How to Combine Fruits for Fruit Smoothies for More Nutrition

Fruits in A Blender

Fruit smoothies are an easy and tasty way to get a big nutritional impact into a little glass. Smoothies have become synonymous with health and convenience, and recipes encourage creative combination. By learning more about different types of fruits, their properties and benefits, you can develop healthy fruit smoothie recipes that your body will love.

Things You'll Need

• Blender
• Fruit
• 100% fruit juice
• Ice
• Knife

Instructions

1. Choose organic, local produce for fruit with the highest amount of vitamins and minerals. If using juice as a base, use 100% fruit juice with no added sugars.

2. Use fruits such as oranges and other citrus fruit, pineapples, pomegranates, strawberries and plums for lots of calcium and vitamin C. Combine these acid fruits with sub-acid fruits like apples, berries, apricots, cherries, mangoes, pears, kiwi and papaya. Sub-acid fruits contain antioxidants and flavanoids that will enhance the activity of vitamin C.

3. Add sweet fruits such as bananas, figs, dates, raisins and other dried fruits for minerals like potassium and iron and concentrated sugar content for sustained energy.

4. Follow food combining science guidelines to avoid indigestion caused by mixing certain fruits. Combine acid fruits with sub-acid fruits, but not sweet fruits. Mix sub-acid fruits with either acid or sweet fruits, but not both, because of different enzymes produced by the body during digestion. Blend the fruit thoroughly to release the gases that may cause indigestion. The goal is to let each fruit digest normally so all of its nutrients may be absorbed by the body.

5. Make the smoothie. Chop or slice the fruit if you need to. Remove all seeds and pits from the fruit. Put the juice, fruit and ice into the blender. Secure the top and blend until smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Tips & Warnings

• A fruit smoothie should be a meal or snack unto itself. Drink it on an empty stomach and never after or with a meal. Fruit digests quickly and other food can stall this process if eaten together. Ultimately, if the food is not absorbed properly, you don't get its full nutritional value.

References

• All Types of Fruit
• Eating Fruit - For Maximum Impact

Resources

• Smoothie Recipes