Smoothies taste better when made at home, just like home cooked meals. This is because they have been made with the best effort using only the best ingredients to be found. The procedure for making a smoothie is simple and accordingly, preparation must also be based on a simple smoothie recipe.
Anyone can make smoothies from scratch. There is no need for pre-mixed powders or pre-packaged ingredients. As long as the basic ingredients are available, a smoothie can be prepared in minutes whenever you are in the mood for a healthy fix.
A simple smoothie recipe calls for five basic ingredients: a base, liquid, fruit, additives and flavors. The base is that which gives the smoothie its creamy texture and gives it body. Without the base, the fruit components float to the top and the bottom part would be entirely liquid. Because of the base, the fruit bits float around for quite sometime. The common ingredient used as a base is yoghurt.
The liquid mixture is also as important as the base because it helps to combine the flavors in the smoothie. Putting too much liquid waters down the drink’s consistency and makes it thin and could dilute the flavor as well. There are many types of liquid that can be used and these include fruit juice, milk and water. Any one or a combination of these can be mixed into the smoothie, depending on the desired taste. Since there are different kinds of fruit juice, the choice of this ingredient varies with taste as well, although orange is a preferred flavor by many. The usual amount of liquid put into a smoothie is one to two cups.
Fruit is the main ingredient in the simple smoothie recipe and gives the drink its dominant taste. You can be as creative as possible with fruit ingredients, mixing and matching the different flavors. Fresh is preferable but frozen is also acceptable since using them would not diminish the nutritional value of the smoothie. Using frozen fruits will allow you to use a wider range of ingredients because your choices will not be limited to those which are in season. In fact, some people prefer frozen because they result in creamier drinks. So many fruits make good smoothies but the popular ones are bananas, blueberries, mangoes, strawberries, watermelon, peaches and raspberries.
Additives are the substances that you use to make the drink healthier or more delicious. It supplements the ingredients of the simple smoothie recipe. These could include nuts and seeds, green tea or other herbal teas, tofu and coconut oil.
Flavors also enhance smoothie taste. The most favorite is chocolate, which goes well with some fruits like bananas, strawberries and cherries. Others like to add vanilla, cinnamon and coffee. If the fruits’ sweetness is not enough, sweeteners are put in. Honey is the recommended sweetener because it is healthy. Refined sugars should not be used because they are not healthy.
A simple smoothie recipe contains ingredients that can readily be found in the household at any time. Thus, it should not take much time and effort to enjoy your first healthy glass of smoothie.
Keep your health at its peak with vegetable smoothies. Read about its benefits at http://www.healthyhomemadesmoothies.com/staying-healthy-with-vegetable-smoothies.html