If you make smoothies at home, you know that they are as fresh as possible and that they have not been through a pasteurisation process which kills bacteria but which may also detract from the nutritional value. You may have been put off buying a smoothie maker, but they are inexpensive. You will recoup the money you spend because you will not be buying the pre-prepared smoothies available in shops and have the added benefit of knowing what ingredients have gone into them.
I have put together a list of my five top tips to get the best value from your smoothie maker. It is good to know that when you give your children something they enjoy as much as home made smoothies, you are also encouraging healthy eating habits. Smoothies can be enjoyed by all age groups and everyone will enjoy the benefits that come by taking in such high quality nutrition.
By freezing any fruit that you have managed to buy in bulk when it is cheap and ‘in season’, you can really save money on your fruit. You can also shop locally where fruit is often cheaper than in large supermarkets. Freezing the fruit quickly, ready prepared for your smoothie so that it can go into the smoothie maker straight from the freezer retains all the valuable nutrients and makes a lovely creamy smoothie.
You do not need to waste any smoothie mixture if you have made too much. Small quantities can be frozen as little ice cubes which the kids will love added to another drink. Larger quantities can be turned into a healthy alternative to the ice lollies found in supermarket freezers – you will also save yourself some money!
Sometimes it can be very hard to persuade kids to eat any green vegetables at all. Green smoothies can save the day here too. It may sound very unusual but green leafy vegetables such as spinach mixed into a fruit smoothie taste absolutely delicious and you will not have any problems getting youngsters to eat their greens then!
When a recipe calls for added sugar, you should taste the smoothie first. Very often it will be sweet enough for your taste. If it does need sweetening, a much better option would be to add honey rather than refined sugar.
If you are lactose intolerant and have to avoid dairy milk, there are plenty of other things you can substitute when making a smoothie. Almonds are the most nutritious nuts you can eat and almond milk is delicious in a smoothie. You could also substitute rice milk or hemp milk.
If you are unsure about taking the plunge and buying a home smoothie maker, you could try out some recipes in your blender. Some blenders are not really powerful enough to crush any frozen ingredients so it may be best to stick to fresh fruit recipes at first. Once you have experienced the improvement in your health, you will not want to go back to juice or squash and I hope the ideas I have given you will get you started on enjoying smoothies with your family.