Smoothies are the perfect way to get a lot of goodness into your diet in one glass. But making perfect smoothies doesn’t have to be hard. They’re also a pretty good way to sneak in some greens, especially if you’re not a fan of them in other ways. Many wonder – Smoothie vs Juice: What’s the Difference? Find out in our other post.
Smoothies are so much more than just fruit shakes and with their grab-and-go nature, they are fast becoming the ultimate breakfast go-to for many people. Smoothies can be made from almost any kind of fruit or vegetable and there is limited scope for creativity when it comes to new combinations. For this reason, there are so many different smoothie recipes out there…
But which ones are worth trying? Which ingredients should we avoid? How can we make sure that our smoothies remain healthy and nutritious? Let’s take a look at 5 essential tips for making perfect smoothies…
Don’t be afraid to experiment
While there are some rules to follow when making smoothies, they are also a great place to experiment and see what works best for you. Making perfect smoothies require some ingenuity and knowledge of flavors. Some people swear to have one type of smoothie per day depending on the time of day, while others like to have a different smoothie every single day.
If you are having the same smoothie every day, you might find that you get bored of it and soon start to lose interest. Having a different smoothie every day gives you something new to look forward to and can help you stick to the diet for longer.
Experiment with different ingredients as well as different methods for blending. You might find that some ingredients work better for you in one way rather than another. At the end of the day, if you don’t know how it will taste, there is only one way to find out!
Diversify your Smoothie Menu
While experimenting with new smoothie recipes can be a lot of fun, you may find that you are limiting yourself to only a few combinations. There are so many different ingredients that you can use in smoothies, so if you always use the same ones, you may be missing out on all that smoothie goodness.
Always try to vary the ingredients that you are using in your smoothies. This will not only help you to diversify your smoothie menu but can also help you to diversify your health and nutritional intake. There is a high chance that you may be missing out on one or two essential vitamins or minerals in your daily diet. If this is the case, you can always boost your intake with smoothie recipes that contain essential ingredients.
Use frozen and fresh fruit interchangeably
You may have always been told that fresh fruit is better than frozen. This is partially true. Fresh fruit, especially berries, are a great addition to smoothies. They have many health benefits, they’re full of antioxidants, and they add a lovely flavor.
Frozen fruit also has some great nutritional benefits. The frozen fruit that you get from the grocery store is usually flash-frozen almost immediately after being picked, which means that it’s still packed with nutrients and vitamins. The only downside to frozen fruits is that they often have more sugar than fresh fruit. This is why some people say that smoothies made with frozen fruit are more like your “healthier dessert”.
Add vegetables for more nutrition
This is something that many people overlook when making smoothies. You may not even realize how many vegetables can be used in smoothies. Green vegetables such as spinach and kale are great for adding more nutrition to your drinks. You can also use root vegetables such as carrots or beets.
Vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals but they are often overlooked when it comes to making smoothies. Adding vegetables such as carrots, beetroots, spinach, or kale can not only add more nutrition to your smoothie but they can also help you to “hide” the taste of other ingredients that you might not like so much.
You can experiment with different combinations of vegetables and different types of smoothies to see what works best for you.
Get the Right Blender
Having the right tool will make your smoothie experience a lot better. You will blend better and be able to clean faster, and most important of all, enjoy your smoothie more. This is something that you need to consider before making any smoothie recipes. There are many different types of blenders on the market, but not all of them can handle the number of ingredients that you might want to put in your smoothie. I personally love my Ninja Foodi Blender. It can take everything I throw at it. It’s easy to clean, has great power and came with plenty of attachments that fit any of my smoothie, food processing needs.
If you are planning on making a very thick smoothie, you will need a blender that can manage large quantities of thick ingredients. If your blender is struggling to handle the amount of ingredients that you’re putting in it, you may end up with a very crumbly or watery smoothie. This will change the texture to something that you may not be happy with.
You also need to think about the speed of the blender. A high-speed blender will crush the ingredients and make a thicker smoothie. While this is great for some things, if you are adding vegetables or fruits that are harder, you will get a smoother, thicker smoothie.
Use non-dairy milks for more nutrition
Many people make smoothies with cow’s milk, but this is not the best option for a healthy drink. There are many other types of milks that you can add to your smoothie. You can make your smoothie with soy or almond milk for example.
Different kinds of milk will have different nutritional benefits so you can experiment with these and see which one works best for you. If you are making your smoothie with cow’s milk, you can also add some non-dairy milk to make the drink more nutritious. You can also add nuts or seeds to your smoothies to boost their nutritional value.
Try a protein shake
If you are looking to boost your protein intake, a protein shake is a great addition to your daily routine. You can make protein shakes in many different ways and they can easily be added to any smoothie recipes that you are making.
You can make a protein shake by mixing any protein powder with milk or water, and you can add this to any smoothie recipe to boost the protein content.
Quick Tip: If you are adding protein powder to your smoothie, you may want to add less water or milk than you usually would to avoid the drink being too thick.
You can also add protein bars to smoothies. Many bars actually taste great when added to smoothies and they can be a great way to boost your protein intake.
Our Conclusion
Smoothies are a great way to get in your daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Besides the obvious benefits of being full of antioxidants, you can sneak in a few other benefits too. Like the boost of energy and performance from the fruit and vegetable powders, or the instant glucose delivery from the milk.
The options are endless, and now you know a few tricks to make your smoothie as healthy as possible. Thanks for reading!