Smoothies can be one of the best ways to keep full and healthy even when you’re busy. For people who don’t particularly like eating fruit or vegetables, they can be a great and tasty way to get them into your system without really thinking about it.
But a lot goes into making a good smoothie. There are loads of different types. Some find trial and error helps them come up with the best possible smoothie. But if you want a bit more info on how to make smoothies in general, you’re in the right place. Check out this useful article for all the info you might need on how to make smoothies at home.
Making your own smoothies is an affordable way to keep healthy and enjoy useful smoothie drinks. These can also be tasty. Some people find it useful to drink a smoothie as a meal replacement, and they can be a good way to get all sorts of nutrients into you that you might not normally.
What’s the difference between a smoothie and juice?
Sometimes people use these words interchangeably, but you’d generally use a juicer to create a pure juice drink, like orange juice, without much else in it. The great thing about a proper good smoothie is that they can have all sorts of different ingredients in them to both fill you up and make you healthier.
How to make a smoothie
Now you know a few basics about smoothies, you probably want to know how to make one. Here are some tips to get you started:
Get a blender or a smoothie maker
You’ve got to start with the right equipment. The good news is that there are all sorts of options out there for you these days. Many people like having standalone juicers or liquidizers like the popular NutriBullet. These are great options, but they aren’t the only options. You can also use blender and liquidizer functions on your food processor, or even handheld blenders.
There’s one important factor you need to remember when it comes to equipment, though. Make sure they are powerful enough. Blenders, liquidizers and processors won’t be good enough for the job if they don’t blend quickly and smoothly. You don’t want to get stuck with a processor that leaves you with lumps. That wouldn’t be a smoothie!
You can also choose options with glass containers so you can have a look at the progress of your smoothie as it’s blending, but this isn’t always necessary.
Pick your ingredients
This is where things CAN get complicated, but the good news is that you have so many options. You really do have the freedom to go in any direction you like when it comes to picking ingredients.
Sweet or Savoury?
You normally need to make a choice about whether you’re going to go sweet or savoury at the start. While SOME ingredients can work with both, not all do. You can try veggie smoothies with things like spinach and broccoli, but most people prefer fruity or sweet ones. You can play around with flavours like your favourite fruits or vanilla, and much much more. Have a play around, you can find loads of simple recipes that are tried and tested, but it can also be a good idea to find your own favourite recipes and work with stuff that’s just right for you.
Fruit
Not all fruits work together, but many of them do. How about coming up with a completely tropical mixed fruit mix? Try and find the best fresh fruit available to make the best smoothies. Remember to peel bananas and other fruit if necessary before putting them in the smoothie maker!
Decide whether to add liquid
Not all smoothies will need additional liquids. That’s because many fruits have plenty of liquid in them themselves. If you’re using lots of oranges or other similar fruit, the juice from them will be enough. However, drier ingredients will require additional liquid.
Pick your liquids
The two go-to liquids for this tend to be water or milk, but you can use a range of other juice or ingredients if you prefer. If you have specific dietary requirements you can use alternative milks like coconut or almond. Milk doesn’t tend to go that well with some fruits, but is great with chocolate or vanilla.
Add supplements
If you want, you can add other powders like protein or additional supplements. This can make your smoothie even more wholesome or healthy.
Keep it simple
Don’t try adding too many ingredients when you’re first starting out and getting the hang of things. Stick to the basics until you know what works and what doesn’t. You can add additional things one at a time as you get more experience.
Add ice
You can use ice instead of additional liquid if you want, or as well as. It should belt slowly and help break up your smoothie, as well as make it cooler.
Blend
This is the fun part, but it can take a few minutes depending on how powerful your processor is and how you like your smoothies blended. If you prefer them extra smooth and don’t like lumpy bits, leave it for longer and make sure you blend on high power. You can also use the pulse function if you have one available.
Taste and adjust
When you think you’ve got your finished smoothie, you might want to taste it a bit before pouring it out. You might find it needs a little something extra or maybe even some more liquid. This can be easily re-added and then blended again.
How to make a smoothie—the easy way
That’s how you make a proper smoothie, but if you’re lazy and don’t have the equipment, you can buy pre-made smoothies from the store or juice shop. This isn’t always the best option though, it won’t be as affordable and you won’t have the freedom to be creative. Invest in some equipment and make your own!
0 comments