Whizz Up Your Own Homemade Smoothies

This Mixed Berry Yoghurt Smoothie (The Simple Veganista) is a wonderful way to start your day. You literally only need a few ingredients.

A room-temperature banana (no need to freeze like most smoothies), some plain or vanilla plant yoghurt, your favourite non-dairy milk and optional toppings like a dollop of nut butter for protein. Just whizz it all up and you’re ready to go.

If you fancy something more substantial, try this blogger’s chocolate almond smoothie bowl. Smoothie bowls are basically thicker so you eat them with a spoon.

This one is made with protein-rich nut butter along with chilled plant milk and frozen bananas. Always slice your bananas before freezing. Keep cocoa powder away from pets.

One comedian says the main brand of smoothies in supermarkets has a cheek to call themselves innocent! The prices charge for what is essentially blended fruit are astronomical.

And the company is now owned by a big American corporation. He says the cheapest way to make a banana smoothie, is simply to put a banana in your mouth – then swish your head around to blend it!

Invest in a Good Blender

If you enjoy making smoothies, it’s worth investing in a good blender (it doesn’t have to be very expensive, just one with a glass jug and good motor that does not burn out, and is easy to clean).

It’s UK law that if you buy a new electrical appliance, the shop you buy from must take back the old appliance. So if you have dusty old broken blender in your cupboard (or anything else you don’t use like a chip fat fryer), take it back for a simple swap!

Vegan Peaches & ‘Cream’ Smoothie Recipe

Vegan peaches & cream protein smoothie (The First Mess) combines fresh and frozen peaches with plant milk and yoghurt, vanilla, dates, almond butter, vanilla protein powder and ice. Serves two.

PACK’D sells ready-made frozen peaches in easy-to-recycle packaging if you don’t have fresh).

Cinnamon Blueberry Banana Smoothie

This cinnamon blueberry banana smoothie (The Simple Veganista) is a wonderfully healthy start to the day. It contains organic nut butter for protein (or use sunflower seed butter for nut allergies).

A Recipe for (not local!) Pineapple Smoothie

This pineapple & mango smoothie (Broke Bank Vegan) does not use local seasonal fruits, but is a great way to make use of tropical fruits on sale (or leftover pineapple chunks in tins), and can actually be subbed with strawberries, though there’s no photo (it will be pink instead!)

If you can’t bear the faff of chopping up a mango, use this simple glass trick to easily get to the flesh. You can sub mangoes with peaches, for a local seasonal variation.

And the company is now owned by a big American corporation. He says the cheapest way to make a banana smoothie, is simply to put a banana in your mouth – then swish your head around to blend it!

How to Chop a Fresh Pineapple

Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice off at least 1/2 inch on top and bottom. Then stand it upright and use the knife to slowly skim off the skin, using a paring knife to remove any ‘eyes’. Slice into rings, using a knife or cookie cutter to remove the core inside each ring.

A Homemade (vegan) Banana Split Smoothie

This banana split smoothie (The Simple Veganista) will take you back to childhood nostalgia. How have we gone from a country that enjoyed banana splits and knickerbocker glory, to giant American-style plastic-wrapped overpriced muffins, for a treat?

Keep nuts and chocolate away from pets. Read more on food safety for people and pets.

This is super-simple to make, and a great way to use up ripe bananas, before they go off. Just whizz them up with fresh or frozen organic strawberries, pineapple, vanilla, plant milk and a little cocoa powder. Then top with vegan whipped cream.

Farm shops are the best places to buy bananas, because then the Fair Trade ones will also be plastic-free. In Supermarkets, organic bananas have to be wrapped in plastic, to avoid being contaminated by non-organic ones (you could always remove the packaging, and leave it in the recycling bag bins).

If you want to make the real deal, check out this recipe for a 5-minute banana split recipe.

Smooth Move (mixes in compostable packs)

Smooth Move offers ready-made smoothie mixes in compostable packs. Just add the contents to plant milk using the fill line on the reusable one-time purchase shaker bottle, and blend.

Made with fruits, veggies, nut butters, superfoods & spices.

Choose from:

• Apple Spinach (reduce cravings & intestinal stress)
• Blueberry (ideal for burnout & stress)
• Strawberry & Raspberry (immunity boost)
• Peanut Butter Banana (extra high in protein)

Unlike most plastic smoothie pouches, these ones are compostable (or just bin to naturally biodegrade) and then packed in cardboard. The shaker bottles also have a filter to achieve the perfect texture.

If you’re a student, verify with Student Beans on the site, and get 50% discount on your first purchase. And 10% of profits go to nutritionally educate children on the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables.