Top Tips to Starting with Smoothies
Smoothies are a great way to start the day, and they’re perfect for anyone who wants to eat healthier. They are also easy to make! Smoothies can be made from any combination of fruit, vegetables, ice cream or yogurt and other ingredients like chia seeds or peanut butter.
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The following is an introduction into what you should know before starting out with smoothies: how to use a blender properly, frozen fruits that you can use in your smoothie, and basic steps on making them and storing them so that they don’t go bad quickly.
Basics of making a smoothie
All you really need to start with smoothies is a decent blender. Sure, you can invest in a smoothie maker but it might pay to make sure they are your ‘thing’ before forking out the extra cash. A good quality blender will get you started and if you like no bits options, then a decent sieve will complement it.
What ingredients can go into a smoothie?
- Fruits (fresh or frozen)
- Vegetables and leafy greens (frozen, fresh, or dried)
- Nuts/seeds: almond butter, sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc. can also be used as a topping for the smoothie
- “Milks” including soy milk, cow’s milk, almond milk, coconut milk, etc.
- Yoghurts including natural,Greek and honey
- Salt, pepper, and spices for flavouring.
- Honey (or other sweeteners like maple syrup/maple sugar)
- “Boosters” include hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and protein powder; this can be omitted to make a vegan drink
- Ice cubes or frozen fruit for texture
How do you know what ingredients to add to your smoothie?
There are no ‘rules’ with making smoothies but a few good practices to help make a delicious drink. These include:
- Starting with a liquid like milk, water, or fruit juice
- Adding fresh and frozen fruits for flavor and texture
- Choosing any vegetables (or leafy greens) to make it more nutritious – this will depend on what you have in your fridge. Examples include spinach, kale, carrots, etc. These are great sources of vitamins, and the fruit will mask their flavour which isn’t always the best!
If you want to add protein, make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened. We recommend adding hemp seeds, chia seeds, or flaxseeds which are a great source of omega fatty acids (monounsaturated fats). Protein powder can also be used if desired but this is not necessary for every smoothie!
Can you use frozen fruit in smoothies?
Yes! Frozen fruit is a great way to add ice-cold smoothies on hot summer days. Plus, it can also be cheaper than fresh fruit. All you need to make sure if that the blender you have is powerful enough to be able to handle blending the frozen fruit.
As a rule, if the blender can handle ice then it will work through frozen fruit with no problem at all. My Ninja blender, for instance, can blend ice cubes so fruit is blitzed with no effort.
There are millions of great recipes out there but don’t be afraid to alter them, add things or miss stuff out. A good smoothie should be enjoyable as well as healthy so start with things you like and move on from there.
What are Green Smoothies?
Green smoothies are typically liquid meals made by blending fruits and vegetables. The color green is often associated with health, so it makes sense that a green drink would be healthy! Smoothies have been around since the 1970s when they were created as an easy way to get more vitamins into people’s diets. These days many people use them for post-workout drinks to restore energy as well as electrolytes.
But they are also great if you struggle to eat the vegetables in their natural form (like me!). Adding them to a green smoothie means you get all of the goodness but you can use fruit to mask the flavour of the green ingredients.
What is a smoothie bowl?
A smoothie bowl is a little different from a smoothie drink because it is served in a bowl. A smoothie drink tends to be more liquidy and scooped up with a spoon, while a smoothie bowl can be like ice cream or pudding because it has been blended into a thick consistency.
Another thing about smoothie bowls is people often add toppings to them that sit on top of the mix. These include ingredients like granola, fruit, or yogurt.
This is a great way to add flavour and texture because you can choose what the topping will be as well as how much it needs adding too.
A smoothie bowl also tends to have more ingredients than just fruit which can make them extra healthy like when they include spinach for example. They are great for breakfast recipes.
Basic steps to make a smoothie:
Blend the ingredients together in your blender until it reaches the desired consistency and enjoy! To store them, fill up an airtight container with fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables mixed with milk of choice (or water), then seal tightly.
Easy smoothie recipe examples:
- Fruit smoothie: almond milk, banana, blueberries, and strawberries
- Green smoothie: kale or spinach (or other leafy green), apple juice with a little bit of ginger to make it spicier. Add frozen fruit like mango for some sweetness!
- Breakfast Smoothies: try adding protein powder (I love the vanilla one) to your smoothie and add some fresh fruit like berries.
- Green Goddess Smoothie: cucumber, avocado, spinach, or kale (or other leafy green), almond milk with a little bit of ginger to make it spicier. Add frozen fruit for sweetness
- Berrylicious Smoothie: blueberries, strawberries, banana
- Coffee smoothie: add a little bit of coffee to any other smoothie
- Pumpkin pie Smoothies: add pumpkin puree and spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add some milk for creaminess!
- Chocolate smoothie: use cocoa powder or cocoa nibs with ingredients such as milk, ice cubes, and bananas
- Vegan Smoothie: use any milk like almond or soy. You could try adding oats to smoothies for some extra fibre!
Classic smoothies
Strawberry and banana smoothie
The Strawberry and Banana Smoothie is a great starting point if you like fruit. There are also loads of variations and additions that can be done with the basic recipe. All you need is a ripe banana, around 10 ounces of strawberries, either fresh or frozen that are sliced, and around 125ml milk (this is ½ cup if you use American measurements). Pop everything in the blender and whizz until combined.
Pineapple smoothie
Pineapple isn’t a favourite of mine but I know lots of people enjoy it. A good pineapple smoothie uses frozen pineapple chunks with almond milk or coconut milk if you prefer. Aim for a ratio of two cups worth of pineapple to one and a half milk for a thick yet drinkable consistency.
Classic green smoothie
Green smoothies may be something you need to work yourself up to – I know I try but I’m not great with vegetables. A Classic Green Smoothie recipe uses one banana, one cup of greens such as spinach or lake, and a cup of unsweetened milk, which you can use soy or coconut if required. To sweeten the taste a little, have either honey or maple syrup on hand and mix in once blended.
Orange dreamsicle smoothie
If you like a creamy flavour to your drinks, then this Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie from www.backtoherroots.com might be ideal. In it is used a banana, frozen in this case, 1 orange or clementine, peeled, ½ cup plain Greek yoghurt, 1 cup unsweetened milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Again, use honey or maple syrup to sweeten after blending.
Chocolate peanut butter smoothie
I don’t even like the smell of peanut butter but my husband does and he would like this recipe. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie uses ½ cup of low-fat milk, two tablespoons of chocolate syrup, and the same of peanut butter along with a sliced banana and one 8-ounce carton of vanilla low-fat yoghurt.
Smoothie Making FAQs
(2-3 cups) If using leafy greens then I highly recommend that you blend your greens with the liquid base before adding anything else to the blender.
One, use frozen fruit in your smoothie to get a thicker consistency.
Put your ingredients in the jar in the correct order.
Gone are the days when our mothers gave us smoothies in Styrofoams and awful-tasting plastics… You might want to get yourself a good-looking glass or jar.
Tasty and easy smoothies
Starting with smoothies doesn’t need to be complicated. With a couple of favourite ingredients and the right liquid in no time, you have a tasty and nutritious drink. Plus the more you make them, the more ways you will find to mix up those ingredients and find the perfect balance!
More From The Smoothie Bird
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