Smoothies are increasingly popular and an almost effortless way to increase your fruit and vegetable intake. And the research is clear that diets rich in fruits and vegetables help protect us against disease and improve our longevity.

Not to mention, they taste pretty damn delicious.

But if you are just transitioning into healthier choices, it can be intimidating to know where to start. With the onslaught of recipes and tips online, they can make healthy eating seem complex, overwhelming, and unattainable.

Luckily, smoothies are simple to prepare and highly versatile, and it is nearly impossible to screw them up. Unlike baking, there are no rules and restrictions, and you are limited only by your own personal preferences.

They are also easily portable, making them a great option to take on the road or bring into the office if you don’t have time – or simply don’t want to eat – before you leave the house.

I use this general template to build my smoothies, though no two are exactly alike. Once you become comfortable with them, you can build them any way you see fit. The most important point is to create something you love to help you power your workouts and adventures – or simply to start your day on a healthy note.

Simple Smoothie Template

1/2 of an orange
1/2 to 3/4 cup mixed frozen fruit, lightly thawed
1/2 cup raw spinach
1/4 cup protein powder (usually 1 full scoop)
1/2 to 3/4 cup unsweetened kefir, milk, or milk alternative
Optional: 1 tablepoon chia or flax meal

Combine all ingredients in a bullet or blender and blend until smooth. You may need to adjust the amount of liquid depending upon how thin or thick you like your smoothies.

For the fruit, I typically use strawberries, blueberries, cherries (pitted, of course), raspberries, kiwi, and banana. Sometimes I add a bit of all of them, but most times I pick and choose from that list.

When it comes to protein powder, it’s not a necessity, but it provides a nice boost to your protein intake. And protein is essential to supporting an active body. I tend to use brown rice, soy, and/or whey protein because after much experimentation, I like them best.

And for the milks, I often use a combination of unsweetened cashew milk or almond milk and plain kefir. I’ve also used dairy milk and quinoa milk, depending upon the price.

I also top my smoothies with some extras, including dried mulberries, sunflower seeds, goji berries, granola and/or cinnamon-spiced dried chickpeas – which adds some extra texture. But by no means are these add-ins necessary. I buy them because they’re fun and I enjoy them – not because they are magical superfoods that anyone “needs” to be healthy.

To build your own perfect smoothie, you only need to focus on a few key points:

Choose fruit and vegetables that you like.

It should go without saying, but when you are trying to make healthier choices, all the white noise can suck you into the world of “superfoods” and other marketing buzzwords. And it can shame you into confusion about what you “should” or “shouldn’t” be eating, or that some fruits and vegetables are better than others.

While some types may have more vitamins than others, it isn’t worth getting bogged down in the minutiae. Simply start where you are.

Focus on the combination of fruits or vegetables that you genuinely enjoy, and by doing so, you’ll create something you’ll be happy to consume. And the happier you are with your choices, the more likely you’ll be to stick to them in the long-run.

If you’re new to green smoothies, consider starting with spinach.

There is nothing inherently magical about green smoothies, so you can leave out the green if you prefer. But adding a handful of greens to your smoothies is an excellent way to up your intake with very little effort.

It’s best to add greens in their raw form, and in my experience, spinach is often the least intrusive. It has a mild flavor that is barely perceptible amidst the other ingredients, so it blends quite nicely into the background. Kale, on the other hand, can have a stronger, more bitter flavor in its raw form, which can easily overwhelm the smoothie. The same can be said for other greens that have a stronger flavor, including arugula, watercress, and even chard. But again, do what works for you, and choose the green that best suits your tastes.

If you are used to eating cereal or oatmeal, try smoothies in a bowl.

Though you can drink a smoothie out of a travel mug or straight from a mini-blender, you might consider pouring it into a bowl. Doing so also allows you to take advantage of an existing habit – especially if you’ve been eating cereal or oatmeal from a bowl for years. The cue and routine are essentially the same – it’s only the “reward,” or contents of the bowl, that have changed. And using existing behavior is one of the easiest ways to introduce a new habit into your life.

Importantly, using a bowl is also a simple trick to remind your body that you are “eating” a meal rather than “drinking” it- which for many people will feel more psychologically satisfying.

Watch the add-ons. 

There is nothing inherently bad about calories. They are the very fuel we need to power our bodies through our daily activities, whether we’re hiking, swimming, lifting weights, or pushing through a busy day at work.

But calories matter, and the best way to maintain a healthy weight is to balance eating enough calories to fuel your activities without consuming too many. Unless you are specifically working to gain muscle mass, any extra calories will likely be put towards increasing the fat stores that our bodies naturally accumulate in anticipation of hard times.

Topping your smoothie with some simple add-ons to provide extra texture can help, but be careful not to go overboard or you may add several hundred calories more than you need. Additions like nuts, seeds, nut butters, full-fat coconut milk, or granola can add up quickly even in small amounts.

The Bottomline

Increasing our intake of fruits and vegetables is essential to protecting our long-term health, and smoothies make this task simple and delicious. They come together in minutes, and they are versatile enough to appeal to almost any flavor combination you can imagine. As long as you focus on using ingredients that you enjoy, you’ll create the perfect fuel to power your adventures.