19 Ingredients That Will Make Your Smoothies Even More Refreshing

Yogurt provides a creamy and nutritious smoothie base that pairs well with many different fruits and vegetables. While plain Greek yogurt is probably our fav, just about any type of yogurt can be used.

Consuming yogurt offers several important health benefits, according to Medical News Today. Although nutritional content varies between products, yogurt tends to be high in calcium, which supports bone health. It can also be rich in probiotics, aiding digestion. Some types of yogurt, including Greek yogurt, are good sources of protein. Finally, many yogurts are high in vitamins B6 and B12, as well as riboflavin, potassium, and magnesium.

When selecting your yogurt product, avoid those with an excessive amount of added sugar. Since plain yogurt varieties work perfectly fine in smoothies — you can always sweeten them up with fruit  —there is no need to purchase sugar-laden flavors. If inspired, make homemade yogurt with whole milk and a small amount of store-bought starter yogurt.

For an especially revitalizing smoothie, just add coconut water and/or coconut meat. Unsweetened coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes that will go a long way to keeping you hydrated without any of the added sugar, artificial flavorings, and excess calories found in so many sports drinks. Plus, coconut water is rich in potassium, an important nutrient that most people could use more of (via Cleveland Clinic). Just take care not to overdo it, since drinking too much coconut water can have an unfortunate laxative effect.

Adding chunks of fresh coconut meat (or dried, unsweetened shredded coconut) is another good way to quench your thirst and upgrade your smoothie. This works especially well in combination with tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, and banana. By the way, if you want to crack open a whole coconut, whack it hard against something solid. Or, for a smoother cut, use a handheld saw. If you don't plan on using the entire fruit in your smoothie, check out our creative ways to use a whole coconut.

Who doesn't love a restorative glass of juice? Juice can also be used as a smoothie base, although we suggest choosing your juice wisely. For one thing, avoid juice-like drinks, which can contain more sugar and empty calories than actual juice. Instead, select 100% fruit or vegetable juices.

Our favorite orange juice brand is Naked, which contains 100% orange juice and no added sugar. If you prefer an apple variety, consider using apple cider vs apple juice. While the two are nutritionally similar, apple cider is less processed and therefore contains more ​​polyphenols (a compound found naturally in apples that may help prevent cancer).

WebMD names vegetable juice the best option from a nutritional perspective, with pomegranate and cranberry juices also being good choices. An even better option would be to blend in whole fruits and vegetables for an extra refreshing (and nutritiously superior) kick. Further down, we cover all of our favorite fruits and veggies for smoothies.

Speaking of ice cubes, many people think that an icy element is essential to smoothies. While we do agree that including ice adds volume, texture, and a delightful sense of coolness to any smoothie recipe, we also think that the right blend of non-frozen ingredients works pretty well, too. For example, plain Greek yogurt + coconut water + strawberries + banana = no ice required. (Then again, we probably wouldn't say no to using frozen fruit for this one, either.)

The bottom line: There's really no right or wrong when it comes to including ice in smoothies. But if you don't have a specialty blender, you may want to avoid ice (or frozen fruit) as it can break or damage the blender blades. If you like the convenience of using frozen fruit but don't want to risk your blender, let it thaw before blending. Whether you decide to use ice or not, be aware that the order you put ingredients into a blender matters.

Bananas are a classic smoothie staple. They add sweetness, a smooth texture, and plenty of important nutrients. Plus, they are wonderfully restorative and go well with just about any other smoothie add-in. We also think adding bananas to smoothies is an excellent way to use up overripe bananas — especially when it's too hot to turn on the oven to bake banana bread.

Of course, you can always freeze ripe bananas before they go bad. In fact, frozen bananas are another fabulous addition to smoothies. The best way to freeze bananas is to peel and slice them into 1 or 2-inch pieces when they are slightly overripe, and then freeze these pieces individually on a tray so that they don't stick together.

Whether you go with fresh or frozen bananas, you will experience their many health benefits. Bananas contain plenty of potassium, fiber, and other essential vitamins and minerals (via WebMD), so eating them regularly can reduce your risk of stroke, keep bones and muscles healthy, and even prevent kidney stones. Eating bananas can also help control cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

Ah, summertime. This is the best time of year to find fresh pit fruit, also known as stone fruit. Some of our favorite varieties for smoothies include cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums. Lychee, another refreshing treat, can be difficult to find but is well worth the effort. We strongly recommend playing around with pit fruits to discover your favorite smoothie combo.

You can save yourself some hassle by purchasing pre-pitted, frozen fruit. This is especially helpful when it comes to cherries since pitting these small fruits can be messy and time-consuming. If you don't mind the process, you may wish to use fresh cherries (and other pit fruit) for something extra special.

To pick out the best fresh cherries, look for plump fruit with vibrant color and unblemished skin. To find sweet cherries, head to the farmer's market or grocery store between May and August. For sour cherries, be on the lookout between late June and early July.

When it comes to choosing veggies for smoothies, there are two main options: raw or cooked. Generally speaking, raw veggies, including cucumber, carrots, celery, and (of course) leafy greens, are incredibly refreshing and hydrating. Cucumber, for instance, contains so much water that you may be able to use it to replace liquids in your smoothie.

If raw veggies aren't your thing, try experimenting with cooked vegetables like sweet potato, zucchini, and butternut squash. While this may seem further off the beaten path, you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

You may also want to consider adding beets to smoothies — but the funny thing about beets is that most people either love them or hate them! If you didn't just have a knee-jerk reaction of revulsion to the concept, experience the earthy flavor and vibrant appearance of a beet-infused smoothie. Plus, beets are nutritional powerhouses, packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, iron, and potassium.

You can also add vital texture, flavor, and nutrition to your smoothie with seeds. Some of the most rejuvenating options include flaxseeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds (per Healthline). Flaxseeds (also called linseeds) provide dietary fiber, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants. Eating them may reduce your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Chia seeds offer very similar health benefits as flax seeds and may also help reduce appetite. Hemp seeds provide a good source of vegetarian protein, along with essential amino acids. Given that all three nutritional powerhouses are easy to add to smoothies, what are you waiting for?

If you are wondering how else to include more seeds in your diet, the answer is simple: Cook with them! Along with using flax, chia, and hemp seeds, try adding sesame, poppy, pumpkin, sunflower, and caraway seeds to your culinary creations. Also, did you know that quinoa is a seed? Simply boil some in water for a healthy alternative to rice or pasta, or toast in a pan for a crunchy salad or oatmeal topper.

Adding extracts to smoothies is a great way to boost flavor without changing any base ingredients or adding extra calories. In particular, we have found that vanilla extract, the most common option around, is an incredibly versatile extract since it goes with just about every type of smoothie ingredient. Our main advice here is to make sure you are using real vanilla extract and not the imitation kind. Some of our favorite vanilla extract brands include Nielsen-Massey, Penzey's, and King Arthur Baking Company — but if you can't find any of these near you, look for McCormick or Simply Organic. It is also possible to make homemade vanilla extract.

While vanilla is a classic option, keep in mind that there are many types of flavor extracts available. Some of these include almond, coconut, lemon, peppermint, banana, maple, and orange — so play around a little to determine your preferences. You should also know that when it comes to extracts, a little bit can go a long way. Especially with peppermint extract! (We speak from experience.)

While not every smoothie requires an added sweetener, some do. For instance, a smoothie made from fruit that is not at the peak of its ripeness may not be especially sweet. In such cases, go ahead and add a drizzle of honey.

Although we often think of honey as liquid gold, honey is actually the result of a chemical process that occurs inside bees. As bees travel from one plant to the next, they collect nectar. The nectar interacts with enzymes in the bees' salivary glands, changing into simple sugar. Then, the bees — well, they actually regurgitate the result into a honeycomb. (Gotta love nature!) There, water evaporates from the honey and it becomes ready for harvesting.

If that doesn't sound especially refreshing to you, we get it. But once you try a sip of your honey-sweetened smoothie, you're going to have a change of heart. Not sure which type of honey to use? From wildflower and clover to Manuka and macadamia, there are many varieties of honey out there to choose from. The good news is that you are unlikely to go wrong with any of them.