How to Prep Fresh Veggies for Smoothies to Beat the Summer Heat

If you're looking for a simple, delicious and healthy way to pack a heap of nutrients into your body with minimal mastication, smoothies are the way to go.

Loaded with the natural sweetness of berries and smoothness of yogurt, smoothies are a fantastic way to add disguised vegetable material into the diet.

We all know about the classic trendy additions like kale and spinach, but here are a few left-field smoothie ingredient ideas that will bring diversity to your breakfast game!

Beetroot.

Naturally sweet and earthy, loaded with fibre and antioxidants - it would be rude to turn down such a powerhouse ingredient! We recommend cooking the beets (boiling or steaming, then let them cool down) before tossing them into the blender. You can peel them if you want a more mellow tone, or leave the skin intact for added nutritional value. Tossing beets into berry or chocolate smoothies will help mask their presence, given their very strong colouration.

Cucumber.

When a smoothie is a little too thick, people add water and ice to loosen the texture a tad. But why not boost the nutrient density of your smoothie by incorporating cucumber instead?! They're 90% water anyway, but they do contain some valuable minerals and compounds while also adding a smooth, floral, sweet flavour - not entirely dissimilar to watermelon, actually. We'd recommend peeling the cucumber before adding into the blender, either fresh or frozen into chunks (for a cold beverage). Cucumber works best in smoothies with a tropical flavour - vanilla or chocolate smoothies aren't as receptive to the cool, refreshing notes cucumber has to offer.

Courgettes.

You wouldn't have guessed it, right? But courgettes do indeed work surprisingly well in a blended concoction - they have a mild, delicate, almost sweet flavour and, of course, plenty of nutrients! We'd recommend tossing raw/ uncooked courgettes to the blender - no peeling required! Just give it a quick wash and lop the ends off, and away you go!

Carrots.

New season carrots are delightfully sweet - plus, they're packed with antioxidants, vitamins and the classic Beta-Carotene (for good eye health). If you're after a cold smoothie, we'd suggest chopping them and popping them in the freezer. Otherwise, using them straight out of the fridge is great for avoiding brain freeze. Carrots work particularly well when paired with the likes of apple, ginger, turmeric and orange, or go fancy and whip up a slurp-able carrot cake flavoured smoothie by combining carrots, frozen banana, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla n and maple syrup.

Celery.

Like cucumber, celery is a deadly combo of fibre and water (along with nutrients, of course!), making it a great option for liquifying a thick smoothie. With a mild, slightly grassy taste, celery works best in a berry or fruit-based smoothie (think strawberry, basil and celery, green smoothies, citrus-based smoothies, etc). It's important to blend celery well to avoid having residual fibrous strings in one's drink.

Peas.

Another not-so-usual smoothie addition… but they make sense if you think about it: frozen peas are basically sweet, grassy ice cubes that bring freshness to the drink. Combine strawberries and peas to create a refreshing and balanced mouth feel.

Corn.

Creamy, sweet and juicy - of course corn would go well in a smoothie! Combining frozen corn kernels with coconut milk, banana, cinnamon and pineapple will create a tropical smoothie that transports you to another world!