Going to a smoothie shop and ordering a smoothie may be easy to hear but it is very expensive on the pocket. Furthermore, you can customize the contents of the smoothie to make it easier on your wallet. The flavour combinations are unlimited whether you are making a nutrient-dense meal replacement, a protein-packed workout drink or a sweet drink to relax.
To make a basic smoothie, all it takes is a little bit of time. The procedure is quick and easy. All you need for a smoothie is:
- A liquid
- A base( Frozen or Fresh Fruit)
- A chill Factor( Ice or Frozen Fruit)
These simple components when blended together make up the most wonderfully tasted smoothies. Choose your ingredients for nutrition and pleasure in equal measures, taking into account the taste, texture and vibrant colour. As no one wants to drink something that looks weird and have a strange colour.
Here we will be discussing how to make clean and healthy smoothies with simple ingredients at home
The building block elements below are listed in the order in which you would add them to the blender.
Step 1: Liquid
Pour liquids ( 1 to 2 cups) in first for efficient blending, Example: Coconut water, milk, juice, herbal or green tea.
To add something extra, just put in some spices, herbs, citrus zest, natural extracts, flavours and sweeteners
To add a nutritional boost, sprinkle in some protein powder, chia seeds, hemp, flax seeds or cold-pressed oils.
Step 2: Base
Your base should contain both soft and hard produce as well as some fibrous foods such as nuts, dried fruits or frozen fruits. The heart of the base contains two to three cups of fruits and vegetables (fresh are preferable) as well as raw and sprouted nuts and seeds (¼ to ½ cup).
Include an element of cream as per the taste: Avocado, banana, mango, tofu, nut butter, raw nuts( almonds, cashews, ¼ to ½ cup) or yoghurt ( ½ to 1 cup).
Include some greens for extra fibres such as spinach, radish greens, collards, chard, kale, beet greens, parsley, cilantro, mint or basil.
Step 3: Ice
The ice is included in the last to the blender. That helps in putting all the other ingredients down into the blades for even mixing.
Cool Tips
Prepare ahead of time. Smoothies should be consumed as soon as possible to enhance nutritious value. They can, however, be refrigerated for a few hours or overnight in sealed glass containers for convenience. Freeze in glass jars for extended storage, leaving one inch of headroom for liquid expansion. Before serving, defrost in the refrigerator and then shake or combine.
Use FlavorFul Ice Cubes: You can use different types of ingredients such as leftover fruits, vegetable juice, milk or tea. Freeze them in an ice cube box and use them when making the smoothies to get different flavours.
Freeze Vegetables: As our taste buds are temperature sensitive, so to maintain the taste, frozen vegetables can be incorporated into the drink.
Hot Additions
Add something Warm: Putting in foods such as fennel, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne balances the cooling blends while also providing the smoothies with a nice kick. It also stimulates the lymphatic system and helps in detoxification.
Drizzle in something healthy: Some cold-pressed oils such as hemp, borage, avocado, coconut, pumpkin seed and olive are healthful boosts. Use one teaspoon in the starting and then make your way up to one tablespoon gradually. Put in a quantity that is not detectable by your taste buds.
Add a bonus Scoop: Putting in ½ teaspoon of probiotic powder helps balance the natural sugar content of sweet smoothies, also helps in the digestive system and aids in boosting immunity. ½ teaspoon quantity is undetectable in the smoothie and is a great way to fulfil your daily dose.
Some Healthy Ideas
Mix your Greens: Use different combinations of greens when making a smoothie to get far away from oxalic toxicity (It depletes calcium from bones and teeth). Use more leafy greens such as spinach, radish greens and kale. Then slowly move up to some more pungent greens such as collard, chard and beet greens.
Keep an eye on the Combos: Food combining is an important task that needs to be seen through properly to avoid any bloating. Mixing certain fruits and vegetables together can produce problems for some people. Putting excessive sugar or fruit in your drink can also create problems. If the problem persists, consult a certified dietitian or nutritionist.
Juicing Vs Blending: Juicing eliminates skins and piths, which is beneficial for cleaning or recovering from an acute sickness since it provides a nutrient-dense experience that is easier to digest. Blending preserves all of the nutrients in the skins, piths, and seeds; this type of fibre aids in bowel regularity and is supposed to aid in the elimination of toxins.
