When it comes to how to make a smoothie, there truly is an art to it. This is not a difficult task, but to ensure that you get the most out of your smoothie, you need to ensure that it is done right.
Once you know the basic instructions, the most common ingredients and the other things that go into a smoothie, you can easily whip one up for a delicious and nutritious treat.
Instructions for Making a Smoothie
Making a smoothie is easy and it only requires a few basic steps. The most important part of the process is having a high-quality blender to mix all of your ingredients.
The blender should be able to crush ice effectively so that your smoothie is easy to drink through a straw.
The next step is simply putting all of your ingredients into the blender and putting the lid on it. Make sure that the lid is secure or else this could be a very messy process. The following is an average ratio to make a smoothie:
- Two to three cups of fruit
- Approximately one cup of liquid, such as 100 percent juice or water (1)
- Half a cup of yogurt if you want your smoothie to be creamy
- If you use fresh fruit instead of frozen, add four to five cubes of ice
- Blend until you get the desired consistency
When you are making smoothies, make sure that all of the fruits and vegetables are chopped up well so that they are easy to blend.
For example, if you are using a banana, you have to completely remove the peel and cut the banana into four to five pieces so that it blends easily.
Making a smoothie is easy when you have the best blender. Check out below top blenders which are specially made for smoothies:
Most Common Ingredients for Smoothies
You can use just about any fruit or vegetable to make a smoothie, but some ingredients are more common than others with the most common including:
- Bananas
- Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
- Juice from leafy green vegetables
- Freshly squeezed apple juice
- Pineapples
- Mangoes
- Kiwis
- Freshly squeezed carrot juice
Now that you know about the most common ingredients for making smoothies, the next step is to get some smoothie recipes. This amazing recipe book contains 180+ smoothie recipes with different ingredients. Check it out now.
What Do You Put in a Smoothie?
In addition to the fruits and vegetables that you put into your smoothie, there are other ingredients that ensure that it blends at the right consistency.
These other ingredients also add more nutrients to your smoothie and ensure that it has the best flavor possible. You can add the following to your smoothies:
- Water
- Skim milk
- Yogurt
- Green tea
- Vegetable or fruit juices (should be fresh and not from concentrate)
- Soy milk or almond milk
- Frozen yogurt
Now that you know how to make the perfect smoothie, you can work to improving your diet to better your health. Smoothies allow you to get a mixture of fruits and vegetables so that you can feed your body with important nutrients each day.
You can mix almost all fruits and vegetables into smoothies so that you never get bored and always have a healthy option when you are hungry.
6 Super Benefits of Green Smoothies
It is common knowledge that eating plenty of green is critical for optimal health. Many people do not get enough greens in their diet, however, and this can result in their health not being as strong as it could be.
An easy way to get more greens in your diet is by drinking green smoothies each day.
They are delicious and packed with a large majority of the nutrients that your body craves. The benefits of green smoothies improve your health from head to toe.
Enjoy More Energy
When you have a green smoothie each day, you will have more energy due to nutrients like B vitamins. This type of smoothie is dense in nutrients so it also keeps you fuller longer.
This means that you will not experience that mid-afternoon crash that often comes with processed meal options.
Better Digestion
If you want to regulate your digestive system, it is critical that you are getting enough fiber each day.
All greens are rich in fiber so a single smoothie can give you a boost of this nutrient so that you are having regular bowel movements to keep toxins flushed out of your body.
Fewer Junk Food Cravings
One of the hardest parts of a healthy lifestyle is avoiding junk foods because the body does crave them. However, when you drink green smoothies each day, you will find that you crave unhealthy foods less and less as time passes.
It also helps that green smoothies help to control your appetite so you are less likely to reach for the vending machine in the afternoon.
Radiant Skin
The largest organ in the human body is the skin. It protects you against the assaults of the environment and because if this, you need to give it the nutrients it needs to stay strong.
Green smoothies provide your skin with protective nutrients and they also ensure that toxins are regularly removed from the body so that your skin is healthy from the inside out.
Healthy Eyes
Protecting the health of your eyes is critical and green smoothies can help. Dark green leafy vegetables contain the carotenoids, nutrients lutein and zeaxanthin.
All of these nutrients protect the eyes and help to prevent common eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts, both of which can lead to significant vision impairment.
Cancer Prevention
A green smoothie a day may help to prevent cancer thanks to green vegetables containing the bioflavornoid quercetin. This nutrient has anticancer properties and anti-inflammatory activity.
These properties are especially important for those who have other cancer risk factors.
As you can see, green smoothies are an important part of any healthy and balanced diet.
When you get many of your greens via smoothies, you can take them on the go and ensure that your body is getting the right mixture of minerals and vitamins each day.
Understanding the health benefits of green smoothies will ensure that you are motivated to start drinking them.
