9 Ingredients to Supercharge Your Smoothies

Smoothies are one of the greatest quick, super convenient meals for those on the go.

But here’s the problem. Unless you’re making your own, you can get duped . . . with 100+ grams of sugar!

Fortunately when made at home, you can pack them full of serious nutrition.  It’s easy to fall into the same, basic pattern. For us it’s often frozen banana, peanut butter, protein powder, almond milk. While good, we do mix in some "Supershake Superfoods" that are power-packed bundles of goodness.

Here are nine powerful ingredients to boost immunity, give you energy and load you up with antioxidants.

Raw cocoa powder. There is no sugar added, just a rich, dark chocolate taste that is loaded with antioxidants.  Try 1–2 tablespoons in your next smoothie.

Spinach. Yes, spinach—in its leafy green goodness form.  No, it won’t give your smoothie a gross flavor (but adding blueberries, too, will make the color more appealing).  We often add 2-3 large handfuls of raw spinach to our shake and blend to oblivion.  It’s loaded with fiber, iron, and other powerful vitamins and minerals and what a simple way to add more leafy greens to your diet. Give it a whirl!

Walnuts. We love nuts and have touted the benefits of these and other nuts. But these guys in particular add a nice flavor (and nutrient boost) to the shakes.  Walnuts will help fill you up, with all their quality fat, protein and fiber. Of course they’re also high in a vitamins and minerals, to boot, and give the shake just a different flavor than traditional nut butters.

Pomegranate seeds. While it’s a tedious job to extract each seed one by one, several stores now carry these seeds in a small container—no messy work at all—nothing but the beneficial seeds.

Chia seeds. While we’re on the "seed theme"—let’s continue with these little sesame seed looking little guys that pack a powerful punch. High in fiber. High in protein. High in omega-3 fats. Just be careful—blend and drink soon after, as these little guys make any liquid pretty gelatinous in just a short time.

Kefir. Ever hear of it? If you haven’t tried it, you should. It’s a drinkable yogurt that’s high in calcium and healthy probiotics (food for your gut) that have been shown to boost immunity.

Green tea. You can make a cup than use that as the liquid (blended with ice, it will cool it down immediately).  But the antioxidants in tea are well worth it and may have powerful effects like protecting your skin from sun damage, reducing your risk of heart disease and maybe even burning a little belly fat.

Black coffee.  It’s high in antioxidants.  You’ll get a little caffeine boost.  And if you like the flavor, it could be a nice shake that is loaded with nutrients.  I wouldn’t necessary mix it with green tea, but here’s another alternative as a liquid base.  Use a chocolate protein powder and, voila, you’ve got a mocha shake.  Awesome!

Fresh ginger. You’ll find ginger root in the produce aisle of your grocery store.  Grate about 1 TBS (it has some heat, so don’t go overboard) for a nice kick to your dish. But the antimicrobial and immune-boosting properties make this one well worth it!

What do you think of those?  Of course we suggest you use a scoop of your favorite protein powder; we like and use BiProUSA’s whey protein isolate because it’s free of any artificial sweeteners, but whichever you like will work.

Looking for options? Check out these 20 Healthy, Protein-Packed Smoothie Recipes. Maybe you'll find a new favorite!

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