Hints for Making Smoothies
Smoothies are Easy Peasy - Make Yours Even Better With These Hints
Do you make your own smoothies? Well, they're not hard and the results can be delicious. My hints and tips should make your smoothie-making go smoothly.
Making smoothies is hardly rocket science. Toss everything in a blender, blend it, and drink. That's really all there is to it. But I do have a few hints to help you make better smoothies. You'll find yourself making these yummy drinks every day.
Save on clean-up
Rather than use a conventional blender, and pouring your finished smoothie into a glass, use a stick blender. Add your ingredients directly into a tall glass and blend right there. Makes for less work, and you might be more inclined to make a smoothie this way.
Make it thicker
Personally, I don't like overly thick smoothies, but that's just me. You can add extra yogurt or ice cubs to thicken up a weak smoothie. Or you can try using frozen fruit. See below.
Freeze your fruit
If your smoothie calls for fruit, plan ahead and freeze it. Frozen fruit will blend better and make a thicker, colder smoothie. You can buy frozen fruit, or freeze your own. Spread it out while it's freezing (on a plate or something) or the pieces will freeze together.
Freeze your smoothie
While we're talking about freezing, you can freeze your whole smoothie too. Try making a couple of smoothies on the weekends (when you have time) and freeze them for later in the week (when you might not have time). Let them thaw in the fridge, and you're ready to go.
Watch your ingredients
If you just enjoy a smoothie for the rich texture and sweet taste, then you can ignore this point. But if you like making smoothies as a meal replacement or as a healthy drink, then be careful how you make it. Use skim milk or even soy milk to really reduce the fat content and up the nutrition. You won't notice much difference in the taste of your smoothie. Yogurt rather than ice cream is another healthy substitution. Non-fat yogurt is the best, but watch for artificial sweeteners. Even add some soft tofu as a thickener. For a less creamy smoothie, use fruit juices instead of some of the milk/yogurt. You will really add lots of extra flavour, especially if you make your own fresh juices at home. You can read more about home juicers here.
