5 Canned Goods You Should Be Using In Your Smoothies

When you consider the differences between a smoothie and a shake, a smoothie is more of a nutrient-rich snack or meal than an occasional milky, rich dessert. While smoothies are commonly prepared with fresh or frozen fruit as well as chilled ingredients like juice or yogurt, there are also select shelf-stable ingredients worth incorporating into your favorite recipes. Especially if you're trying to simplify your day-to-day smoothie-making process, instead of solely relying on fresh or frozen ingredients, add one or two canned ingredients for easier preparation and to experience a different flavor and consistency.

Since they're ready to use and shelf-stable, canned foods are easy to add to smoothies due to their convenience. As long as you still include a few frozen ingredients or ice, certain canned foods give smoothies a rich, silky texture without having to add much milk, yogurt, or juice. Canned foods like fruits and vegetables are also nutritionally similar to their fresh counterparts. As a matter of fact, according to chefs, there are many canned foods are just as good as fresh, including but not limited to spinach, pumpkin, and beans.

Not to mention, when you consider how much it costs to make smoothies with only fresh ingredients, canned foods are a great way to keep your budget in check since they're usually cheaper in comparison. With all of that in mind, we put together a list of five tasty canned goods worth adding to your favorite smoothie recipes.

Among all the canned goods to choose from, canned fruit may be the easiest and most obvious ingredient to use. However, there are certain fruits that work better in smoothies than others. Among the 13 canned fruits you should have in your pantry, the varieties that work best in these thick, blended drinks include peaches, pears, pineapple, and mandarin oranges. These fruits have just the right amount of sweetness and perfectly complement most other ingredients in popular recipes like bananas, coconut water, orange juice, and yogurt.

You can also make delicious smoothies with sometimes harder-to-find tropical canned fruits like lychees, jackfruit, and guava. These fruits are typically available at international markets and Asian grocery stores. If you want to give your next smoothie a more complex flavor, these kinds are convenient to use and usually available at lower price points than their whole fresh counterparts.

When it comes to the fruits you should avoid, if you're looking to use canned fruit as a swap for fresh or frozen fruit, do not buy canned fruits packed in light or heavy syrup. Instead, choose options that are 100% water- or juice-packed. You can either rinse off the excess juice before using, or add some of the residual water or juice to your smoothie for smoother blending.

When you want to give your smoothie a creamy upgrade that's a little more impactful than conventional milk, canned coconut milk is the ingredient you need. Coconut milk is the residual liquid from squeezed coconut flesh. Therefore, it has a naturally sweet, tropical essence that is sure to enhance the taste of any homemade smoothie. Also, since most varieties of canned coconut milk contain a small amount of coconut cream, this product has a thicker consistency comparable to heavy cream or half-and-half.

Better yet, canned coconut milk is also dairy-free, which makes it a versatile ingredient for vegan smoothies. For example, you can use canned coconut milk to replace almond or soy milk. Or, use it in tandem with coconut yogurt for a thicker base. Canned coconut milk also combines well with most varieties of fruit. Use it to give your usual strawberry banana smoothie a thicker texture or combine canned coconut milk with a frozen tropical fruit mix of bananas, pineapple, and mango for a bright and refreshing drink.

However, since there are a ton of canned coconut milk brands to choose from, make sure to read the labels and choose one made with minimal ingredients. For the best flavor, choose brands that list coconut milk as the only ingredient. Additionally, if your goal is to make thick, ultra-creamy smoothies, use regular, full-fat coconut milk as opposed to lite or low-fat options.

Another way to boost the creaminess factor of your next smoothie is with canned pumpkin. While technically also a canned fruit, cooked pumpkin flesh has an earthy taste and a soft, luscious texture similar to bananas. Aside from using it to make high-protein pumpkin muffins, all you need is a few scoops of it to make your next round of smoothies extra rich and creamy.

From a nutritional standpoint, pumpkin is high in fiber, beta-carotene, and potassium. Given its fiber content, canned pumpkin is perfect for boosting the satiety of your smoothies, so they'll keep you full for a longer period of time. Though aside from being nutritious and exceptionally creamy, the best part about using canned pumpkin to upgrade your next smoothie is that its subtle flavor pairs well with all sorts of ingredients.

For starters, use canned pumpkin to make a smoothie that's perfect for fall with Greek yogurt, frozen banana, milk, and oats. Feel free to include some of your favorite warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. You can also boost the protein content of this seasonal drink by blending in a scoop of protein powder or adding a smear of peanut butter on top before enjoying. You can also use canned pumpkin to upgrade more than just fall-inspired smoothies. Add a scoop to your favorite berry smoothie or green smoothie made with frozen bananas and spinach for a rich, nutritious boost. 

If you're looking for a new, creative way to add more protein and fiber to your daily smoothie, opt for canned beans. They can serve as an alternative to conventional protein powders to give smoothies an equally creamy consistency. Plus, they contain fiber and are considered a prebiotic food, making them beneficial for gut health. While there are many options to choose from, the most common varieties to use in smoothies include white beans like cannellini or navy, garbanzo beans, and black beans.

While the idea of adding beans to frozen, fruit-based smoothies might not sound appealing, most varieties of canned beans have a mild taste that's easily masked by other ingredients commonly included in most smoothie recipes. For example, you can make a chocolate banana smoothie with frozen bananas, canned black beans, cocoa powder, milk, yogurt, and a small amount of sweetener like honey or maple syrup. Or, make a strawberries and cream smoothie with white beans, frozen bananas, strawberries, milk, and vanilla.

Just be sure to side-swipe the avoidable mistake you're making with canned beans and remember that most varieties contain salt. In this case, make sure to rinse your beans before using them, or even better, opt for low-sodium or salt-free options. To make preparing smoothies with canned beans extra simple, drain, rinse, and blend your beans ahead of time. Then simply divide and freeze them in ice cube trays for future use.

Lastly, if you want to liven up your usual smoothie recipe with one sweet, unexpected ingredient, look no further than canned pie filling. For an easy sweet treat, simply blend a few scoops of your favorite fruit-based pie filling like blueberry, cherry, or apple with some milk and ice. You can also give this concoction a thicker consistency and a more nutritious boost by adding in a small amount of fresh fruit along with some plain or vanilla Greek yogurt. Hemp or chia seeds are solid additions as well.

Alternatively, you can also use canned pie filling as a fun topping. Simply make your usual fruit-based smoothie with yogurt or milk and then add a small scoop of canned pie filling on top for an extra special finishing touch. Since many conventional brands of canned pie filling contain a decent amount of sugar and additives, you may want to choose a brand that has less sugar and contains minimal ingredients. For example, Bonne Maman's Cherry Pie Filling is made with tart cherries and includes only a small amount of additional ingredients like sugar, starch, and lemon juice.

You can also use other varieties of canned pie filling (besides fruit) to make tasty smoothies. For instance, crafting a seasonal pumpkin smoothie is a creative and delicious way to use pumpkin pie filling. All you need to do is add a few scoops of this sweetly spiced filling to any neutral milk or yogurt-based smoothie recipe.