Strawberry Mango Smoothie

Why should you try it?

• It's extra delicious. Fruity, extra smooth, and very refreshing.
• It's packed with essential nutrients, especially proteins, vitamin C, antioxidants, and probiotics good for digestion and immunity.
• It's quite filling and nutritious, a great drink for weight loss.
• It packs healthy Omega-3s.
• It's made with a few simple ingredients and without added sugars.
• It's vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
• It's super easy to whip up + plus kids love it!

Ingredients used

You will need only a few simple pantry ingredients for this beautiful strawberry and mango smoothie recipe.

• Strawberries. Strawberries are delightful fruit. They are loaded with vitamin C and many other powerful immune-boosting antioxidants. (Source) I love them because they are low-carb, reduce inflammation and keep our gut and heart healthy. (Source) I used frozen strawberries for this smoothie, but fresh will work fine too.
• Mango. Mango is another fruit packed with vitamin C and powerful antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. (Source) You can use fresh or frozen mango in this recipe.
• Banana. It's full of important nutrients, especially potassium and gut-friendly fibers. It's also very filling and great for energy. Check "Recipe variations" for ideas on how to swap banana in this recipe.
• Milk of choice. I used almond milk, but any dairy or non-dairy milk such as oat, cashew, or soy milk will work fine here.
• Yogurt. I used vegan almond yogurt here, but you can use any yogurt (regular, low-fat, or even Greek yogurt) to make this strawberry mango drink. Kefir is also a great option if you want to add more probiotics.

To make it more interesting, creamy, and super healthy, I also added:

• Almond butter. Almond butter is packed with healthy monounsaturated fats, fibers, proteins, and many essential minerals and vitamins. It made this smoothie more nutritious and balanced. I used natural creamy almond butter.
• Ground flax seeds. Flax seeds are packed with Omega-3s which improve mood, boost immunity, and fight inflammation. Also, flax seeds are packed with fibers. 

How to make Strawberry Mango Smoothie

Making this strawberry and mango smoothie is quite easy. It will take you 5 minutes and all you need is a good blender.

Step by step instructions

• Step 1: Prepare the ingredients.
  • Start with preparing and measuring all the ingredients. I like to use measuring cups.
  • If you are using fresh strawberries, wash them and remove strawberry stems.
  • If you are using fresh mango, peel it and cut it into cubes.
  • If you have whole flax seeds, make sure you grind them in a grinder before using them.
• Step 2: Mix the smoothie.
  • Take the blender and add all ingredients. Note: add wet ingredients first for easier blending.
  • Turn on the blender and mix at high speed until you get a smooth texture.
  • If the smoothie is too thick, add a little more liquid – milk or water. Blend again until the smoothie is smooth.
  • Taste the smoothie and add additional sweetener if you like. (See the "Sweetener recommendation" for suggestions)
• Step 3: Serve the smoothie.
  • Transfer the smoothie into a tall smoothie glass. 
  • Add toppings (optional): I used bee pollen. Be creative here and add toppings you like. 
  • Serve and enjoy!

Substitutions

• You can use fresh or frozen fruits.
• You can use any plant-based milk here except coconut milk. Coconut milk (from a box) won't work well here in terms of pairing with other flavors. Cow's milk works well too.
• You can use any type of yogurt here, regular, low-fat, Greek-style, or even kefir or probiotic yogurt. Dairy or non-dairy, they are all fine.
• You can substitute almond butter with peanut butter or cashew butter. Tahini works well too.
• You can substitute flax seeds with chia seeds or hemp seeds.

Smoothie variations

This strawberry and mango smoothie is vegan and gluten-free.

Make it without banana: Substitute banana with ½ avocado. In this case, you may need to add extra sweetener. See the "Sweetener recommendation" for suggestions.

Make it weight loss friendly: Use only ½ banana to cut down calories.

Add protein powder: Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder. This will transfer smoothie into a great protein-packed, post-workout shake.

Tips for storing

• Store in a smoothie cup with a lid and keep refrigerated for up to one day.
• If you left the smoothie standing long it will set. Don't forget to shake or stir it before drinking!
• Remember, all smoothies oxidate when left standing. That's not bad. But it's best to have the smoothie fresh.

Recipe tips

• When you're adding ingredients to a blender, always add the liquids first. Doing this will help your blender run easily and it will prevent lumps.
• Use a high-power blender to ensure everything blends well and the smoothie is silky smooth. 
• Frozen strawberries and mango are the best for making this smoothie. They blend into a thick, refreshing drink that gives you a cold punch.
• If you don't have frozen strawberries or mango at hand, just pop the fresh strawberries and cubed mango in the freezer for 1 hour.
• You can use a frozen banana too. This will make the smoothie extra thick and even hard to mix. In that case, add a little more milk when blending to adjust thickness.
• If you don't have frozen fruits, just use fresh ones. And for cold punch, use ice cubes.
• Avoid store-bought mango pulp or canned mango.
• If you have whole flax seeds, make sure you grind them before blending them in a smoothie. Grinding flax seeds is the best way to make the most of their health benefits.
• Always use unsweetened non-dairy milk and natural unsweetened yogurts. Read the ingredients list on the back of the label.
• Make sure you use natural almond butter without added sugars or palm oil.

Sweetener recommendation

This smoothie uses banana as a natural sweetener. I don't recommend adding any extra sugar. But if you find the smoothie not sweet enough, you can add some.

• Add 1-2 dates, date syrup, liquid honey, or maple syrup.
• If you are using dates, make sure you soak them in warm water for at least 10 minutes. Drain them before using them.
• Use liquid stevia or any liquid low-carb sweetener for the low-carb option.
• Coconut sugar or any other cristal sugar won't work well here. It will not dissolve well in a cold smoothie mixture.