Healthy Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie
This healthy strawberry lemonade smoothie is a sweet and delicious drink to enjoy any time of the day. It’s healthier than regular lemonade too—it contains plenty of nutrients and antioxidants! Easy to make in just 5 minutes with simple ingredients. Vegan, gluten free, nut free and soy free.
Why You’ll Love This Smoothie
- Delicious berry lemonade flavour
- High in antioxidants
- Immune strengthening
This healthy strawberry lemonade smoothie is sweet, creamy and thick. It makes a perfect refreshing treat on a hot day or even after a workout! This recipe is made with just 6 simple ingredients and none of them are difficult to find. As long as you have a blender you can give this strawberry lemonade smoothie a try!
Strawberries are high in antioxidants and have powerful anti-inflammatory compounds called anthocyanins. Consuming strawberries regularly can help manage inflammatory diseases and lower the risk of chronic diseases. Chronic diseases develop over time due to oxidative stress overwhelming the body. Fruits like strawberries and bananas help to lower the risk of chronic diseases if consumed often.
Lemon is not only packed with antioxidants, including vitamin C, but can also help prevent kidney stones from forming. Adding lemon juice to smoothies is an easy way to strengthen immune system function.
Ingredients Needed
These are the ingredients you will need to make this healthy strawberry lemonade smoothie.
Lemon: Both the juice and peel will be used. Wash the lemon thoroughly before beginning.
Agave syrup: Adds sweetness to balance the sour of the lemon.
Frozen strawberries & banana: Creates the thick, creamy base of the smoothie and adds sweetness.
Oat milk: The liquid that brings all of the other ingredients together to blend smoothly and adds a creamy consistency.
For ingredient amounts and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Benefits
Hydrating
Staying properly hydrated is a basic requirement for optimal health. By incorporating daily smoothies you can maintain your ideal hydration level more easily. Start each morning with a smoothie for easy hydration!
High fibre
Easily get more fibre in your every day diet! In addition to being generally healthy, getting enough fibre can be extremely helpful for weight loss as it helps keep you feeling full for longer, without adding calories. Fibre also helps improve our gut health.
Nutrient dense
Vegan smoothies are a great way to get more nutrient rich foods in each day. By blending them into a single meal, it’s super quick, easy and fun! Choose ingredients like dark leafy greens, berries, nuts, seeds and fruits to make your smoothies nutrient rich.
Variations
Try an alternative plant milk
This recipe uses oat milk but you can try using any plant based milk you prefer. Some alternatives include soy, almond or cashew! You can also make your own plant milk from scratch.
Adjust the consistency
If you prefer a thicker consistency you can try the recipe using a bit less liquid than what is suggested. If you want a thinner consistency, try adding a bit of extra liquid to the recipe. For an extra thick and even creamier result add 2-3 tablespoons of vanilla vegan greek yogurt to the blender.
Switch base ingredients
If you don’t like bananas then try something else as the base! Mango usually substitutes banana well. If you’re allergic to or simply dislike a suggested ingredient then try to find something with a similar texture that you enjoy the flavour of. There is no wrong way to make a smoothie, and you can always omit any ingredients you don’t have on hand.
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to blender.
- Start blending at low speed for 5-10 seconds. Increase to high speed and blend for 1-2 minutes. Use the blender tamper to push ingredients down towards the blades.
- Pour into a glass and serve your healthy strawberry lemonade smoothie.
Prep & Blending
Add ingredients in the correct order
Always add liquid ingredients to your blender first. Then add powders, nut butters, nuts and seeds. Then add fresh greens and fresh fruit. Finally add your solid ingredients like frozen fruit. If using a small blender container with a twist on lid, reverse the order so that when you turn the container over to blend the frozen ingredients are farthest away from the blades.
Use a tamper
Push ingredients down towards the blades while blending using the tamper that comes with your blender. This helps to avoid thick smoothies from getting stuck, so you don’t have to stop blending and scrape down the sides of the container.
Don’t over blend
Try to blend your smoothie for less than a couple of minutes. If blended for too long, even thick smoothies will become thin. This is because the heat generated by the blades and motor of the blender heat up your ingredients while they are being blended.
Use a high power blender
For smoothies that have a perfectly smooth and creamy texture use a high powered blender such as a Vitamix. It can break down any ingredients to much finer particles than standard blenders, and more nutrients are released. A high speed blender also reduces the time you need to blend your recipe, which helps keep it nice and cold.
Chill your glass
By placing your smoothie glass in the freezer for a few moments you can help your smoothie stay cool for longer. This is especially helpful if you’re in a hot climate. Pop it into the freezer while you are prepping and blending, then take it out when it’s time to pour your finished smoothie!
FAQ’s
Are fresh strawberries okay instead of frozen?
Fresh strawberries can be used in place of frozen strawberries in this smoothie. The result will be slightly less thick, but it will work well as long as the bananas are frozen.
Can I lose weight with smoothies?
Smoothies are an excellent weight loss food! This is because they are generally lower calorie and higher in fibre and nutrients. Due to high water content, the large volume of a smoothie helps your stomach to feel satiated. And the fibre keeps you feeling full for longer, without feeling weighed down or tired like a huge meal would.
Can smoothies be refrigerated?
Smoothies are best enjoyed immediately after blending, while they are freshest. However you can refrigerate most smoothies for 1-2 days in an airtight container such as a jar.
Can I make smoothies without a high speed blender?
Yes, you can still make smoothies with a regular blender. It might take more patience depending on the recipe, but it can work. Turn off the blender to scrape down the sides of the container, and secure the lid before continuing to blend. Repeat as needed. Alternatively you can add a small amount of additional liquid to the recipe, which should help.
How can I increase the protein?
If you wish for your smoothie to have a higher protein content, you can simply add (more) protein powder to the recipe. Plain unsweetened plant based protein will work in any smoothie. Alternatively you can try adding hemp seeds or even silken tofu.
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Healthy Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie
Equipment
- high power blender
Ingredients
- 2 cup oat milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon agave syrup
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 2 cup frozen strawberries
- 2 frozen bananas
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to blender.
- Start blending at low speed for 5-10 seconds. Increase to high speed and blend for 1-2 minutes. Use the blender tamper to push ingredients down towards the blades.
- Pour into a glass and serve.