Smoothies are unarguably refreshing and delicious. Most importantly, smoothie diets are super-healthy. The best way of ensuring you’re taking the healthy smoothie and not a milkshake in smoothie appearance is to make sure you make them by yourself at home. By doing this, you do not only get to control the ingredients, but you also get to control the cost. Whether your purpose is to eat breakfast more often, get some fresh fruit blend and vegetable servings in the morning or eat healthier in all, this guide to harnessing the benefits of smoothies at home will help inform you.
Ok, so now you want to know how to make a smoothie? Well, I like to congratulate you and say that you check no further, because everything you’d need to know about making the tastiest smoothie you want, and how to blend the ingredients based on your preferential flavors, textures, and nutrition goals will be discussed in this piece.
How to make a smoothie?
In order to make a smoothie, you need to get some ingredients and here are healthy Smoothie Ingredients to Stock Up when you want to make an amazing smoothie:
Fruit: Fruit is the foundation of most smoothies and with fruit alone, you are able to create so many different flavors. You can also make smoothies with fresh or frozen fruit or even a combination of the two. So stock your freezer with a variety of frozen fruit. Just make sure to buy frozen fruit without any added sugar. You can also preserve overripe bananas and berries by freezing them early enough before they go bad.
Vegetables: You need not add all the greens to your smoothie, but it’s a pretty nice way to get vegetables into your day. So you can add a handful of some baby spinach or kale to make up for a green smoothie. Or you can try adding a little avocado, some carrot or some cucumber
Liquid: You may want to choose a liquid that adds to the flavors of your smoothie but doesn’t add unnecessary calories and sugar. Water works perfectly when added in a pinch, but you may likely get more flavor and creaminess from milk or nondairy milk in particular. Also, since the smoothie already has fruit in it, you may skip the juice. This is because even 100% fruit juice is high in sugar.
Protein: It has been researched and established that most Americans get adequate protein, but not at breakfast. Protein is very vital because it helps keep you feeling full, so having some protein in your smoothie will help give your breakfast the required staying power. Milk and soymilk both can help add a few grams of protein. You can also add yogurt, some cottage cheese or some nut butter to your smoothie to give it a unique blend and to boost the protein. Protein powder is also a viable option, just make sure you choose wisely at the store. This is because many protein powders contain add-ins like sweeteners, oil, salt, thickeners, and artificial colors. Try to look for one with a simple ingredient list, preferably made with just one or two ingredients.
Smoothie Boosts: You may add a little extra flavor and nutrition to your smoothie, how? with some flaxseeds, chia seeds, oats, spices (such as cinnamon and ginger) or cocoa powder.
What equipments are required for making smoothies?
- You need a blender
- You need a mug preferably a travel mug
- For the best experiences, you need reusable straws.
Some facts about Smoothie diet
Smoothies can indeed be a nutritious and convenient meal substitute or a refreshing snack. Fortunately, they’re very easy to make. What you need are just a few basic ingredients blended together in order to render you a delicious smoothie in no time. Or, better still you can stir some unique foods in order to create that truly one-of-a-kind treat.
So what are the required Ingredients for Smoothie diet?
- N.B: Each makes 1 serving
- General Formula to achieving this
- 1/2 cup to 2 cups (about 125 ml) fruit
- 1-1/2 cups (375 ml) liquid
- 3 to 4 ice cubes
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) greens or herbs (this is optional)
- 2 to 4 Tbsp (30 to 60 ml) protein powder (this is optional)
- Sweetener, to taste (optional)
- 1 tsp (5 ml) extract of choice ( this is optional)
- Spices, to taste (optional)
- Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
- 1 banana
- 1/8 cup (30 ml) peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) soy milk (or regular milk)
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) honey
You may wish to start with some fruit if making a fruit smoothie. They may be fresh or frozen fruit; they will make up for the base of your smoothie but you have to note that you can also make a delicious smoothie with canned or even reconstituted dried fruit. You can decide to focus on one fruit, or you may try adding several. (Trying to figure out a fruit combination you like is actually part of the fun of making smoothies!) Now, here are some options to consider:
They are Peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, apples, kiwis, mangoes, avocados, and pomegranates are popular choices.
Also “Juicy” fruit that contains a lot of water can suffice, such as oranges, watermelon, and pineapple. You just need to be aware that they’ll get your smoothie to be more watery, and you may also make up for it accordingly with a thickener (such as protein powder).
So if you’re looking for a good starter combination, you may try strawberry-banana or raspberry-peach.
For single servings, you may wish to add a total of 1/2 cup to 2 cups (125 to 500 ml) of fruit. You may use less when sticking with heartier fruits, like bananas, and more when relying on berries.[2]
2. Add the liquid. The other main component of your smoothie is the liquid you decide to add to it. And here are some possibilities:
Milk (skim or whole) is a popular choice.
Soy milk works perfectly for people who are lactose intolerant, vegan or both, as well as it adds some protein.
Greek yogurt (sweetened or plain) will also result in a thicker smoothie.
Nut milk (such as almond or coconut) can also make the taste of your smoothie different.
Tea (black, herbal or chai) helps to add antioxidants and may help tone down the sweetness.
Fruit juice or concentrate (any flavor) can help to make your smoothie more complex if you only have one or two fruits to work with.
Ice cream, sherbet or frozen yogurt may also be perfect.
Sparkling water may result in a lighter smoothie (try lime or lemon-flavored).
Water, if you have nothing else on-hand, also works great.
You may use 1-1/2 cups (375 ml) of any liquid for a single smoothie, or less liquid if you prefer thicker smoothies or need to use a food processor.[3]
4. Adding protein may be optional. But if you want to make your smoothie to resemble an actual meal, then you may add some protein powder to it. Soy may be a popular choice, but you can also use sprouted brown rice.
Use 2 to 4 Tbsp (30 to 60 ml) of protein powder
If you want natural sources of protein, you may also use up to 1 cup (250 ml) cottage cheese or 2 oz (57 g) of tofu
5. Adding some green may also be optional. But it makes your smoothie a little healthier by sneaking in some barely noticeable greens. Kale and spinach are known to blend well, and you may not even be able to taste them. You may also try Swiss chard, celery, beetroot, the greens of vegetables (of radishes, beet, carrots, celery or kohlrabi, for example), or fresh herbs like parsley or dandelion leaves. However, if it is not the season for greens, you may purchase a green plant powder (which is available at most health food stores) and add that to your smoothie.
Kindly note that the amount of veggies used should not exceed the amount of fruit if you want to maintain that sweet flavor. Also, the total amount of fruit and vegetables should be 1 to 2 cups (250 to 500 ml).[6]
6. Adding a sweetener is also optional. If you’re worried that your smoothie won’t taste sweet enough, you may decide to give it a little help. Of course, you can always try to put some plain sugar in the blender, but here are some other healthier choices like:
-Ripe bananas
-Honey (used in a lot of “commercial” smoothies)
-Agave nectar
-Stevia (natural sugar substitute)
-Splenda (artificial sweetener)
-Add sweeteners to taste. Start with 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp (5 ml to 15 ml) and add additional sweetener as needed in small increments.
7. You can decide to give your smoothie some more flavor (optional). Here are some other items you can add to your smoothie to change its taste.
8. Adding ice cubes may be optional depending on how you want it. And once everything’s in the blender, put some ice cubes on top.
9. Blend it. Put the lid over the blender, and turn it on no higher than medium. And once the blender starts to “digest” the fruit, turn it up one notch at a time. If there isn’t a “smoothie” or “shake” function, “puree” works just as perfectly. You may decide to start slow but allow the blender chew about 1 minute.
11. Now you may garnish your smoothie. Add some loose berries, a wheel of lemon or lime, a sprig of mint, or flat-leaf parsley can add a fun touch to the final beverage. If you’re feeling really tropical, then you may add a little umbrella
smoothies for weight loss
How to Make a Detox Smoothie
They may also be referred to as weight loss smoothies or green smoothies, detox smoothies are easy to make and taste delicious
If you want to lose up 5-10 pounds quickly, it is encouraging that you try a 3-day smoothie cleanse and see how effective detox smoothies for weight loss can be.
What is a Detox Smoothie?
Detox smoothies are very apt, easy and delicious ways to flush your body clean of toxins and help lose weight quickly. They usually contain fresh vegetable and fruit and can be made with just an ordinary kitchen blender.
The typical detox smoothie recipe is known to be full of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, and other healthful nutrients that give your body a detoxifying flush. They are also known to contain large amounts of water, which helps to keep your body hydrated and also helps to boost metabolism.
While eating this way will not only help to reset your system, it will also help to improve your taste buds too!
Detox Smoothie Recipes
A basic detox smoothie recipe is not really different from the regular only that it contains some type of leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, orchard, along with some type of fruit like bananas, berries, apples, or pineapple. Water, ice, unsweetened almond milk, or coconut water is often added to the smoothie to thin it out and make it easier to blend.
Other common detox smoothie ingredients include Yogurt, celery, lemons, limes, ginger, mango, cranberries, cilantro, fennel, watermelon, almonds (or almond butter), dandelion greens, green tea, watercress, arugula, wheatgrass, avocado, spirulina, and beets.
Detox smoothie recipes are really easy to make and you can follow these steps to make yours:
Step 1 – add all ingredients to a blender
Step 2 – blend until smooth
Step 3 – enjoy
Summary:
Integrating detox smoothies into your feeding diet can have tremendous health benefits. You can enjoy smoothies for weight loss, as a natural cleanse, or to keep you hydrated, keep your bowels regular, and many more benefits. You may try experimenting with different recipes until you find the ones you really like and will drink often.
