Although making a smoothie isn’t anywhere near rocket science, it still takes some experimentation to create just the right flavour, temperature and texture for your palate.

I’ve put together some smoothie hacks that will not only help troubleshoot issues you may encounter in the land of smoothie making, but also help you create smoothies that will tickle your taste buds.

Check them out …

The recommendations below are based off the smoothie formula found in the Quick-Start Guide To Smoothies and the LIVE 7-Day Smoothie Challenge.

9 hacks for creating YOUR perfect smoothie

1. Know your palate

The most important part of creating your perfect smoothie is using the right ingredients. Know what flavours you enjoy and try blending them together. Think of your favourite ice cream flavour or dessert recipe when trying to decide what you might like. Better yet, give some of my dessert-inspired smoothie recipes a try!

Also, don’t be afraid to recreate the same smoothie recipes you love — repetition is a great approach to developing new healthy habits.

2. One bitter B!*@#

No, not you–the smoothie. Yes, greens can make your smoothie bitter tasting. If you’re following the formula I’ve provided, you probably won’t encounter this issue, but if you do, here are some suggestions:

1) Use frozen vs. fresh greens since they taste less bitter;

2) Use less bitter greens (like spinach) until your palate is welcoming to the others.

Tip #3 is also a great way to balance the bitterness.

3. Mother Nature’s candy

The sweetness of fruit–and stevia in the PurePaleo Protein powders should be enough to balance out the bitter flavour of greens and satisfy your sweet tooth. If you need added sweetness, I suggest adding 1/4 cup extra fruit OR add a pinch of stevia for a smoothie that is lower in sugar content (I recommend Better Stevia by NOW).

4. Ice, ice baby

If you crave a smoothie that sends chills down your spine, then I recommend using frozen fruit and/or greens. Not only will you get an ice-cold smoothie, but using frozen produce makes smoothie making way easy since there’s no washing or chopping required.

If you don’t want to use frozen produce, but still want a cold smoothie, just throw in a few ice cubes.

5. Brain freeze!

Maybe you don’t enjoy super cold smoothies, especially during the cold winter months. One solution would be to use fresh produce instead of frozen.

If you want to use frozen produce (because it just makes life easier), here’s a solution… Add ½-1 cup hot or boiling water instead of room-temperature or cold water. This hot trick will help balance the temperature of your smoothie so it’s just right.

6. Silky smooth

If your smoothies aren’t turning out as smooth as you’d like or you find yourself chewing through chunks of greens, I suggest blending water and greens first for 30+ seconds (or until smooth). You can then add the remaining ingredients and continue to blend for another 30+ seconds.

Smooth and chunk-free should be the end product. If not, maybe it’s time for a new blender (check out my blender guide here)

7. Big or little spoon

Avocado is not only a wonderful way to add quality fat to your smoothie, but it’s also the perfect way to create a thick and creamy smoothie.

When building your smoothie use ½ an avocado and only ½ cup water to get a thick smoothie you can eat with a spoon. Think of it as a smoothie yogurt!

8. Smoothie gag

OK, so maybe you’re gagging over thick smoothies? Let’s put a quick end to that. This hack is simple… just add more water.

If 1 cup of water isn’t enough, try adding 1/4 cup more at a time. Avoid adding too much water as this will dilute the flavour of your smoothie.

9. Drew your smoothie

Drink + chew = drew! Many people avoid smoothies because they feel unsatisfied with drinking their food and would prefer to chew their food.

Before you write-off smoothies, try this… After blending your smoothie, stir in 1 tbsp. of cacao nibs, crushed raw nuts, seeds, coconut flakes/chips, or soaked tiger nuts to create a smoothie you can chew through. It’s a cool little trick to get your digestive enzymes flowing at the same time as satisfying the need to chew your food. Check out more info on how to “drew” your smoothie here.

I also recommend tip #7, since a thicker smoothie will help you feel more satisfied.