Master List

I'm told that people are scattering to the grocery store to stock up on smoothie ingredients ;-)  Fear not.  I am going to give you my "Master List" of items you'll want to keep in the house so you can create my, and your own smoothies.  It may "seem" expensive at the beginning because you may not have everything on hand but that will taper off quickly.

Fabulous weather is just around the corner as well so many of the frozen fruits I am purchasing right now will be soon replaced by fresh fruits.  When the season is in full swing I will purchase in large quantities and freeze them myself.

Have any pick-your-own fruit and veggie farms near you?  Pack up the family and make a day of it!  You'll save a bundle and grab some of that all important family time.

So begins the list of everything you can use in your smoothies...feel free to substitute in the recipes as well.  Use your imagination!  Cherry Almond "Cheesecake" can easily become Peach or Strawberry Cheesecake too so don't feel limited by any of the fruit & veggies listed below.

Liquids (We'll talk about liquids in the near future.  They all have different jobs to do)

-Milk
-Almond Milk (shelf life of 1 year in tetra paks)
-Coconut Milk (shelf life of 1 year in tetra paks)
-Coconut Water (do not confused this with coconut milk - big difference)(shelf life of 1 year in tetra paks)
- Water
- Juice (orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, apple, etc..avoid sweetened juice and "drink" versions!)

Fruits (fresh or frozen)

- Pineapple (I usually buy mine in a can, drain it then measure out 1/2 cup servings)
- Bananas
- Peaches, pears, plums (again, if cans are cheaper that week, just rinse them off and freeze)
- Cherries (I buy frozen as who wants to pit them?  Cans are usually really expensive and the cherries packed in thick syrup - I avoid!)
- Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit)
- Tropical fruit (you can often find pre-mixed in the frozen food section)
- Fruit cocktail (you can often find pre-mixed in the frozen food section)
- Berries
- Melons
- Kiwi

 

Veggies

We haven't used a lot of veggies YET.  But we will, believe me.  Just thinking ahead as to what we will need.  Again, you don't have to have EXACT ingredients every time.  Substitute as needed.  These are veggies I often eat regularly.

- Kale
- Other dark greens (bok choy, dandelion (not the flower, the leaf lol), swiss chard...)
- Carrots, celery, cucumber (goes GREAT with watermelon), peppers
- Broccoli, cauliflower
- Brussel spouts (probably won't see those in a smoothie but who knows?!)
- Radishes (did you know they are fantastic when fried in cooking spray or baked? Uh huh!)

Proteins & Natural Fillers

- Low-fat Greek yogourt
- Low-fat flavoured yogourts
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- FLAX SEED (we'll use that A LOT)
- Oatmeal
- Silken tofu
- Dates & Figs
- Nuts

 

Others

- Honey
- Sweetener
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Fresh Mint (I grow my own)
- Cilantro, Parsley
- Unsweetened Cocoa

Again, please don't go out and buy EVERYTHING on the list.  Focus on the items you can clearly see using regularly.  Items like cocoa, flax seed, honey and oatmeal will last a really long time in airtight containers and so little is used that it's really cost effective in the long run so don't fret!

If you see the almond and coconut milk on sale (it does happen OFTEN), stock up.  They last a really long time when they are unopened.  They don't often appear in sales flyers however so visit that section of the store regularly.

Same with frozen fruits - Wal-Mart, Loblaws, IGA and most other stores carry their own brands - stock up when you see them on sale.

It's all do-able, it's all affordable when properly planned, it's all blend able - so get shoppin' and get blending!

Enjoy my friends!