Step 1: Liquid

Pour liquids (1 to 2 cups) in first for efficient blending. Examples: coconut water, milk, juice, kefir, kombucha, herbal or green tea.

To add a little magic, sprinkle in spices, herbs, citrus zest, natural extracts and flavorings and sweeteners.

For a nutritional boost, sprinkle in superfood powders, chia, hemp, flax, green powders, protein powder or cold-pressed oils.

Step 2: Base

Add soft and hard produce, and fibrous foods such as nuts and dried fruits, then frozen fruits.

The heart of the base is 2 to 3 cups of fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, baked, steamed, dried), as well as raw and sprouted nuts and seeds (1/4 to 1/2 cup).

To taste, include an element of cream: avocado, banana, mango, cooked grains (1/4 cup), silken tofu, nut butter, raw nuts (such as cashews and blanched almonds, 1/4 to 1/2 cup) or yogurt (1/2 to 1 cup).

If you like greens, consider 1 to 2 cups. Examples: spinach, romaine, radish greens, collards, chard, kale, beet greens, dandelion, arugula, parsley, cilantro, mint or basil.

Cool tips

Make ahead. Consuming smoothies right away maximizes nutrient value. However, for convenience, they can be refrigerated in sealed glass containers for a few hours or overnight. For longer storage, freeze in glass jars, allowing an inch of headspace for expansion of liquids. Defrost in the refrigerator, then shake or blend before serving.

Flavor your ice. Freeze cubes of leftover fruit and vegetable juice, milk and tea. Use instead of plain ice for a flavor or nutrient boost or to approximate the magic of ice cream or sorbet.

Freeze your vegetables. Our taste buds are temperature-sensitive, so 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli or cauliflower can be incorporated without altering the flavor of your smoothie.

Healthful ideas

Rotate your greens. To avoid oxalic toxicity (which can deplete calcium from bones and teeth), blend a variety of greens. Start with mild leafy greens such as spinach, radish greens and kale. Work your way up to more pungent greens such as collard, chard, beet greens and arugula. Then introduce wild edibles such as dandelion greens.

Watch your combos. If bloating is a concern, pay attention to food combining. Blending certain fruits and vegetables together is problematic for some people and not others. Adding too much fruit or sugar to blends, or drinking high-water-content foods after other concentrated foods, also can cause problems. Consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.

Juicing vs. blending. Juicing removes skins and piths, which is good for cleansing or recovery from acute illness, as it offers a nutrient-dense experience that accommodates gentler digestion. Blending retains all the nutrients in skins, piths and seeds; that kind of fiber slows down the assimilation of sugars, assists with bowel regularity and is thought to help eliminate toxins.