Complementary Colors Smoothie

Hello World,

I am not a big breakfast person and usually cannot eat as soon as I wake up. I can’t skip breakfast though because I’ll be a snack monster until lunch time. This is one of the reasons I love smoothies. They are quick, can mask veggies, and when I use a straw, I can mindlessly drink one just while doing my morning reading of Mashable and Facebook.

I must admit that my smoothies usually don’t look pretty though, and it’s because of complementary colors. Complementary colors are colors directly across from each other on the color wheel.  Use them both in a design, and you’ll have a perfectly harmonious piece. Mix them together though, and they’ll create some rather murky results.

When I make a smoothie, I don’t measure anything. I just eyeball it. My mom bought me a single serve blender this last Christmas, and I love how easily it is to whip up just the perfect amount.

For simple smoothie “recipe” you will just need: strawberries, spinach, frozen banana, instant oatmeal, and almond milk. If you want your smoothie sweeter, add honey. Want it thicker? Add yogurt or ice. Whatever tickles your fancy.

(If you are wondering why the frozen banana in the photo above is brownish, it is because whenever my bananas start to over-ripen, I throw them in the freezer. The peel will turn dark brown, but they still taste fine in my opinion.)

If food can be pretty, I’d say my smoothies look pretty before I blend them. See how the red pops against the green in the photo above? That’s complementary colors for you.

And then the blender happens, and we are left with a reddish/greenish/brownish/murky smoothie. If I didn’t add spinach, my smoothie would be a nice pink color. If you want to avoid a gross-looking smoothie, just don’t mix complementary colors and you’ll be set!

Another one of my favorite smoothie combos is to use coconut yogurt, almond milk, frozen pineapple, and peanut butter.

What do you put in your smoothies?