Smoothies: A Beginners guide

This is a bit of a request post by my buddy Kazia (check out her beauty and baking blog) Madame Tatouage who has recently got a smoothie maker but doesn't know where to begin with making delicious smoothies.

I'm happy she asked actually as I remember when I first started making smoothies and feeling a bit lost and intimidated by the copius amounts of information. I did a lot of online research and got a couple of books as I couldn't really find the one-stop-shop for starter smoothies that weren't full of crazy powders (fairy dust) and endless amounts of bananas - plus I didnt want to buy loads of gorgeous fruit and make something similar to swamp juice.

So here are some top tips and simple recipes for you to start with if your not sure what to whizz up...

Think about what kind of fruity cocktails you like, sounds strange but its a great way of defining what kind of flavours you enjoy enough to pay 12 quid a glass for. I'm a pina colada girl so I love tropical and creamy flavours but you may be in to your mojitos so go for something citrus based and zesty.

Get your hands on some jars, you will get some funny looks in the office (you can always decant the smoothies into glasses) but for storage sake get some sealable jars or clip fresh cups. Plus you need to shake it to wake it so lids are a must.

Buy some milled flaxseed, you can get it from most health shops including Holland & Barrett. It's a bit pricey but you will only use a teaspoon per smoothie on average and if kept in a sealed container it will last for weeks. This is one fairy dust I would definitely recommend adding to smoothies as it makes the smoothie way more filling. Plus it is amazingly good for you as it is proven to lower the risk of all the bad things in life such as heart disease and cancer, it also balances female hormones so if you have skin and mood problems related to your menstrual cycle it will help out with the endless struggle for clear skin.

Add kale whenever you can. Kale has more iron per calorie than beef. Fact. It makes your smoothies a bit of a sludgy colour but boy it is worth it.

Don't feel ashamed to sieve. At first the texture of pulpy smoothies can be really off putting, don't be proud just sieve that stuff out in to a seperate bowl and add it back in tablespoons until you get a texture you are comfortable with and trust me within a couple of weeks you will miss this step and not even realise you did it.

Cream it up. If your a non-vegan I would suggest adding fat free yoghurt to your smoothies, this will make them super silky without any added fat. If you are a veganoid add some soy yoghurt, for a touch of indulgence add some low-fat coconut milk.

Lastly, keep it simple. Don't go adding every fruit you can find, the overall flavour will be a bit confused plus some fruits just don't go together.

 This is the first smoothie I ever made and I still make it on a regular basis, its really simple and tastes absolutely delicious.

You will need;

• 1 mango cut into chunks
• 2 cups of orange juice
• 3 Tbsp yoghurt (dairy-free or otherwise)
• 2 Tbsp milled flaxseed 
• 1 cup reduced fat coconut milk

Whizz everything up and add some berries (they'll absorb all the flavour and juice and be a nice treat at the end)

This is a great smoothie to start introducing some greens with as the flavour of the strawberries and mango is quite strong (the smoothie above hasn't been sieved hense the sludgy look)

 You will need;

• 1/2 a mango cut into chunks
• Handful of strawberries hulled and cut into halves
• Bunch of kale washed and large stalk removed
• 1 cup of orange juice
• 2 Tbsp milled flaxseed
• 1 cup of almond milk 

 Whizz up and top with a cheeky strawberry.

I hope this has helped smoothie newbies, the recipes are really flexible and once you have the combos down you will be whizzing all day and night!