The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
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To make anything, you need to start with the right base and this principle applies to smoothies as much as anything else. Get the wrong base and you can end up with something that has the consistency of a mousse or tastes like fruit water. Both of these are great if that’s what you were aiming for.
But to get the perfect smoothie, you need to understand the different liquid bases and what they bring to your drink. You need to start with the perfect base to get the type of drink you want.
What is a good base for a smoothie?
There’s no shortage of liquids you can add to ingredients to make the base for a smoothie. Some do a better job than others. Some bring additional health benefits or have to be watched for what they contain. Some work really well with frozen smoothie packs at the same time while others work best with fresh ingredients Let’s start by taking a look at some of the most popular options for a smoothie base.
Water
The simplest liquid base for a smoothie is water. This doesn’t add anything to the flavour of the drink but if you are using strong-flavoured ingredients, that doesn’t matter. It is also ideal if you have lots of thicker ingredients and want to make the drink more of a smoothie and less of a bowl of fruit! It works well with frozen fruit in a smoothie recipe as it helps to make the drink more liquid.
Milk
For many people, their experience with smoothies starts out using cow’s milk because that’s what many of us have in the fridge.
Milk has a lot going for it including being a source of protein and calcium as well as boosting the immune system and even possibly containing compounds to help fight cancer.
Full-fat dairy milk of course contains fat and all of its associated issues so there are low-fat, skimmed, semi-skimmed and reduced-fat variations. Whichever you opt for, cow’s milk does work in smoothies but can be a little strong and overwhelm some of the flavours.
Soy milk
Soy milk is made with soybeans, the same as tofu, and is very popular in Asian countries such as China, Japan, and Malaysia. Soy milk has grown in popularity and is readily available in supermarkets, even coming in different flavours such as vanilla and chocolate. I tried it and was pleasantly surprised – it actually tastes better than normal milk in some ways. Soy milk still contains plenty of protein as well as iron, calcium, and riboflavin. It has a lot less fat than whole milk and virtually no cholesterol as well as having a lower number of calories than cow’s milk.
It does contain more sugar than milk and some people can be allergic to it, so try it cautiously. For smoothies, it makes a great alternative to milk and is great for those who are lactose intolerant.
Almond milk
Almond milk is made from almonds and has a surprisingly long history. People have been drinking it since medieval times, especially during Lent as it wasn’t a product coming from animals but from plants.
It has a very low number of calories and no cholesterol or saturated fat as well as being lactose-free. It does have all those plant proteins in it with their associated benefits in the same way that almond nut butter or other almond products would.
Almond milk is said to boost overall health, combat free radicals that are damaging the body and improve heart and brain function. It works particularly well with berries, also high in antioxidants, for a very healthy smoothie as well as with tropical fruits.
Coconut milk
Coconut milk is classed as nut milk, the same as almond milk, and is used in huge amounts in tropical diets. Places such as India and the Pacific Islands have been using it in their homeopathic medicines for generations as well as in their diets – the creamy texture and slightly sweet taste make it popular. Coconut milk does contain a higher amount of saturated fat than almond milk as well as having a good amount of healthy fats in it too. Its taste goes well with tropical flavours as well as making green smoothies a little lighter when added to water.
Coconut water
Coconut water is hugely popular for making smoothies because it has loads of benefits and a few downsides. It contains less fat than coconut milk and also contains fibre, potassium, and carbohydrates while having no cholesterol in it.
It works in almost any type of smoothie, adding a subtle touch of tropical flavour and it has a thin consistency like water so can help make a smoothie smoother.
Fruit juice
Fruit juices such as orange juice or apple juice can be an ideal base option to add extra flavour to the drink. For example, it is popular in green smoothies with leafy greens where the fruit flavours help to mask some of those green ingredients that might not taste quite as nice.
You do want to watch the sugar content in the fruit juice if you are adding it with other fresh fruits. Most fruits have natural sugar and sometimes juice can have added sugar. So, keep a watch on this.
Rice Milk
Rice milk isn’t the most common ingredient to add to smoothies but if you spot it and want to try it, it is an interesting variation. It comes from different types of rice including brown rice.
You can find sweetened versions but if go for unsweetened ones, they have a good amount of calcium and Vitamin A as well as iron in them.
Green tea
Using green tea in a smoothie definitely adds to the nutritional benefits but not so much the flavour. It is a bit like using water – there’s no creaminess in drinks made with it. Plus remember that green tea does contain caffeine.
It is great to make a green smoothie into a thinner consistency and is free from fat, calories, and cholesterol as well as bringing all the goodness of green tea to the drink.
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Are smoothies better with milk or juice?
Whether milk or juice is better as a smoothie base often depends on the other ingredients you are using. The juice will make a smoothie thinner in consistency while milks tend to make it thicker. Milk will also make a creamy smoothie.
There’s no right or wrong answer to the question – it is a preference as you make the drink or follow the recipe. If you find that your drink without a base is very thick, then water, coconut water, juice, or tea will help thin it down. On the other hand, milk products can thicken it a little if it is too thin and make for a creamier smoothie. If the drink is way too thin, something like yoghurt might be needed.
Also, consider what the liquid brings to the drink. Milk will bring calcium to a drink but also could contain fats or cholesterol. Juice might have a higher sugar than other ingredients due to the natural sugar in fruit. Water doesn’t bring anything, good or bad, but can be bland.
Fruit smoothies tend towards regular milk and non-dairy milk as a base as this is a great way to make a creamy smoothie with lots of flavor. But green smoothies tend to often use water or less creamy different liquids as these work best with the smoothie ingredients. A good option is to try what’s recommended then see if this is the best base for you – if not, try something a little different in terms of liquid ingredients the next time!
What’s the healthiest liquid for smoothies?
An example of rating smoothie bases from the healthiest to the least healthy might look something like this:
- Water (including ice cubes)
- Coconut water
- Green tea
- Yogurt (such as Greek yogurt or natural yogurt)
- Fresh juices
- Unsweetened milk products and plant-based milk such as unsweetened almond milk
- Sweetened milk products
But there are pros and cons for different bases to consider. Also, you want to think about the taste – if the smoothie is ultra-healthy but tastes like liquid salad and you HATE salad, then you aren’t going to want to make the drink again! Think about what the taste will be and experiment with the base accordingly.
The perfect smoothie base
One of the great things about tasty smoothie recipes is that you can play around with the liquid base to find the perfect solution for every recipe. You can personalise the recipe to suit your tastes, what you want from the drink, or what you want to avoid. Then you get a nutritional and tasty drink you will enjoy!
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