How to Blend the Perfect Smoothie

Convenient, packed with nutrition, and downright delicious, there’s so much to love about a smoothie. And if you’re ready to step up your smoothie game a notch, take note. Our team of smoothie pros has compiled the best tips and tricks we’ve learned from the thousands of smoothies we’ve made and slurped over the years to help you blend your very best smoothie. Follow these six steps, and you’ll have a perfectly blended drink, every time!

How to Blend the Perfect Smoothie

1. Get Going with Greens. Adding in your greens – such as spinach or kale – first is one of the best ways to ensure you’re not only adding important veggies to your smoothie blend, but you're also adding plenty of it. Leafy greens can easily be smooshed or squished (since we’re talking in technical terms) down. Start with leafy greens so you can pack your cup with good-for-you ingredients without going over the MAX line.

2. Follow-up with Fruits and Veggies. Your fruits and other veggies are most often the stars of the smoothie show. When it comes to adding them in, let the blender do its job. There’s no need to slice a banana or chop an apple or pear into small portions. The nutribullet is meant to make your job easier. Simply break a banana in half, chop an apple into four sections, and toss in whole strawberries. Trust the power of the blender. It will save you precious minutes in your day.

“If you’re opting for frozen fruit and veggies rather than fresh, you can usually skip the ice,” says our in-house chef and smoothie connoisseur, Mayra. “Most times when both frozen fruit and ice are used, the final blend consistency will be much thicker than usual, bordering on milkshake-thick consistency. But, if you like a thicker smoothie, add ice!”

3. Next up: Nuts! Now it’s time to add any nuts. Since nuts are harder to blend up than fruit or veggies, you’ll want to make sure they have closer contact with the blades!

4. Let’s add the Liquid! After the first three components have been added, you should be close to the nutribullet's MAX line, that's when your know it’s time for liquids! Whether it’s almond milk, coconut water, or fruit juice, what you add is up to you!

“Don’t overfill ingredients or underfill liquids,” says Chef Mayra. “The MAX line is there for a reason,” she continues. “If you overload your cup, you’re bound to have some spillage. And if you don’t add enough liquid, the smoothie won’t blend the way it should.”

5. Add In the Fun Stuff! If you really want to blend the “perfect” smoothie, we can’t stress enough the importance of adding powders, seeds, nut butter, or other sticky ingredients, like honey, agave, or chia seeds, after the liquid. If they’re added before, they’ll likely stick to the side walls of the cup, or you’ll end up with a chunk of seeds or powder at the bottom.

6. Finish up with Ice. Since you’ll have to flip the cup over to blend, the first ingredient you add (leafy greens) is last to hit the blade, and the last ingredient you add (ice) is the first thing to hit the blade. You want the hardest items to have the most contact with the spinning blade for the longest amount of time, which is why ice needs to be the first thing the blade hits to properly pulverize it. But keep in mind, the ice should now exceed the MAX line.

Ready to blend? Start with Chef Mayra’s top three smoothie picks!

1. Carrot Orange Turmeric – Sweet, spicy, and packed with some serious flavor, we can see why this is a fan favorite!
2. Berry Beets Mint – Even if you’re not a huge fan of beets, this smoothie may have you think otherwise. “This combination of flavors is fresh and just so good!” says Chef Mayra. We think you should give it a try.
3. Banana Cashew Chocolate Chunk – I mean, what’s not to love about a smoothie that can act both as dessert and as breakfast?! Count us in!