Food trends come and go, and sometimes they even come back. 

I still remember the five fondue pots and three yogurt makers my husband, Mike, and I received as wedding gifts in 1975. I recall making my salads exclusively with iceberg lettuce and feeling indulgent when ordering whole-egg omelets at a restaurant. More recent trends have some of us, me included, choosing too many decadent cupcakes and donuts, juicing our vegetables or chowing down on a combination of fried chicken and waffles. What’s that all about?

I consider myself a slow adapter when it comes to new trends and admit that I am often too quick to criticize what is suddenly “in.” But inevitably, I do dabble. And every so often, I adapt.

One trend I recently embraced is smoothies. They are delicious, healthy and feed my love of creative cooking, albeit cooking is not required!

One morning, I may fill my blender with a handful of strawberries, mangoes, chopped ginger and spinach; the next morning, a quartered apple, a banana, chunks of carrots and a handful of kale. 

By keeping my refrigerator stocked with fruits and vegetables, and with extra bags of frozen fruits and vegetables in the freezer, I always have the makings of a delicious and nutritious smoothie at arm’s reach. With the addition of one or more fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil or mint that I grow in my garden or pick up at the market, my smoothie possibilities are endless.  And better yet, all the ingredients I need for seven days of yummy breakfast smoothies can be picked up in single weekly shopping trip.

And kosher? Of course, and, depending upon your preference, dairy or parve. Linked to our own traditions? As described below, a smoothie is a tzimmis run though a blender. And long before there was a Vitamix or even electricity, our forbears were making their versions of smoothies in the form of thick cold soups from a combination of fruits and vegetables, such as sweet and savory summer borscht.

Smoothies can include so many different foods, all of which taste good and are good for you. Most nutritionists will tell you that getting your average daily dose of vitamins and minerals through food is far better for you than getting them through bottled supplements. (If you require more than the average dose, your doctor will be able to recommend supplements based on your needs.)

It is easy to tailor a smoothie to your tastes and your needs. Whether you are gluten or lactose intolerant, vegetarian, vegan or Paleo, or if you have trouble chewing, smoothies are for you. For example, you can switch out dairy for calcium-enriched soymilk, or rotate in fresh or frozen calcium-rich broccoli, kale, bok choy, spinach or collard greens. By adding nut milks or one of a variety of nuts such as walnuts, almonds or pecans and seeds such as flax, chia or hemp, you will get plenty of additional protein and fiber.

Years ago, when smoothie stands first began popping up, the smoothies were packed with fruit juices and, many times, frozen sweetened yogurts. You don’t need either. There is already plenty of juice in your fruits and vegetables. Also, fruits are naturally sweet. When was the last time you added sugar to a fresh peach, apple or banana?

The same is true of many vegetables. If you’ve ever roasted, say, carrots, you may have noticed how the natural sugars in them caramelize. By including some of these sweeter vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips or beets, you can actually make your smoothie taste sweeter. If it is still not sweet enough, try adding a pitted date or two, or even a handful of raisins. The vegetable haters in your family, toddlers and adults alike, need never know – and will never detect – all those healthy vegetables.

Though you could make a smoothie in a food processor, a blender works much better. And while there are plenty of upscale versions on the market, even a basic one will do. By layering ingredients in a specific order, you can maximize the ability of your machine to break things down. Sometimes a blender needs additional liquid to process the solids. Those liquids can come in the form of coconut water, milk (dairy), nut milk (nondairy) such as coconut or almond, a freshly peeled and quartered orange or grapefruit, or just plain old tap water.

Always add liquids first (yogurt, if you use it, falls into this category), followed by fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds and frozen foods and/or ice at the top. 

A smoothie can be as simple or as complicated as you choose. Begin by combining foods with flavors you like, and progress by substituting some new and different foods and flavors. And before you invest in an upscale blender such as a Vitamix, which can also perform a variety of other functions, experiment with the one you have. It is quite possible that having a meal-in-a-glass is not your thing.

Whether I have bought into the theory that eating a combination of raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds is healthy or have succumbed to my son Josh’s and my daughter Hanna’s testimonials, or simply love the taste of fresh, I’m hooked. I feel energized and satisfied. And all of those wonderful, fiber-rich ingredients keep me feeling full for hours. What’s more, my smoothies fit quite well into my philosophy of food: everything I enjoy in moderation!

Here are some of our family’s favorite smoothie recipes. Bon appetit!

Margi Lenga Kahn is a mother of five and grandmother of five. A cooking instructor at the Kitchen Conservatory, she is working on a project to preserve the stories and recipes of heritage cooks. She welcomes your comments and suggestions at [email protected].