Smoothies are more popular than ever right now, especially since you can make them from the comfort of your own home. Basically, with little more than a blender and an array of fruits and vegetables you can turn any old smoothie into the best smoothie.
1. Order Matters!
The order that you blend your ingredients actually matters, at least as far as the texture of your smoothie is concerned. The only way to get the best texture for your smoothie is to first blend in your leafy greens with your liquid base and then top it off with your other ingredients.
2. Get a Good Blender
Before you even consider what goes into your smoothie, make sure your blender can get the job done. Do you need a high-powered blender for tough greens such as spinach or kale? Make sure that you have the right tools for the job before beginning a recipe.
3. Next Those Veggies
Add some veggies for some extra micronutrients. Include some type of leafy green, such as spinach or kale. That really boosts the overall nutritional properties of your smoothie! This is also an extremely easy way to achieve the daily recommendation of 4-5 servings of vegetables a day.
4. Frozen Fruit Instead of Fresh
When it comes to putting fruit in your smoothies, many of the experts we spoke with suggested using frozen fruit (as opposed to fresh fruit and ice) for optimal results. For the best texture, use at least one frozen ingredient. Bananas, berries, avocado, and even frozen pumpkin puree work well. Frozen fruit gives your smoothie a nice icy, thick texture. Ice will dilute the flavor of the smoothie, which is why you should opt for frozen fruit.
5. Balance It Out
The best (and often healthiest) smoothies are well-balanced drinks with a variety of ingredients, each with their own flavor and nutrition profile. Some smoothies can end up being a sugar bomb depending on which ingredients are included. While fruit is a great source of many vitamins, minerals, and fiber, it can also be high in sugar and carbs, especially if you’re using large quantities. Balance the carbs out with ingredients that contain protein and healthy fats. Chiefly, nut butters and chia seeds—to keep you feeling fuller longer and to possibly avoid a blood sugar crash. shortly after enjoying your concoction.”
6. Pile on the Protein
There are other protein-packed ingredients that can take a smoothie from good to great. Add a protein source in your smoothies such as yogurt, kefir or protein powder. Yogurt and kefir have probiotics, which support our gut health and add a creamy, rich layer to smoothies. If you’re vegan, try a vegan protein powder such as pea protein powder, which is also a great source of iron.
7. Add Avocado
Sometimes smoothies can miss the mark, whether in flavor, texture or nutritional balance. One solution: freezing fresh avocado. From a nutrition perspective, avocados are a good source of fiber, and unlike most fruits, they have zero grams of naturally occurring sugar per serving. This helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, avoiding a mid-afternoon crash! Also, as essentially the only fruit with heart-healthy unsaturated fats, they’re a rich and creamy swap for typical smoothie ingredients containing saturated fats. To prepare for the freezer, simply wash, halve, peel and quarter fresh avocados, then toss them in a resealable freezer bag for smoothie perfection!
8. Get Creative with Your Ingredients
Avocado, spinach and frozen fruit are pretty standard smoothie ingredients. However, they’re far from the only ones you can and should be using when you’re whipping up a healthy drink. Adding a few scoops of baked sweet potato is the perfect addition to the average peanut butter banana smoothie. Explicitly, making the consistency even creamier while boosting vitamin A, promoting gut health and an antioxidant boost.
9. Don’t Forget the Flavor
No need to add more sugary substances (such as honey, artificial sweeteners or fruit juices) to often already sweet smoothies. Some experts recommended some flavorful additions that won’t make the drinks sweeter or more caloric. One expert is a fan of tossing in some unsweetened cocoa powder because it will add flavor and more depth to your smoothie. Also, it can offer some nutritional benefits as well. Unsweetened cocoa powder has some antioxidant power and all you have to do is put a spoonful in your smoothie to get it.
10. Use Lecithin-Rich Foods
Falbo recommends finding lecithin-rich foods. In addition to giving your smoothie a nutritional boost, lecithin can help the drink keep its consistency over time. “Lecithin is naturally found in egg yolks, sunflower seeds, soy, and meats. It is primarily composed of choline, fatty acids, and phospholipids. It has been shown to support brain health, healthy cholesterol metabolism, nerve health and liver health,” she notes. “Added to a smoothie, lecithin has very little flavor and acts as an emulsifier, helping the water and fat stay combined, making the smoothie hold its consistency longer.”
11. Follow a Recipe Matrix
Karen Falbo, the director of nutrition education at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and a certified natural foods chef, recommends putting together a smoothie using a specific ingredient metric. You have many options to choose from, but your basic recipe should be a liquid base, fruit, healthy fats, superfood powders, and protein powder.
“To get started, choose a liquid base,” she says. “Next, add natural sweetness with fresh or frozen fruit. Fruit also provides vitamins, minerals, and fiber too. Healthy fats can be added to help support blood sugar balance. Fats provide fatty acids for energy and are a source of vitamins too. Coconut oil, full-fat yogurt from grass-fed cows, nut or seed butter, and/or MCT oil are popular choices. Superfoods add extra nutrition, and popular choices are powdered greens or turmeric. Finally, add protein powder for the added amino acids (the building blocks of the body) and to make the smoothie into a meal.”
Source: Samantha Leffler for EatThis,NotThat©
Related: 6 Things You Should Never Add To Your Smoothie – TUTORING YOU
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