It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a healthy snack after an exercise routine or a nutritious meal replacement, smoothies are certain to be an ideal option for getting the ideal intake of vegetables and fruits.
A well-blended smoothie is also likely to include the liquidizing agents like yogurt, juice, or milk which helps by offering further nutrients. A smoothie is likely to be chosen based on the nutritional benefits (vegetables high in vitamin C and fruits containing fiber) and taste. A mouth-watering smoothie is simple to create with the right blender and ingredients.
Items you will likely need
- 1 cup of sliced chunks of vegetables and/or fruits
- 1 cup of liquid (juice, yogurt, milk (plain or soy)
- Sweetener (honey or lime or lemon juice), if required
Add one or two cups of the liquidizing agent into the smoothie maker. Ideally, you want to be looking at using plain cow’s milk, almond milk, or soy milk. Alternative choices include grape juice, apple juice, and orange juice. A thicker smoothie is achieved by using yogurt as the liquid.
Pour in the chunks of sliced vegetable or fruit. A small fruit like the berries aren’t likely to need slicing up. A large piece of fruit such as bananas and strawberries should be cut into 1 inch sized pieces. A green smoothie is achieved with steamed cauliflower or broccoli or spinach.
Include the desired sweetener to taste, if required. Artificial sweeteners like agave nectar, honey, sugar, and lime or lemon juice are likely to offer the more desirable sweetener. Alternative choices include flavored protein powders, which offer the added benefit of including a higher protein benefit.
Add ice cubes (crushed if required). Ice is likely to feature as a component in the fruit juice based smoothie, rather than the milk smoothie.
Close the lid on the smoothie maker and blend the ingredients for approx. 60 seconds, or until the ingredients are liquefied.
Serve the smoothie into a glass, once all of the ingredients are liquefied and smooth.
Option add-ons
Add in the desired extras to take the smoothie to a new level in relation to the tastiness and nutrition. The majority of add-ons are easily included in most smoothie recipes. Below are several of the most common choices:
Sweeteners
A high percentage of smoothie recipes are able to rely on the natural sweetness contained in the fruit, but in certain situations it might benefit to add something like dates, maple syrup, or honey.
Salt
Use a high-quality salt to help with improving the taste and concentration of minerals. A great choice is pink Himalayan salt and Celtic sea salt. Plenty of different salts can help to benefit a smoothie recipe.
Spices
Common spices (cayenne, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon) are a great way to increase the healthiness and the taste of a smoothie.
Protein Powder
Adding protein powder is certain to benefit the workout enthusiast who wants a pre or post working shake. This is a great way to get more protein into the day-to-day diet and also helps the muscles recover. Protein powder comes in many different flavors and good choices include hemp and whey protein.
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