Notes

1. CHIA SEEDS

This option is for you if you don’t like your smoothies thick. Chia seeds will turn gel-like when soaked in liquid, retaining about eight to nine times their weight and swelling substantially. However, it takes about 20 minutes to fully activate. This means that if your drink your smoothie immediately after making it, it will still have the same thickness/thinness, but swell up in your stomach and still leave you feeling full for hours.

If you like your smoothie thick, pre-soak chia seeds for about 20 minutes in a few tablespoons of water (1 tbp chia to 2 tbs liquid). If you’re usually pressed for time when you make your smoothies, make your own chia gel and add 1 or 2 tablespoons to your smoothie when needed.

TO MAKE CHIA GEL: Soak 1/3 cup of seeds in 2 cups of water in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid (e.g., a mason jar). If you want a thinner gel add another cup of water. Cover jar and shake. After a few minutes shake again to prevent the chia seeds from clumping together. Put in sealed glass jar in fridge. Shelf life is approx 2 weeks.

Chia seeds are a particularly awesome choice to add to your smoothies. Apart from the rather cool fact that it is said to have been the basic survival ration of Aztec warriors, with one tablespoon believed to sustain an individual for 24 hours, chia seeds are super healthy. Chia seeds are rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium. In fact they are so high in antioxidants (higher than any whole food, including blueberries) that they don’t deteriorate easily and can be stored for long periods without turning rancid. In terms of flavor, chia is also a winner – it doesn’t really add any to the smoothie, as chia has a barely perceptible nutty flavor.


2. FLAXSEEDS/ LINSEEDS

Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed (also known as linseed), which has a nutty flavor (stronger than chia seeds). Like chia seeds, flaxseeds are often considered a superfood. Flaxseeds are thought to possess anti-inflammatory properties and help protect against heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Flaxseed absorbs water and after about 20 minutes expands and forms a gel. So if you don’t like your smoothie thick, flaxseed is another option, as it wont expand until it’s in your stomach.

The main disadvantage of flaxseed, especially compared to chia seeds, is that they tend to spoil quickly. Flaxseeds must be kept in the fridge and used fairly quickly before they become rancid. Also, to get the maximum benefit from flaxseed, you need to consume the ground. The blender is unlikely to do a good job grinding them, so you’ll either have to buy ground flaxseed (spoils quicker than whole flaxseed) or grind whole flaxseed in a coffee grinder.

3. PSYLLIUM SEED HUSKS

Try adding fiber-rich psyllium seed husks to thicken a smoothie, without adding any flavor. Like chia seeds and linseed, psyllium seed husks combine with liquid in your stomach and swell up, helping you to feel full for longer.

4. XANTHAN GUM

Xanthan gum is natural carbohydrate commonly used as a food-thickening agent (e.g. in salad dressings, sauces and ice cream) and very popular in gluten-free cooking – in fact you’ll often find it in the gluten-free section in your local supermarket. It’s also used for lowering blood sugar and total cholesterol in people with diabetes (though diabetics should check with their doctors before using xanthan gum). It has no flavor and you’ll need only a tiny amount, a generous pinch or about 1/8-1/4 of a teaspoon. One tablespoon contains 30 calories, 7g of carbohydrates, 0g of fat, and 7g of fiber.

5. FROZEN FRUITS

Using frozen fruits is a simple way to thicken your smoothie a little. Freezing fruit (or even vegetables) will add thickness and texture, but also intensify the flavors of your smoothies, as you wont have to add any ice.

Dense fruits such as bananas, mangos, papaya and avocado will thicken a smoothie. Water-based fruit such as watermelon will do the opposite. With regard to vegetables, spinach is a good option. The taste of spinach is mild, easily masked and barely perceptible in a smoothie. Spinach is also very low in calories, but will thicken the smoothie and give it a tremendous nutritional boost. If there is a downside (for some), it does turn a smoothie green. If drinking green is a turn-off, simply drink it out of a mug or other nontransparent cup.

6. ADD NUTS/ NUT BUTTER

Add a tablespoon of peanut butter or other nut butter (see here for lots of different nut butters) or a few nuts such as almonds/ pecans or walnuts. You can pre-soak nuts in a little water so that they are softer and easier to blend. Unlike the previous smoothie thickening options, this does add calories. And nuts are particularly energy dense (though also high in nutrients). So you’ll only want to do this if your smoothie could do with a few more calories and/ or healthy fats. And when you do add nuts/ nut butter, do so sparingly.

7. CUT DOWN ON LIQUIDS

If a smoothie recipe you’ve been eyeing is likely to end up runny, cut down on some of the liquids (e.g. water, milk, juice).

8. OTHER THICKENERS

LSA (made from ground linseeds, sunflower seeds and almonds)
Irish moss
Beans (use white beans or chickpeas in fruit, vanilla or other light-colored smoothies and black beans in chocolate or dark smoothies)
Coconut meat
Basic smoothies ingredients that thicken a smoothie:

Ice
Yogurt
Cottage cheese
Kefir
Frozen yogurt
Oats/ ground oats/ soaked oats
Wheat bran
Wheat germ
Smoothies are packed with nutrients, protein and fiber, so be sure to drink a couple of glasses of water as well.

Okay, now that I’ve almost made a dissertation out of how to thicken a smoothie, lets move on to weight loss smoothie ingredients.