I recently found out that smoothies are without question one of the best food ideas of the last century! Don’t let the fancy name fool you; there really isn’t anything extraordinary about making one… Yes, I said making one! You don’t need to buy it if you know how to make it!
But that’s not all the upside to this yummy invention (Bless his heart, whoever thought of the idea) not only is it incredibly healthy, it can also be a delicious “forbidden” treat! So, whether you’re trying to lose some baby fat or gain a few pounds, it’s your best bet! It’s all about what goes into it!
Now I know nobody ever needs a manual on how to gain weight (it’s a lot easier to put on than to lose) so let your imagination run wild with the junk if that’s the line you are towing. I will however concentrate on making healthy smoothies and why they are good for you.
Smoothies are surprisingly easy to make at home. All you need is a blender, nothing fancy, a few inexpensive food items, and almost anyone can make a smoothie. And you don’t have to pay a ton of money to get one either. Here’s how it’s done.
First add your liquid – The liquid is considered the base of your smoothie, and it can greatly affect how your smoothie tastes, so choose wisely. Depending on your diet, you can add quite a number of things as a liquid for your smoothie. You can add water if you have nothing else, but there are lots of other ideas to try out. Milk is one of the most popular choices, as is coconut milk (that is blending both coconut and water to paste), coconut water, tea and coffee. Also, fruit juice of any kind is good if you want an extra sweet base.
After you’ve added your liquid to your blender (any blender will do), make sure to add a few ice cubes (2 to 3 max for one smoothie). This will help round it out and make sure your smoothie has just enough moisture. Two cups of any of the above liquids will be enough for one smoothie, maybe even less. Start with a cup and as you blend your smoothie, you can always add more.
Second, choose your produce – You can add as little or as much fruit or vegetables as you like to your smoothie, and you can really go in any direction your heart desires. A popular choice is a banana smoothie. You can use either fresh or frozen produce as well. And if you do use frozen fruit or vegetables, remember you won’t need to use as much liquid/ice.
Three, add a “filler” – In the smoothie world, a filler is known as a thickener; something to make your smoothie more fulfilling. If you had just a pure pineapple smoothie for example, it would end more up like a fruit juice without some sort of filler.
A filler can be anything from yogurt and avocado to oatmeal (already cooked of course).
A big filler we can’t forget is protein powder. Add a scoop of vanilla or whatever flavor you like, and not only will your smoothie be thicker than it will taste better and give you the benefit of extra protein. Cocoa powder also works well as a thickener as well. You could also add peanut butter or Nutella. These will give your smoothie a nice protein-boost.
You could even add sweet potato, considered one of the healthiest vegetables (you can quick-steam a sweet potato in a microwave in under 6 minutes).
Four, blend it up – Do just that! Stop every once in awhile to stir it, and get ice cubes or frozen fruit unstuck, which will invariably happen. If seems a bit too thick add a bit of water, and if it’s too thin, add more fruit or more of your filler. You can also add honey at the end to make it a bit sweeter.
Smoothies are so simple to make even a kitchen virgin can put one together. Just get together what you can and make sure it pleases your palate. You can team ginger with mango, cucumber with melon and look for other interesting, yet edible combinations of things you think you can drink. It may be hard to make a lot of things perfect in life, but making the perfect smoothie isn’t one of them. Just remember to be careful with overdoing it on the liquids; one of the golden rules of making smoothies.