How can I thicken my smoothie without frozen ingredients?

Question

I like thick drinks and I cannot lie. 
You other posters can't deny,
That when a shake pours out, all watery and fast
My first thought is "that's just nast(ay)"

Normally, I put in my smoothies a combination of the following:

• 4-5 med. Strawberries
• ½ Banana
• ½(?) cup baby spinach
• Rhubarb
• Hemp milk
• Other seasonal fruits/vegetables
• Cocoa powder

I'm also going to experiment with adding things from this list:

• Home-made hemp milk (from hemp hearts)
• Flax seeds
• Small portions of avocado
• Tofu

So far, the smoothies have come out with the texture of chocolate milk. I'd like it to be a bit thicker, but I have some very interesting food allergies/intolerance. I'd also like to keep the beverage nearer to room temperature at the time of preparation/consumption.

I cannot consume any of the following items I've found online for thickening:

• Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum (other polysaccharides)
• Dairy (both cow and goat make me ill, I'm not trying others)
• Whey, Pea, or other bean/lentil-based protein powders
• Anything considered High-FODMAP

What other methods are there to thicken a smoothie, with neither dairy, nor frozen items?

More FODMAP information:

• Examples of low/high fodmap foods
• Wikipedia: FODMAP with more reference links

Answer 1

My favorite smoothie thickener is chia seed.

A tablespoon will thicken a blender of smoothie into pudding. According to the internet it is also a low FODMAP food.

It is a small, black seed which will change the texture a bit. With raspberry or strawberry or vanilla they are lost among the other seeds.

It has the added benefit of being neutrally flavored and high in fiber, protein, omega 3 fatty acids, and various minerals.

Answer 2

Your first option are thickeners. I won't be counting them all off my fingers, see http://blog.khymos.org/recipe-collection/ and choose the ones which fit your dietary restrictions. For example, gelatine will work, and so will starch. You'd need to cook your smoothie and let it cool for the starch, but you could alternatively prepare a thickish starch pudding with water, syrup or a fruit juice, keep it in the fridge and dilute it with the smoothie. As for the ones which don't need cooking, I really don't know if they fit your diet.

Your other option is fat. You'll need to make an emulsion, the way fruit custards are made. Use egg yolk or lecithine for the emulsifier. With enough mixing speed, and given that the smoothie is somewhat acidic, it will probably work without the need for heating.

Answer 3

I have a feeling Glucomanan (konjac root) would work well for you. It's fairly easy to source online and in some stores, and is super simple to use in smoothies. You add 1/4-1/2 tsp of the powder per cup or so of liquid and blend in high until it starts to make a glug-glug sound and leave to rest for a minute. At this point you can drink it, or blend again for a pudding consistency. Almond milk works especially well with it, but any liquid is fine. It also thickens well with heat and a whisk for hot puddings.

Answer 4

What happens if you simply adjust the solid: liquid ratio? I.E use a bit less milk?

I would also perhaps suggest using more banana.

Answer 5

To make smoothie thicker, you need to lower the content of liquid in it. Liquids obtained in a smoothie come either from the fruit and vegetables and also from the milk or other liquids that you pour in it.

From my experience if you put a handful of sunflower seeds into your recipes, it will make the texture thicker. But not everybody will like the taste (yet they are very healthy). Possibly I would recommend this recipe http://smoothie-recipes.eu/quick-smoothie-energy-boost/ with lower content of milk.

Avocado is from my experience also good to make the smoothie a bit thicker, but this fruit contains a lot of fat as well, so it depends whether one wants to lose some weight or not.