How to Make a Smoothie
If you barely have time to prepare a meal anymore, then may we suggest you try making a smoothie instead? Smoothies are underrated; they’re not just a drink, they’re a meal. In a glass. And they’re really easy to prepare—anyone can do it! And when done right, they can be really nutritious.
Whether you’re making a smoothie as a meal replacement, a post-workout drink, or a healthy dessert or snack, you can easily make one in just five easy steps:
- Add liquid. The liquid ingredient that you choose to add in your smoothie will serve as its base. For this, you can choose from different types of milk, fruit juice, coffee, or tea. To get the perfect consistency for your smoothie, remember this rule of thumb: for every 3 cups of fruit, add between 1 to 2 cups of liquid. Also, the less juicy your vegetable or fruit is, the more liquid you need to add.
- Add fruits or vegetables. Fruits and vegetables will give your smoothies nutritional value. In fact, smoothies are a great way to incorporate some veggies into your diet without actually tasting them. You can choose from many different fruits and vegetables, like bananas, mangoes, avocadoes, apples, berries, kale, spinach, cucumber, etc. Fruits can be added fresh or frozen into your smoothie, but adding them frozen means needing less ice, and you end up having a more flavorful and creamier smoothie.
- Thicken smoothie. The consistency of your smoothie is important: it should neither be too runny nor too thick. To achieve that perfect consistency, you can opt to thicken your smoothie especially if you are working with watery fruits like watermelon or pineapple. Thickening your smoothie will also help you achieve that creamy texture that can balance out any acidic taste that might come from citrus fruits like oranges. This step is also an opportunity to add extra nutritional value to your smoothies by using ingredients such as nut and seed butters, dairy products, oats, and beans. However if you do not like to add any of these ingredients, you can work with fruits that are naturally thicker, like bananas and avocados, or use frozen fruits to achieve that perfect creamy consistency.
- Boost flavor. Your smoothie is already good as it is, but adding a boost of flavor can make it even special. In boosting the flavour of your smoothie, avoid using sugar and use sweeteners instead like honey, stevia, maple syrup, xylitol, dates, figs, and agave nectar. A dash of salt can also be used to add flavour to your smoothie; you can use sea salt instead of table salt to add extra nutritional value. Finally, spices and herbs can also be added to your smoothie to add flavour to it. Some of the spices and herbs that can be added to your smoothie are parsley, mint, cinnamon, vanilla extract, allspice, and almond extract.
- Add super foods. Finally, the cherry on top (not literally): the super foods. These ingredients add a lot of nutritional value to your smoothie. There are many types of super foods that you can add to your smoothie, such as healthy oils and protein. Adding healthy oils such as fish oil and coconut oil will make the smoothie more filling and satisfying. Avocados are also a source of healthy fat, and can even make your smoothie creamier. Protein can also be added to your smoothie, especially if you’re drinking it as a meal replacement. For this, you can add protein powder, cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, etc.
Now, with these five easy steps, you can finally make your own smoothies at the comfort of your own home! Just remember: good ingredients and right proportions. Don’t stress when you don’t get the flavours right the first time! You’ll get the hang of it eventually, and you’ll later on discover what you really like. Now, have fun experimenting and blend away!
