How to Make the Perfect Smoothie (and, 7 delicious smoothie recipes) #dishthefit

It's Tuesday. Time for my favorite blog link-up. Today's topic: Smoothies. So let's #dishthefit about this healthy snack or meal option, shall we? I totally enjoy smoothies, but admittedly, I have not been making them—and I have no idea why. Smoothies are healthy, super easy to make and downright delicious. If your blender is collecting dust like mine is, maybe we can both find some inspiration in the following smoothie tips.

But first: Why are smoothies healthy? Because they're filled with fruit, veggies and all things natural and good. That is, if you pay attention to what you put in them. Coming up with good smoothie combinations is part of the fun, and it's really hard to go wrong.

Back to those smoothie tips.

1) Cut up your ingredients and freeze them. I prepped a bunch of smoothie bags before I had Evan. Adjusting to two children took up a lot of time, but I had fresh fruit frozen in the freezer (say that five times fast) for when the snack monster attacked. I added a bit of yogurt and a splash of milk, and the whole process took mere minutes.

2) Throw your heavy ingredients in the blender first. These often take more time to process, and starting off right by the blades gets them going right away.

3) Mix fruits and veggies. You wouldn't normally do this, I know. But combining the two can produce wicked delicious results. Granted, the end results might look like sludge, but we don't judge books by their covers now, do we?

4) Add protein if you're making it a meal. Protein is what keeps us full and also fulfilled. Consider protein powders, but choose wisely. Or add a nut butter. Of course, if you're using Greek yogurt or milk, you'll get a bit of protein that way, too.

5) Put powders (like proteins or spices) in between other ingredients. That way, they won't fly all over your blender when you start it up. When this happens, it's a mess and you can never really get it all back into the rest of the smoothie.

6) Add a few ice cubes. Four seems to work well for me. It waters down the smoothie just enough, and also cools it off to perfection. Of course, the more you add, the icier the smoothie will get. Do what works for you, of course.

7) Pay attention to the amount of ingredients you add. That way, you won't be left with a smoothie that's double the serving size. I have this problem, mostly because I like to keep throwing things in the blender. And then, suddenly I'm left with a smoothie fit for three people.

8) Think outside the ingredient box. Try putting unconventional items in your smoothie, like oats or nuts. Chia seeds. And as I said before, nut butters are awesome in smoothies. Maybe you want to throw in some espresso for a kick?

Or maybe you want to try one of these smoothies:

1) Nutella Smoothie
2) Mini Pumpkin Smoothie
3) Blackberry Oat Smoothie
4) Strawberry Spinach Smoothie
5) Healthy Chocolate Milkshake
6) Orange Vanilla Carrot Smoothie
7) Chocolate Cherry Milkshake

Question: What's in your favorite smoothie? Do you use any unconventional ingredients in your smoothies? What's your best smoothie-making tip?