Not every healthy food makes for a good smoothie ingredient. Certain healthy ingredients can change the taste or texture of your smoothie in the unpleasant direction.

Here are the top 6 culprits when it comes to ruining a smoothie:

1. Mustard greens

These greens are loaded with vitamins and nutrients, but their very distinct flavour may overpower the other tasty ingredients in your smoothie, leaving it with a spicy aftertaste. If you want to add lots of greens to your smoothie, choose kale or baby spinach instead.

2. Fresh ginger

Tossing fresh ginger root into your blender will not only ruin the taste of your smoothie, but potentially break your blender, too. The ginger root will not blend properly, leaving you with weird chunks throughout your smoothie. If you really want some ginger to spice up your smoothie, grate some first and then add it to the smoothie.

3. Raw beets

Beets offer great nutrients and a beautiful colour when added to your smoothie. But, if you do not cook them and peel them first, you will be disappointed with how they get blended. Most blenders are not capable of smoothly mixing raw beets into your smoothie.

4. Whole dates

Sure, these add tons of fibre and sweetness, and dates are a healthier choice than sugar, or even honey or agave. But, adding whole dates to your smoothie will only get you a smoothie with some sticky, gooey chunks. Instead of adding them whole, chop them before adding. If you soak them in hot water for about 15 minutes before adding them, you can also make them easier to mix in.

5. Celery

You probably see pictures of smoothie ingredients that have celery prominently displayed. But, the stringy bits that get stuck in your teeth do not disappear in a smoothie. Avoid adding celery, and stick to snacking on it outside of your smoothie.

6. Ice

Ice added to a smoothie might make it refreshing and cold, but really all it does is dilute the flavour and give it a slushy texture. Ice can also harm your blender over time if you make it a habit to toss it into your smoothie. To make your smoothie cold, but give it a great texture, use frozen fruit and liquids that are cold.

If you love smoothies and want to experiment, this is a great way to get some healthy foods into your diet. Just make sure you are making choices that will help you enjoy the smoothie, not make a drink that you can’t choke down!