Build the perfect smoothie |

Who isn’t busily making juices and smoothies at home these days?! It’s the newest health craze and if you build it right, a breakfast or a lunch smoothie can keep you full for hours, but only if you make it correctly.

Not feeling full and satisfied after a smoothie? Here’s the problem, you likely have too much sugar and not enough protein in the mix. In fact, if you’re adding more than one serving of fruit, you’re really cheating yourself.

Here is how you build the perfect smoothie, so that it’s healthy, satisfying and keeps you full for hours:

Build a perfect smoothie with the following ingredients:

1 serving of protein, look for clean sprouted vegetarian protein or grass-fed whey. I use a whey protein in chocolate or vanilla, but make sure the protein you choose is low on sugar.

1 serving of fiber, chia seeds or flax seeds are a great addition.

Lots of greens, if it’s green and a vegetable don’t be shy and load up on kale, spinach, cucumber and even leafy salad greens. I also like to add basil or parsley, they really help boost the flavor.

1 serving of good fat, by this I mean avocado, peanut butter or almond butter. These good fats really round out the flavor and the health factor in a smoothie.

1 serving of fruit should help add sweetness to your smoothie, without setting the sugar scale of the charts. Berries, bananas, apples are great and pack lots of nutrients.

Liquid helps hold everything together, choose from almond milk, coconut water or plain water to help bind all the ingredients together. Don’t add sugary juices as liquids or flavored yogurt to keep the sugar levels down.

Here are two of my favorite smoothie recipes:

1 serving of protein: Chocolate whey protein

1 serving of fiber: Chia seeds

Lots of spinach

1 serving of good fat: Peanut butter

1 serving of fruit: Blueberries

Liquid: Almond milk