Dust off your blenders, get your aprons at the ready, Food Scientist and Nutritionist Susie Debice shares her Top 10 Smoothie Ingredient Go-To Guidelines and provides 5 Sensational Smoothie Recipes made with Neutrient Total C, for an enjoyable way to top up on vitamin C. 

There’s nothing quite like starting the day with an incredible smoothie to make you feel like you’re making progress with your wellbeing and kicking the day off to a good start. With many of us worrying about our immune systems and catching an infection the spotlight is shining bright on vitamin C. Adding a decent serving of vitamin C to your morning smoothie couldn’t be easier with Neutrient Total C!

If you’ve never made a smoothie before or if you find that your smoothies don’t always taste as delicious as you want them to, then take a read of Susie’s Go-To Smoothie Guidelines to understand which ingredients help to balance out your smoothie flavours and textures.

Smoothie Go-To Guidelines

1. Neutrient Total C

We’re all currently looking for easy ways to increase our dietary levels of vitamin C, a key nutrient for supporting normal immune function, protecting cells from oxidative stress and contributing to collagen formation which is vitally important for youthful skin radiance.

Citrus fruits, red and purple berries and green leafy vegetables and parsley are all good sources of vitamin C and they all work well in smoothies. However, you can go one step further and add 1-2 scoops (1-2 grams of vitamin C) of Neutrient Total C to your smoothie mix. Neutrient Total C contains a mix of buffered vitamin C in the form of mixed mineral ascorbates and ascorbic acid alongside the additional phytonutrients D-ribose, dihydroquercetin and bio-perine (black pepper extract) which help support the absorption and action of vitamin C. 

2. Natural sweetness

Sometimes we all need a little extra squeeze of sweetness to balance out some of the natural acidity and tartness in typical smoothie ingredients such as berries or lemon and lime juice. Natural forms of sweetness that work like a dream in all sorts of smoothie recipes include honey, maple syrup, agave, stevia and xylitol. A common mistake is to over sweeten which means you end up with a drink that’s too sweet and rich to enjoy. Always add a little at a time and taste as you go so you get the perfect balance between sweet and tartness, just hitting that desired sweet spot is the secret to a perfect tasting smoothie!

3. Caramel calling

While we are on the subject of sweetness, something that I absolutely love to do for some of my milk or plant milk smoothies is to add a clever hint of treacly caramel flavours. Just a couple of Medjool dates (stones removed) or a teaspoon of organic blackstrap molasses (packed full of minerals) or a couple of teaspoons of lucuma powder and this turns your average banana/plant milk smoothie into caramel heaven.

4. A pinch of salt

To ramp up your pre or post-workout smoothies, replenishing electrolyte minerals could be a smart addition to support fast hydration. What exactly are electrolytes? Well, they’re a collection of minerals which help regulate water balance, including sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium which tend to get lost from the body during sweating – so one to watch for in those HIT classes or hot yoga sessions. Coconut water amazingly contains a similar concentration of electrolytes as those found in the bloodstream. But if you’re not a fan of this salty-sweet drink then just add a pinch of mineral-rich Himalayan salt into your smoothie.

5. Cow’s milk or plant milk?

It might simply come down to what you have in the fridge! Plant milks do seem to be stealing the limelight at the moment, but not everyone is a plant-based fan. There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of organic cow’s milk every now and again, unless you are dairy or lactose intolerant. In which case there are now so many types of plant milks that we really are spoilt for choice. However, not all plant milks work well in a smoothie. Rice milk tends to be quite thin and watery which isn’t ideal if you are looking to make a smoothie with a luxury mouthfeel. Oat milk and coconut milk both give a delicious superior creamy thickness to a smoothie and almond and cashew milks are a close next choice.

6. Turn up the heat

There are many ways to spice up your smoothies. Ground black or pink peppercorns add heat with an intense peppery flavour. Chilli flakes or even fresh chillies help to add a fiery touch, or you could use fresh root ginger, or turmeric powder to take your smoothie to another level. All these spices contain different phytonutrients and natural compounds such as curcumin that are known to have a plethora of health attributes, so they add more than just flavour. You just need to know your limits.

7. A refreshing zing

Sometimes a spicy smoothie just isn’t appropriate and for the times when you need something cooling, a refreshing light smoothie made with greens, coconut water and zingy lemon or lime juice can feel totally cleansing and rejuvenating. You can even take this one step further by adding the leaves (not the stalks) from a sprig of mint or lemon balm as this makes for a real taste sensation. If your blender is powerful enough then add in a few cubes of ice to instantly add a chill factor.

8. Pack in some protein

If you’re on a health kick and focussing on fitness, body conditioning and wanting to build up muscle definition then adding a few scoops of organic protein powder to your smoothie is a must. Many fitness professionals and athletes use whey protein to bulk out, but with the plant-based revolution well underway your non-dairy options include pea, brown rice, hemp and even algae proteins. When combined, these plant protein powders form a source of complete protein, meaning that together they provide all the essential amino acids, which is important to help prevent common vegan nutrient deficiencies.

9. Fresh vs frozen

Don’t worry if you can’t get a steady source of fresh fruits and vegetables for your daily smoothies. With modern farming technology, many fruits and vegetables are now frozen as they are harvested, and this actually preserves the levels of many of the vitamins that in fresh fruit and vegetables would normally be destroyed during storage and being displayed on the shop shelves. Using bags of frozen tropical fruits, frozen berries, frozen whole spinach and frozen cauliflower and broccoli florets is a very economical and nutritionally sound way to keep a full range of smoothie ingredients to select from. Plus, because they are frozen you get that instantly chilled smoothie effect.

10. A touch of luxury

You might think that the creamiest, most luxurious tasting smoothies would need to contain cows’ milk or cream or even a spoonful of ice-cream, BUT I’ll share a little secret with you. You can achieve that luxury thickness just from cashew nuts, silken tofu or cauliflower florets. The trick is to add these into your blender first with just enough plant milk to help them blend into a smooth paste, then add the rest of your plant milk and other ingredients and give everything a good whizz and you’ll be amazed at the results. Avocado and banana are also pretty good for creating smoothness and thickness too.

Susie’s Five Super Charged Smoothie Recipes

Here are my five smoothies that I make with Neutrient Total C, to show you just how easy it is to kick-start your day with a double dose of deliciousness! You can swap in your favourite plant milk and personalise each one with your own level of sweetness or tanginess by adjusting the lime, lemon or honey to suit your taste buds. And if you are feeling creative then just add 1-2 scoops of Neutrient Total C to any of the smoothies that you normally make to help support your immune system, skin function and energy.

Please note: all recipes serve 2 and can be made by adding all the ingredients to your blender or Nutribullet and blending until smooth. Serve immediately.

Total C and Berry Bliss

• 2 scoops of Neutrient Total C
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 tbsp nut butter
• 100g frozen summer berries
• 300ml oat milk
• Squeeze of honey to taste

Total C and Cacao Heaven

• 2 scoops of Neutrient Total C
• 10 cashew nuts
• 1 frozen banana
• 2 tbsp raw cacao
• 300ml cashew milk
• ½ tsp sweet cinnamon
• Pinch of pink Himalayan salt

Total C and Cleansing Greens

• 2 scoops of Neutrient Total C
• 1 ball of frozen leaf spinach
• 2 small broccoli florets
• Juice of half a lime
• ¼ avocado
• Sprig of mint
• 200ml coconut water or 100ml apple juice and 100ml spring water

Total C and Mango Lassi

• 2 scoops of Neutrient Total C
• 1 cup frozen mango
• 4 soft-dried apricots
• 1 tbsp natural coconut yoghurt
• ½ inch, peeled, chopped root ginger
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp sweet cinnamon
• 300ml coconut milk
• Squeeze of lime to taste
• Squeeze of honey to sweeten, if needed

Total C Virgin Mary

• 2 scoops of Neutrient Total C
• ½ a celery stalk
• ½ a red pepper
• ¼ - ½ a medium red chilli (deseeded)
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano
• 300ml tomato juice
• Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of sea salt
• Squeeze of lemon to taste

Happy Blending!

By Susie Debice Food Scientist and Nutritional Therapist.