The basic ingredients of common smoothies include fruits and vegetables. Additional ingredients can add an amount of carbohydrates to the smoothie to customize it to your health needs. Carbohydrates provide your body with energy and help maintain your blood-sugar levels. Adding fruits, veggies, grains -- and even beans -- to your smoothies gives them a healthy boost in carbohydrates.
Toss some fruits in your smoothie for a sweet carbohydrate boost. Just 1 cup of chopped or mashed fruit boosts the carb content of your smoothie. A 1-cup serving of grapes contains 18 grams of carbohydrates, a 7- to 8-inch banana contains 24 grams of carbohydrates and one orange has 11 grams of carbohydrates.
A serving of vegetables quickly increases the carbohydrate content of a smoothie. For a different taste, add a helping of veggies to your fruit smoothie. Most vegetables with high carbohydrate content must be cooked before adding them to your smoothie. A 1-cup serving of cooked and mashed acorn squash adds about 14 grams of carbohydrates to your smoothie. For an even larger dose of carbs, add 1 cup of cooked and cubed yams to add 37 grams of carbs.
Adding grains to your smoothies is one of the most versatile ways to boost their carbohydrate content. Just 1/2 cup of rolled oatmeal adds 27 grams of carbohydrates. Adding 1/2 cup of cooked, brown rice increases the smoothie’s carbohydrate content by about 22 grams. Grains give smoothies a thick, creamy consistency if you completely blend them. Stir the grains in after the smoothie is prepared to add texture. If mixing grains into your smoothie makes it too thick, add a bit of water or milk to thin it to drinking consistency.
While legumes might seem an odd choice, they make smoothies rich, creamy and earthy with just a single serving. Lightly flavored, cooked legumes such as lentils and garbanzo beans work best. With just one 1/2-cup serving of lentils, you add 18 grams of carbohydrates to the smoothie. With an equal-sized serving of garbanzo beans, you add 30 grams of carbohydrates to the smoothie. If the flavor of the legumes overpowers your smoothie, add a bit of sweetener to balance it.
- Couple of mixed berry smoothies image by Vatikaki from Fotolia.com