Today's blueberry avocado smoothie recipe only requires seven ingredients to make a healthy drink. It's the perfect light beverage to sip as a snack or to cleanse your palate after a meal.
Is Blueberry Avocado Smoothie Healthy?
Yes, our blueberry avocado smoothie is healthy, mostly because, as the name implies, it is packed with avocado and berries.
1. Avocado Benefits
Avocados are highly nutritious. They contain folate, potassium, healthy fats, and vitamins K, C, and E. There are also trace amounts of B vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron, and zinc.
They are also rich in fiber, which is lacking in most American diets.
Consumption of these creamy fruits has been linked to weight loss, perhaps due to their fiber, healthy fats, and low glycemic index.
Avocados also include eye- and brain-friendly antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants may help prevent age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and neurological illnesses like Alzheimer's.
2. Blueberry Benefits
Blueberries pair with almost any dessert or drink. But what we love most about these berries is that they are low in calories yet packed with antioxidants.
Blueberries contain polyphenol antioxidants called flavonoids. The flavonoid known as anthocyanin is considered to be responsible for many of the berries' health benefits.
Blueberry antioxidants have been demonstrated to lower oxidative damage from "bad" LDL cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease.
Of course, this smoothie recipe isn’t the only way to use these delicious fruits in beverages. If you like avocados, check out our Avocado Green Smoothie Recipe and Avocado Banana Smoothie Recipe. For those who love blueberries and looking for various ways to enjoy their sweet-tart goodness, our Blueberry Banana Smoothie Recipe, Pineapple Blueberry Smoothie Recipe, and Strawberry Blueberry Smoothie Recipe are the perfect things to try out.
Ingredients for This Recipe
Let's take a look at the ingredients for today's blueberry avocado smoothie recipe:
- Avocados: You can pick any variety of avocados you like as they all have a similar flavor.
- Berries: We're using frozen blueberries for today’s recipe.
- Bananas: These are great to add to almost any smoothie. Plus, if they’re particularly ripe, they alleviate much of the need for added sweeteners.
- Sweetener: We added one tablespoon each of maple syrup and honey for this recipe.
- Dairy: A little whole milk helps the smoothie blend more easily. We're also using Greek yogurt to give the drink a richer and slightly tangy flavor.
Keep in mind that both avocados and bananas oxidize quickly, causing them to turn brown and also affect the color of the smoothie.
How Long Does It Last?
Most smoothies will survive up to two days in the fridge. However, since this blueberry avocado smoothie recipe contains highly perishable ingredients such as whole milk and Greek yogurt, it will only last a day.
Still, we recommend storing the smoothie in an airtight container to keep it fresh as long as possible.
The smoothie may separate after sitting in the fridge for a few hours, but don't worry. It's still safe to drink. Just give it a stir and enjoy.
How to Tell If an Avocado Is Ripe
When picking avocados at a grocery store, you should check out their peel. Unripe avocados generally have green peels which will gradually turn darker as the fruits ripen.
However, the peel is not always a good indicator of ripeness because color varies depending on the variety of avocado.
Another way to test avocado ripeness is by touch. Hold the fruit in your palm and gently squeeze it with your fingers.
If the fruit feels firm, it's unripe, and you should keep looking. If you can feel it give but there’s still a bit of pressure, it's ripe. Soft avocados may be overripe and may have lots of bruised patches under their peel.
Checking beneath the stem is also a telltale sign of the fruit's ripeness. If the stem comes off easily and you can see green flesh below, it's probably ripe enough.
If you're at a farmer's market, you can kindly ask the salesperson and they will assist you.
And don't worry if you pick unripe avocados. You can speed up the process by keeping them next to apples, pears, or bananas. These fruits produce a gaseous plant hormone that helps ripen fruits faster. You can put them all in a large fruit bowl over the counter or in a large paper bag and your avocados should be ripe the next day.
Can You Freeze This Smoothies?
Yes, you can. In fact, freezing smoothies can be a great idea.
A smoothie may only last a day or two in the fridge, but freezing it extends the shelf life to three or four weeks.
Once frozen, your smoothie will become a low-calorie, fruity replacement for ice cream that you can snack on any time of the day without having to defrost it!
Blueberry Avocado Smoothie Recipe
This blueberry avocado smoothie recipe is all about flavor. Let’s see how we create this sweet and creamy drink with only seven ingredients.
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 10 mins
- COURSE Beverage
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 249 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 6 oz blueberries (frozen)
- 8 oz avocados, peeled and pitted, cut into chunks (about 2 small fruits)
- 8 oz bananas (peeled and cut into chunks)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 mint leaves (for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a blender, combine 6 oz frozen blueberries, 8 oz avocado, 8 oz bananas, maple syrup (maximum 1 tbsp), 1 tbsp honey, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, and 1 cup whole milk.
Blend in 30 seconds at high speed until smooth.
Divide the smoothie equally into 4 glasses.
Garnish with fresh mint leaves and enjoy.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary Consultant
Luna Regina
Writer, Author
- nfarrand2The Blueberry Avocado Smoothie is a tasty and nutritious way to start your day. The sweetness of the blueberries and creaminess of the avocado make for a perfect blend.