No Blender? No Problem! Smoothies for Fall

#beWellUGA, health promotion, nutrition

Smoothies are a portable meal or snack that can pack in a lot of nutrients; protein, calcium, fiber, and more. They can be especially helpful when you don’t have much time, but need sustenance and energy to tackle your day. But what about when you don’t have access to much space or kitchen equipment and there’s no blender in sight? Or you just don’t feel like dealing with the clean up?

Sure, you can pick up a smoothie at a local shop or even stock up on pre-made smoothies from the grocery store. These can definitely be good options in a pinch. One of the great things about making your own food is being able to select and customize all your ingredients, and that goes for smoothies, too. Making your own can also save you money.

Enter the blenderless smoothie.

The blenderless smoothie is going to differ from your typical smoothie in a few ways. First, no chunky or frozen fruit here. You’ll want to choose fruit that is a smooth consistency and can be blended with liquid easily by shaking. We won’t be adding anything frozen at all, unless you want to include ice to cool the smoothie down after mixing. We’ll also include seeds which will help thicken your smoothie in the absence of frozen fruit (and have the nutritional benefits of soluble fiber and omega 3 fats). Finally, nothing too sticky, like nut butter. If you want to include peanut butter, try using powdered peanut butter. It will mix more easily.

You can follow this basic formula to craft an easy, nutritious smoothie – no blender needed.

1 cup milk of choice

½ cup pureed consistency fruit*

½ cup unsweetened Greek yogurt or non dairy yogurt

2 tablespoons chia seeds or ground flax seeds

1-2 teaspoons sweetener of choice (honey, agave, maple syrup, or table sugar)

1-2 teaspoons flavoring of choice (vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, etc.)

Add all ingredients to a jar or large cup, close lid tightly, and shake until combined.

*Need some ideas for fruits to use?

Unsweetened applesauce and canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) are easy to find. You could also use applesauce squeeze pouches that are already blended with other fruits like berries, peaches or zucchini (usually these are found on the snack aisle of the grocery store); another option is baby food squeeze pouches that contain smooth blends of fruits and veggies like mango, avocadoes and pears. All of these are shelf stable; that is, they don’t require refrigeration, have a long shelf life, and are perfect for stashing in your residence hall or apartment.

Here are a few recipes to get you started:

Apple cinnamon smoothie:

1 cup milk of choice, unsweetened

½ cup 0% Greek yogurt, plain/unsweetened

½ cup applesauce, unsweetened

1-2 teaspoons honey

½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground flax seed

Matcha smoothie:

1 cup milk of choice, unsweetened

½ cup 0% Greek yogurt, plain/unsweetened

1-2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon matcha powder

2 tablespoons ground flax seed

Perfect pumpkin smoothie:

1 cup milk of choice, unsweetened

½ cup 0% Greek yogurt, plain/unsweetened

½ cup canned pumpkin pureed (not pumpkin pie filling)

1-2 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

2 tablespoons chia seeds

Peanut butter and chocolate:

1 cup milk of choice, chocolate

2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter

½ cup 0% Greek yogurt, plain/unsweetened

2 tablespoons chia or flax seeds

For students in need of additional support resources:

The UGA food pantry is fully stocked and available for students in town. Students should call Student Care and Outreach to set up a time for pick-up (706.542.7774) or contact them via email at SCO@uga.edu with any questions. Information about emergency funding and Graduate Student emergency funding can be found here: Student Affairs emergency fund and Graduate Student emergency fund. Bulldog Basics is also still running for students in town. Students can request basic hygiene items here.

Written by: Beth Kindamo, Nutrition Education Coordinator, UHC Health Promotion