Smoothies are a really great way of getting a whole range of vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients into your diet. Packed full of fruit and vegetables, smoothies are high in fibre, essential vitamins, like vitamin C, and other nutrients like proteins and carbs.

Smoothies are a great way to boost your health, can increase your intake of healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and can act as a meal replacement when you're on the go. But, what is better than a smoothie? A smooth made using entirely organic produce!

Organic smoothies are incredibly healthy and offer a range of health benefits on top of the huge list that smoothies already offer. If you're wondering why organic smoothies are better, how organic smoothies can benefit your health, and are looking for some fantastic smoothie recipes, then keep reading!

Why is organic fruit better?

So, why is organic fruit better for your smoothies?

Fruit that has been sourced from mainstream, conventional farms are usually treated with pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, and other synthetic compounds that help to increase yield and curb pests. These synthetic compounds have been linked to a range of negative side effects in humans making them bad for human health.

In addition, these growth agents are known to harm marine life, biodiversity, and soil integrity on conventional farms, making them bad for the environment too!

As well as synthetic compounds, conventional farms are full of GMO crops. GMO crops have been linked to allergic reactions in humans as well as some cancers.

Organic farming methods completely banish the use of synthetic chemical pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers, and other growth agents, as well as GMO crops, protecting you from their harm when you choose organic produce.

Organic farms use only naturally-derived pesticides and fertilisers and do their best to maintain the health of the soil and environment around them. It has also been suggested that due to their lack of synthetic chemical use, organic farms tend to have more nutrient-rich soil which means crops can take in more nutrients, resulting in these crops being more nutrient-rich.

Organic fruit is better for you and better for the planet and is a choice you should try to make if it is accessible to you!

What are the health benefits of making smoothies with organic produce?

Drinking smoothies, especially those made with organic produce, is really beneficial to your health. Below, we've listed a few of the ways drinking organic smoothies can benefit your health. Check them out now.

• Smoothies generally have a high fibre content which helps to support a good digestive function.
• The high content of the fruit can increase your intake of a range of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C.
• They can help to fill you and curb food cravings.
• You can add many different kinds of powdered superfoods to smoothies these days which can boost antioxidant intake and further boost vitamin and mineral intake.
• Smoothies that use nuts and seeds, and nut butter, can increase your protein intake.

Top 8 healthy and organic smoothie recipes

Now we know just how great organic smoothies are, let's take a look at some fantastically healthy organic smoothie recipes. Each recipe is a loose outline of what goes into each smoothie. You can play around with quantities depending on your tastes and try out different combinations to find the smoothie that fits.

Super greens smoothie

For a green smoothie, you're going to need lots of green fruits and veg. We usually use spinach, frozen or fresh, as the base. Then add in frozen banana, mango, almond milk and top up with water. You can add super green powders to green smoothies too, such as wheatgrass powder, to load up on antioxidants.

Green smoothies are a great way to feel healthy on a morning and can give you the boost you need to start your day in a truly healthful way!

Chocolate smoothie for the chocolate lovers

Chocolate smoothies might not sound like the healthiest option, but they're great for those who don't really like fruit! We recommend using bananas as a base, either fresh or frozen. Then add in a few organic Medjool dates, a spoonful of organic almond butter, a handful of organic cacao nibs and then top up with almond milk. You could even supplement this recipe with chocolate protein powder or maca powder for an added boost.

The almond butter in this recipe adds a hint of nuttiness but for those with allergies, you could swap for tahini and coconut milk. To make this feel really fancy, sprinkle some extra cacao nibs on top and serve!

This recipe makes for a sweet way to fill up and add macronutrients to your day. The nut content in this recipe adds extra protein and it is a good base for protein powder too.

Rich berry smoothie

Berry smoothies are full of antioxidants and are a great and sweet way to add some excitement to your breakfast! Grab some frozen berries, mixed is best, add a squeeze of organic honey, some coconut milk or yoghurt, and a pinch of porridge oats for added fibre.

If you don't eat honey, you could replace this with maple syrup or agave nectar to add a sweet edge to the slight acidity of berries.

Tropical paradise smoothie

Tropical smoothies combine lots of tropical fruits, like passionfruit, mango, papaya, guava, and pineapple. You can add lots of different combinations to this recipe, or even find a frozen tropical smoothie mix to try!

We recommend organic mango, pineapple, and papaya with coconut milk. Adding passionfruit adds sweetness and if you prefer, you can use orange juice in place of milk, though be aware that fruit juices are high in sugar.

To add a hint of heat to this smoothie, why not try adding some minced ginger and add the benefits of ginger to your day too!

Peanut butter smoothie

Peanut butter is a firm favourite of ours in smoothies! With the added protein that it brings, we think every smoothie should have it in! Peanut butter can be added to a variety of smoothies, like most nut butter, but if you want to give it a starring role, try out the combination we love below.

Add an organic banana, some oat milk, rolled oats, a spoonful of your favourite organic peanut butter, and some water to a blender. You can add some spices too, like nutmeg and allspice, to give a warming finish.

Kale smoothie

We love kale! It's full of lots of vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre and is great however you want to eat it! Creating a smoothie with kale is a great way to load up on the green vegetable throughout the day.

Kale is a fantastic ingredient to combine with other greens and so we usually add a couple of handfuls of kale to a blender, along with half an avocado, some lime juice, a few chunks of frozen pineapple and a handful of cashew nuts, or cashew nut butter. This combination offers fibre as well as protein and is a good smoothie to have for your breakfast.

Cherry smoothie

Cherry smoothies are the perfect balance between sweet and tart, making for a great boost of antioxidants throughout the day. Cherry smoothies work best with natural yoghurts and so we usually combine lots of frozen cherries with greek or coconut yoghurt, a banana, and a dash of vanilla extract.

This simple smoothie is really easy to make organic and is a good pick-me-up on lazy afternoons!

Strawberry and banana smoothie

Strawberry and banana is a go-to combination for smoothies and there is a reason for that: It's delicious! Strawberry and banana smoothies, as the name suggests, don't need lots and lots of ingredients which makes them the perfect starter smoothie!

Add an organic banana, a few handfuls of organic strawberries, some plain yoghurt, and a milk of your choice. This smoothie recipe doesn't really need any frills, though you could add an unflavored protein powder to it to bulk it out a bit!

A few notes on smoothie recipes

Now we've seen some fantastic flavour combinations to inspire your organic smoothies, we've got a few tips for smoothie making below!

• Don't use all frozen fruit! You should use a balance between fresh and frozen to ensure your smoothie is drinkable and to get the most nutrition from your organic fruit!
• Don't shy away from superfood and protein powders. They can help to add nutrition and will bulk out smoothies which will be good if you're replacing a meal with them!
• It's okay to just use water! Not all smoothies need milk or juice and topping up with water can work just as well.
• Add nuts and seeds wherever possible. We recommend chia seeds as a great addition to any smoothie!

Conclusion

Smoothies are a great addition to a healthy diet. They add nutrition and can be used as a meal when you're in a rush. Using organic ingredients makes them even better and you should try, where possible, to use as many organic ingredients as you can.

To find organic smoothie ingredients, remember to check out our organic section!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the healthiest things to put in a smoothie?

Smoothies are full of healthy ingredients but the best things you can fill your smoothie with are fruits and vegetables! Load your smoothie full of nutritious greens and citruses to ensure you're getting as many vitamins as possible. Other healthy additions include superfood powders that add antioxidants and other minerals!

Are smoothies good to drink every day?

Smoothies are a good addition to your day. Whether as a meal replacement or as a drink throughout the day, smoothies can add nutrition and energy to your diet, giving you a boost when you need it. It is best to choose homemade smoothies over store-bought ones if you're planning on drinking them every day as store-bought smoothies can have lots of unnecessary added sugar.

What should you not mix in a smoothie?

There are some things we don't recommend adding to smoothies. These include:

• Sugar. You don't need to add sugar to smoothies, but if you want to sweeten you could add honey or agave.
• Ice. Though it is debated, and sometimes necessary to cool them down, smoothies don't need ice in them.

Are oats good in smoothies?

Oats are great to add to smoothies. They add extra fibre and other nutrients and serve to bulk out the smoothie which is great if you're choosing the smoothie as a meal replacement. Oats also add a subtly nutty flavour to your smoothies which can work well with nut butter!