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How to Make a Smoothie: Best Ingredients & Tips for the Best Texture

By Ethan Boldt

October 16, 2024

Let’s say you want to make the best smoothie possible — one that tastes great, is healthy and has perfect texture. You’ve come to the right place.

For the healthiest version of a smoothie, you’re going to want balanced macronutrients (protein, fats and carbohydrates) along with plenty of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients. That kind of balance helps give you energy and also will help keep you full for hours.

And whether you’re a morning smoothie person or prefer to have it as a snack, such as before or after a workout, the smoothie ingredients below can work for your needs.

First, you’re going to want the best ingredients, including high-protein and high-fiber options, fruits and vegetables, superfood boosters, and healthy fats. You also need to learn what to avoid, as a supposedly healthy smoothie can quickly go too high in sugar and calories if you’re tossing the wrong ingredients into your blender.

How to create the best smoothie texture

We’re going to start with the most important feature of a smoothie: its texture! A smoothie that is too watery or chunky is a fail. Instead, you want a smoothie with a smooth and creamy texture, with just the right amount of thickness.

How do you achieve that ideal smoothie texture? Here are some tips:

• Frozen fruit will allow you to have thicker smoothies, with bananas leading the pack. You may also choose to freeze fresh fruit soon after buying in order to maximize its nutrients.

• To add a creamy texture, you can add ingredients like nut butter, Greek yogurt (from nonfat to full fat), avocado and even cooked oatmeal.

• When soaked in liquid, chia seeds expand and add thickness plus plenty of fiber, omega 3s and protein.

• Protein powder helps thicken smoothies plus provides plenty of protein, of course.

• Avoid putting in excessive liquid, as water-based fruits and vegetables provide liquid already. Often 8 ounces or less of liquid per serving is plenty.

• Leafy greens are great in smoothies but can also be too much of a good thing, as they can make the texture too gritty (hence why a greens powder can be beneficial).

Best high-protein smoothie ingredients

Many of us don’t get enough protein in our day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that adults take in at least 46 grams of protein per day for females and 56 grams for males. Adding protein to your smoothie is a great way to help get there. It also helps promote satiety, supports muscle growth and recovery, and can assist in managing a healthy weight.

Here are some high-protein options to add to your smoothie:

• Protein powders that aren’t overly processed or have added sugars — try Ancient Nutrition’s collagen protein, whey protein, protein from bone broth and plant protein

• Unsweetened dairy products like Greek yogurt (higher in protein than regular yogurt) and kefir; you may also consider high-protein Fairlife milk

• Unsweetened plant-based milks like soy or almond milk

• Fermented tofu or cooked lentils

• Nut butters

See these recipes for chocolate, vanilla, banana and coffee protein shakes that include many of the above ingredients.

Best liquids to add to a smoothie

While it’s easy to overdo the water and make the smoothie too liquidy, there are many good liquid options:

• Water can work just fine, especially if you’re adding several other ingredients

• Plant-based milks like unsweetened almond or oat milk

• Coconut milk is a good option but be aware of calories. You may choose a reduced fat version and just use a couple of ounces.

• Regular or goat milk kefir

• Milk, such as high-protein Fairlife — see this high-protein smoothie recipe

Best fruits for smoothies

Fruit and smoothie go together like peanut butter and jam. As relayed above, frozen fruit can work best because it helps create an ideal smoothie texture. Fruit also naturally sweetens the smoothie, especially ripe bananas (best frozen).

The best type of smoothie fruits include:

• Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries); try a classic blueberry banana smoothie

• Pineapples and mangos

• Peaches and nectarines; try this peach smoothie that's high in protein and fiber

• Apricots, plums and cherries

• Bananas

• Medjool dates, if you want some extra sweetness

Best vegetables for smoothies

Some people hesitate to put vegetables into their smoothie for fear it’ll “ruin” the flavor. But if you don’t overdo it and use vegetables that marry well with your other ingredients, they can be a healthy and delicious option.

Here are the best vegetables to add:

• Leafy greens like spinach, baby kale and arugula; try this green smoothie

• Peeled cucumber

• Pumpkin puree

• Frozen cauliflower rice (which can also help with texture)

Best fiber ingredients for smoothies

While protein is an obvious add to a smoothie, fiber is less common but also very important to help keep you regular and keep you full.

Some great fiber options include:

• Chia and flax seeds; try this high-fiber smoothie that features chia seeds and other high-fiber foods

• Cooked oats

• Fiber powder like Ancient Nutrition’s Organic Fiber (pineapple mango and raspberry lemonade flavors)

Best healthy and performance fats for smoothies

Another overlooked element of the smoothie is fat. When you only add liquid, fruit and protein powder, for example, you often end up with a very low-fat smoothie. But you’re going to want some healthy fat to keep you satiated and provide you energy — plus they assist with creating excellent texture.

Top performance fats to add to your smoothie include:

• Flax and chia seeds (yes, these work in several categories, as you’ve seen)

• Hemp seeds

• Nut butter

• Unsalted raw cashews

• MCT oil

• Coconut milk; try a piña colada smoothie

• Avocado

Best spices and flavors for smoothies

For certain ingredients, recipes or times of year, you may want to use spices or other flavoring agents to create the right taste and add some extra health benefits.

Here are some options:

• Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger that also provide antioxidants. Try these fall protein shakes that feature these spices.

• Vanilla extract

• Coconut water, which contains some electrolytes

• Unsweetened cocoa powder to give a chocolatey taste

Superfood boosters for smoothies

Want to take your smoothie to an even higher nutritional level. Consider these superfood boosters:

• Supergreens — Ancient Nutrition’s Organic Supergreens powder provides 25 organic superfoods in each scoop (and comes in flavors like mango and berry that can marry well with most smoothies). Try this pre-workout smoothie that features super greens, healthy fats and protein powder.

• Maca powder — this nutty, butterscotch flavored powder is an excellent source of protein, fiber and several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, copper and iron.

• Noni fruit powder — pairing well with citrus and berry flavors, noni is high in flavonoid antioxidants and contains 17 of the 20 essential amino acids.

• Cacao powder — provided a chocolatey taste, it’s also high in fiber, minerals and antioxidants.

• Acai powder — this berry powder is high in antioxidants (anthocyanins) and plant-based omega-3 fatty acids.

• Camu powder — with a tart berry taste, camu is loaded with vitamin C and supports a healthy immune system.

• Matcha powder — Ancient Nutrition’s Superfood Matcha features a lightly sweetened matcha green tea flavor and contains 135 mg caffeine from matcha and organic coffee cherry. It supports healthy energy and reduces fatigue.

Worst ingredients for smoothies

While everything above is recommended for a good smoothie, there are also many ingredients you want to avoid putting into your smoothie because they’re either overly processed, too full of sugar or artificial.

Avoid these ingredients for your smoothie:

• Any type of sweetener (use some liquid stevia if you need your smoothie to be sweeter)

• Fruit juice, which is too high in sugar

• Highly processed protein powder

• Flavored yogurt

• Ice cream or sorbet

• Canned fruit in syrup

• Chocolate milk

As always, you should consult your healthcare professional prior to beginning any new dietary or lifestyle regimen.