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How to Make Perfect Smoothies
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Here are Tips to Making Your Smoothies Perfect
Make your Smoothie Healthy
There are lots of small substitutions you can make to lower the fat or sugar content of your smoothies. Use skim or soy milk instead of regular milk, or frozen yogurt instead of ice cream. Yogurt contains beneficial bacteria which are not at all harmed by being blended up with ice or frozen fruit.
Don't try adding raw egg to your smoothie. There's a slight danger of salmonella poisoning with uncooked eggs. Add 2 tablespoons of flax, chia, or hemp seed to add some extra fiber, protein, and a nice helping of omega-3 fatty acids.
If you're adding flax seed to your smoothie, drink them within twenty minutes or so. Flax seed contains a lot of soluble fiber, which tends to absorb liquid and form a gel. That's great when it happens in your body; not so great when it happens in your glass. So If you're not going to be drinking your smoothie within twenty minutes or so, you may leave the flax out.
You can use Cocoa Powder to add protein to your smoothie. Cocoa powder is jam packed with flavanols-the compounds that make chocolate good for your body. It's low in calories, contains no sugar, and is virtually fat-free, unlike chocolates.
Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder for a heart-healthy boost. Cocoa powder tastes good in smoothies made with bananas and/or nut butter. Try to avoid "dutched" or alkalized cocoa powder, which has less than half the flavanol content of regular cocoa powder.
A great way to sneak another serving of vegetables into your day is throwing in a handful of raw spinach or other leafy greens into your smoothie. Although it turns your smoothie a bright, virtuous-looking green color, you can't really taste them.
Greens go well with strawberry or peach flavored smoothies. However, if the milk or yogurt in your smoothie is your primary source of calcium, you might want to have the greens at a different meal because greens that contain Oxalates such as spinach, can interfere with your ability to absorb calcium.
Best Fruit Selection
If you use frozen fruit, your smoothie will be thick and frosty, like a milkshake. Frozen bananas are great for this because they contain pectin, a sort of fiber that makes the smoothie extra creamy-tasting. If your bananas are getting a little too ripe, freeze them to use for smoothies. Just remember to peel your bananas before tossing them in the freezer or you'll have a hard time peeling them once they're frozen!
Frozen berries are also great in smoothies, as well as peaches and mangoes. Add about one serving of fruit to the blender. If you prefer to use fresh fruit, add a couple of ice cubes as well.
Perfect Blending
Add the liquids to the blender first, to prevent it from binding up on the frozen fruit and getting stuck. Don't put too much in your jar or your blender will never achieve proper circulation, even with the most powerful motor. Put in just enough so your blender can achieve proper liquid circulation in about 30 - 45 seconds.
Then whiz everything in the blender on high until it's completely blended.
If your smoothies are coming out thinner than you'd like, add a few more ice cubes to the recipe. If your smoothie is too thick, you may be using too much frozen fruit or too many ice cubes. Thin it by adding a bit of water or even a splash of green tea or coffee.
Get the Perfect Juicer
Machines with a 1/3 to 1/2 horsepower rating are better able to quickly and efficiently process tough vegetables, like beets. A large feeding tube (at least 3 inches wide) eliminates the need to cut up produce and makes cleanup easier. And a stable base with evenly distributed weight can prevent leak-inducing vibrations. Try the Breville Juice Fountain Compact BJE200XL, which was also highly rated by Consumer Reports.
If you have more fresh fruit than frozen you may want to add a few extra ice cubes to give the smoothie a cooler temperature and better texture. Mixing ice with fruit makes the smoothie cool, delicious, and refreshing.
To grab a smoothie on the go, make them up ahead of time. You can freeze a smoothie and thaw it out when you want it. You'll need to allow some space in the container because your smoothie will likely expand when freezing.
Dress up your smoothie with all kinds of extras: flax, chia, hemp, or any fruit toppings of your choice.
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