The secret to a perfect smoothie

What's the best way to make a smoothie? I'm struggling to get the texture right.Emily, Gateshead

Smoothies are a great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your diet, but success depends on the right consistency. As Lily Simpson, founder of Detox Kitchen says, “Too thick and you'll need to grab a spoon; too thin and you'll miss the indulgent creaminess. But while you don't necessarily need to follow a recipe, Emily, achieving that ideal texture is a numbers game.

Cooker Anna Jones, whose books include One: Pot, Pan, Planet, wrote a guide to smoothies for The Guardian a while back, and it's worth revisiting. “A good smoothie is all about getting the ratio right,” writes Jones, who divides hers into five parts. That is, she takes a hero fruit/vegetable (be it greens, banana, mango, whatever), which makes up two-fifths of her smoothie, then adds a fruit or an "accent" vegetable, constituting a fifth. Using frozen fruit here is a good shout. Simpson says, "This means you don't need to use ice, which dilutes the flavor - bananas are a good option as they add a thick, creamy texture." A freezer full of fruit also means smoothies are always possible, and it will also help reduce food waste. "Pineapples and mangoes are such large fruits that it's hard to go through them in time when they're fresh," says Simpson, who freezes them in "little bite-sized pieces to help the blender." .

Smoothies then need liquid - coconut water, apple juice or water for Simpson ("for 250ml, half should be liquid, the rest fruit reds"), while Jones can add ice, cow's milk, nut milk or kefir to the mix, making up the remaining two-fifths of his drink. "Finally, I like to add an extra kick of flavor, softening creaminess or balancing sweetness or tartness," says Jones, which could be grated turmeric/ginger or dried spices, nut butter, dates or honey and lemon or lime. zest or juice respectively. Similarly, Simpson accessorizes her drinks with "a good fizzy drink," adding "lime juice to a berry smoothie, vanilla powder to a banana cocoa smoothie, cinnamon to a coconut and pineapple and lemon juice to an avocado with greens".

Blitzing it all up in a high power blender is your best shot at 'get a silky smooth result, but if your tools aren't quite up to par, David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl have a few pointers in Green Kitchen smoothies, from grating harder roots (eg carrots, beetroot , ginger) and lightly thawing frozen fruits or vegetables before blending, whisking leafy greens with your liquid of choice until smooth before adding everything else. /p>

Finally, Emily, remember that smoothies are riffable. If, for example, you're craving something more substantial, add some oats or run to Frenkiel and Vindahl's upside-down breakfast, where a banana, berry and spinach smoothie is topped with muesli and yogurt. For four, add a chopped banana to a blender with a handful of baby spinach, 75g frozen strawberries, 75g frozen blueberries, half a teaspoon ground cardamom and 250ml oat milk or almond, and blend over high heat until smooth. Distribute 150 g of muesli followed by 250 g of yoghurt in glass jars, then pour over the smoothie. Top with chopped fruit, grab a spoon and go.

Have a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com