as powders. Try adding ginger, cinnamon, cocoa powder, or even cayenne to your smoothies for a kick. The flavors help balance out many recipes without adding empty calories.
Vegetables for Smoothies
Vegetables in your smoothie without fruit need to be added in two stages. First, your leafy greens go on top of the liquids and powders. Next, any solid vegetable pieces get added in.
An Important Note on Vegetables
Before we get into veggies I need to make a note here. I am including avocados, tomatoes, squash, and peppers as vegetables. Although these all have internal seeds and are arguably ‘fruit’ but they are still included here.
Veggie Blending Tips
You should cut your whole veggies into inch cubes. Using smaller pieces prevents wear and tear on your blender. More importantly, it helps prevent blockages that stop the blades from spinning.
Sadly, you can burn out a great blender by adding too many large chunks too quickly. So, take the extra time when cutting ingredients. Furthermore, veggies like carrots can get chopped in advance. Pre-prepping veggies for smoothies makes it easier to blend on the go.
Another great way to make your fruit free smoothie to go is using a Sboly Personal Blender from Amazon. The BPA free sports bottles it uses in place of a traditional blender pitcher are dishwasher safe. In addition to taking up very little space, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly your Sboly does the job. You can get this blender when you click here.
Leafy Green Smoothie Ingredients
Once you have your liquid and your powders, if you’re adding any, it’s time for veggies. Using dark green leafy veg is a great way to add healthy vitamins without sugar or empty calories.
Some people prefer to add their greens as a powder. However, I prefer mine fresh. I recommend raw spinach leaves because they have a mild flavor. Since they aren’t overpowering, and they blend down much smaller than what you place in the container, you get a lot of bang for your buck.
Other great leafy green options are beet greens, romaine lettuce, swiss chard, and kale. Each of these ingredients is packed with phytonutrients. Furthermore, they have an abundance of Vitamins like A, C, and K.
Try varying up your greens, or mixing some of each into your smoothie for the best health benefits
Non-Leaf Veggies for Your Smoothie
One of the biggest benefits of a veggie smoothie with no fruit is the acid. Or more accurately the lack thereof, because most vegetables are more alkaline. The lack of fruit acids can help you maintain your energy levels and balance out your body.
Carrots have always been my go-to vegetable for juice and smoothies. You can add it along with mint leaves, a touch of vanilla or other sugar-free sweets like stevia and cinnamon for a treat. However, lately, I have been using a lot of zucchini for similar recipes.
Choose savory onions, peppers, and beets for earthy or spicy smoothies. Even garlic and jalapeno can add a healthy kick. For more neutral ‘green’ flavor opt for cucumbers and squash along with more leafy greens than usual.
You should take a portable blender with you for a savory smoothie at lunch or after a workout. I love my Tenswall Rechargeable Travel Blender. It goes everywhere with me, including on vacation. You’ll like how powerful the Tenswall small battery-powered blender is when you need it. To check prices and availability on Amazon, click here.
Grains, Nuts & Seeds in Smoothies
Despite the fact that many people forget the grains and seeds in their no-fruit smoothies, they’re worth a second look. Whole oats, chia, flax, and wheat germ are all flavorful or healthy options to include.
Additionally, peanuts, almonds, and other nuts work well in smoothies. I prefer to put mine through the food processor first and include them in a smoothie with avocado for texture reasons, but that’s optional. Moreover, you can get fine nut powders to add instead.
Final Thoughts
The only reason to add fruit to a smoothie is when you want it. You don’t need to miss out on either health benefits or sweet treats. Choose grains, nuts, dairy, and most of all vegetables instead.
Keeping your smoothie alkaline instead of acidic is great for your body. You can sip away at all the vitamins, protein, minerals and phytonutrients you need without fruit sugar.
Experiment with different combinations of leafy greens and other vegetables to find the flavors you like best. Then you can precut veggies days in advance for quick and easy no-fruit smoothies anytime.