Are Smoothies Better With Milk Or Water
Before we establish preference of one liquid over the other, we first need to understand the primary function of any liquid in a smoothie.
The function: liquids in smoothies are there to help the ingredients blend well together. So either of milk or water should do just fine in that regards.
But since were making smoothies and not fruit juice, we know that the consistency has to be somewhat thick, so a liquid that adds a little bit of body to the mixture is better preferred Even though everything still depends on your personal preference and how often you love to violate universal rules.
In the end, its no brainer, the liquid of choice is the controversial diary product milk.
But still, there a many variations of smoothies out there and sometimes, milk just isnt the perfect ingredient to bring to the mix.
Sometimes both water and milk could be out of the picture and something quite different like a fruit juice or syrup could be preferred.
It really depends on your circumstance, preference, or on the variation of smoothie youre making, or on the combination of some or all.
Having said that, its good to know what each ingredient brings to the table whenever you add them into a smoothie. So lets get a rundown real quick.
Kale Spinach And Mango Smoothie
Serves 2
- 1 banana, peeled, sliced and frozen
- ¾ cup rinsed and frozen kale leaves
- ¾ cup fresh baby spinach leaves, rinsed
- 1 cup mango chunks
- Let the banana slices thaw for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Place all the ingredients in a high-powered blender, and blend until smooth.
- Check the consistency. If necessary, add a bit of water and blend again. Serve immediately.
Don’t Miss This
More Dairy Free Smoothie Liquids
While the above liquids are more popular, I like to get creative with my liquid bases. Here are a few more super fun + delicious options:
Kombucha Im not kidding! This is a great probiotic option, and the skys the limit on flavors.
Fresh squeezed juice While 100% juice has natural sugar, it is still a higher sugar option. So remember that when adding it to your smoothie.
Coffee This base works great in smoothies including cocoa or cacao, nut butter, vanilla, you name it. Need a caffeine free option? Just use strongly brewed decaf coffee to enjoy the flavor without the buzz.
As you can see, dairy milk is far from the only liquid base for smoothies. Dont be afraid to get creative mix + match any of these bases until you find your fav.
Read Also: Smoothies To Aid Weight Loss
Whats Wrong With Dairy
Nothing if youre one of the 30% of the worlds population that doesnt have a dairy intolerance. Yet if youre like me, then dairy often gives you issues with digestion. Instead of suffering through the painful side effects of consuming dairy, I started searching for non-dairy options.
Discover the incredible world of plant based milk and dairy free smoothies along with me!
When Is The Best Time To Drink Green Smoothies
Green smoothies can be enjoyed any time of day! If youre looking for a healthy meal replacement, then youll probably want to drink it in the morning .
Some people like having them as an afternoon pick me up- especially if theyve been sick and need something nourishing.
You can also enjoy them right before bedtime with some almond milk! Its totally up to you when and how often you make them.
Don’t Miss: Freeze Dried Fruit Powder For Smoothies
Can You Make A Smoothie With Water Instead Of Milk
Yes! Water is a great way to add a little bit of liquid to your smoothies without the use of milk.
A great example of this is our Ginger Peach Detox Smoothie.
This smoothie uses just a cup of water in addition to high liquid fruits and vegetables including lemon, orange, apple, and cucumber.
Its important to note that you do not want to use a large amount of water in your smoothies or they can easily become too watery and lose flavor.
The best way that I have found is to combine high liquid fruits and vegetables with just enough water to blend.
This way you get a super thick and creamy smoothie without being watery.
It is also important to note here that you will need to use a high speed blender such as a vitamix or blendtec for best results and creamy smoothies.
Why Use Frozen Fruits In Smoothies
Its so convenient!
Most supermarkets sell frozen smoothie packs these days.
Theres no need to wash or cut the fruits. Everything is done for you already. Its a huge timesaver!
You wont even have to defrost the fruits before making smoothies. Just open the bag, add some to your blender and youre good.
Just because its convenient doesnt mean its less healthy!
Fruits are picked and frozen at peak ripeness. Studies show again and again that frozen fruits retain at least as many vitamins, minerals, as fresh fruits. Some fruits can even retain more vitamins when theyre frozen than when theyre bought fresh.
Using more frozen fruits also means less spoilage.
Frozen fruits are good for months, instead of just days. You can easily enjoy your favorite fruits at any time of the year.
Using frozen fruits actually makes your smoothies taste better.
Some people like to use ice cubes in their smoothies, I like using frozen fruits. A chilled smoothie simply tastes better, theres no question about it. Save the ice, and add some frozen fruits instead.
Read Also: Muscle Building Smoothies Without Protein Powder
How To Blend The Perfect Smoothie
Depending on the strength of your blender , the order you put your ingredients in the blender could influence the overall texture. Heres how we like to layer ingredients into the blender:
Start the blender off slowly, then gradually increase the speed. Blend for 30 to 60 seconds until the smoothie is as smooth as possible.
How To Make A Smoothie With Frozen Fruit And Water
In this frozen fruit smoothie without yoghurt we use frozen mango chunks, frozen mixed summer berries and a fresh banana to produce a perfect, brightly coloured cool and tasty mixed fruit smoothie.
This recipe is as easy to make as all my other smoothie recipes and is ready in about a minute.
But of course, you can always use fresh berries and mango as ingredients if you have them available. Either way, it tastes delicious.
The advantage of using frozen fruit chunks is that the smoothie is already cold when you make it and you do not need to add any ice cubes.
And in this smoothie recipe, we have added just some water. In some of our other recipes we add some fruit juice and water. But in this recipe we just add water. It does not need any other tastes.
And if it is too thick for your liking, just add more water.
Also Check: Healthy Smoothies For Cancer Patients
What Fruit Goes Well With Watermelon
- Watermelon goes well with a variety of fruits, including strawberries, bananas, and tropical fruits such as mango and pineapple.
- The more frozen fruit you add, the thicker the smoothie will be.
- My favorite fruit to pair with watermelon is strawberry. Because the strawberrys flavor is complimentary and not overpowering, it allows the pure flavor of the watermelon to shine more than any other fruit pairing.
How To Make Your Smoothies Taste Better
If youre using too many leafy greens, smoothies can end up tasting too bitter.
Sweet fruits like bananas, pineapples, mango can add lots of natural sweetness to your smoothies.
I especially like bananas and mango , they make almost every smoothie taste better.
Strawberries and oranges can also be a great choice for masking bitter flavors.
If youre just starting with smoothies, you can add honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup to make smoothies taste like a dessert.
Once youre more experienced, you can reduce the amount of sugar in your smoothies and add more leafy greens or other veggies.
The less sugar , the more natural ingredients youll use, the healthier your smoothie will be.
Also Check: Tropical Smoothie Cafe St Clair Shores
Layering Ingredients In The Proper Sequence
Adding ingredients into the blender in the right order is key for breaking down those tough, fibrous, leafy, or icy ingredients into a smooth consistency. According to Vitamix, this is the recommended way to layer in each ingredient, depending on the size of your kitchen blender:
- Large containers : First add any wet ingredients , followed by dry goods, leafy greens, fresh fruits/vegetables, then frozen ingredients last.
- Small containers : First add frozen ingredients, fresh fruits/vegetables, leafy greens, dry goods, and wet ingredients last.
Can You Store This Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Actually, you can! Smoothies are best eaten immediately. But you can store this strawberry banana smoothie for 1 to 2 days refrigerated. Store it in a sealed container or a mason jar with the lid on. If it separates , just shake it up and youre good to go.
Why would you store it? Its actually perfect for breakfast on the good. Mix up a smoothie the night before, and you can enjoy it for breakfast the next day.
You May Like: How Do I Make A Smoothie
Be Patient And Diligent While Blending Resting And Storing
Start with a high quality blender. We proudly use Vitamix blenders, so our drinks always come outgreat! Even though fancy smoothie shops use the professional Vitamix andBlendtec models, any decent blender will work . Even a good foodprocessor may handle ice better than a really cheap blender.
Start blending at a low speed. Work up momentum to move the larger chunks offruit to the blades so that they get chopped finely. Gradually increase speedto high. This is especially true when using frozen fruits or nuts the sloweryou go, the more blending power you have at the start.
If you start too fast or speed up too quickly, you risk making an airbubble. That makes for a chunky smoothie you’ll have to dig out with aspatulanot bad if you like something like a thick strawberrybanana smoothie, but that’s not always what you want.
How To Make A Smoothie: The Simple And Perfect Home Recipe
Like smoothies? It’s a delicious drink that’s easy to make and adds fruitand vegetables to your diet! Don’t spend $7 on something you can make at homewith whatever ingredients you have on hand in your kitchen! This is the perfectquick and healthy breakfast option to give you energy all day long. Throweverything together and take it on-the-go. Or put things out for the kids afterschool hours.
This basic perfect smoothie recipe provides a great base for you to addprotein and fiber, as well as whatever flavors you like. We’ve tested thisrecipe and explain the physics of how it works so you’ll get something thatblends perfectly every time.
Five simple steps make the perfect smoothie recipe:
You can throw everything in a cheap blender and get pretty goodresults, but you’ll get the best and most consistent results by following thistemplate. Why? Physics!
Recommended Reading: How To Prepare Beets For Smoothies
Tips On How To Make Kale Smoothies Taste Good
Tip 1: Use fruit and fruit juices that help mask the flavor of kale.
When you make green smoothies using mild ingredients such as spinach, lettuce or baby beet greens, you can use almost any fruit for the fruit base, and the result will be delicious. However, that is not the case with kale. When making a green smoothie featuring kale, you will want to use strong-flavored fruit that help hide the bitter, peppery flavor of kale. Mango, which, along with banana and non-fat Greek yogurt, is one of the key ingredients in Starbuck’s trendy “Evolution Fresh” kale smoothie, is a great choice, but there are also a number of other fruits that work well with kale in smoothies. Examples include pomegranate and pomegranate juice , pineapple, orange juice and wild blueberries.
Tip 2: Use frozen kale instead of fresh kale.
Tip 3: Use milder-tasting kale varieties.
Here’s yet another great tip on how to make your kale smoothies taste better: instead of using leaves of mature curly kale, use baby kale or black Tuscan kale which are milder in flavor.
Tip 4: Start with a lower greens-to-fruit ratio.
Tip 5: Cut bitterness with acidity.
Sure, you can cover up the bitterness of your kale smoothies with sweet ingredients such as mango and pomegranate, but those who are trying to eat less sugary foods may want to use another trick: add some lemon or lime juice to the blend. The acidity of lemon and lime helps neutralize the bitterness of kale, plus it adds a nice refreshing touch to your drink!
Is Vitamix Good For Making Green Smoothies
Yes, Vitamix is great for making green smoothies!
Vitamix blenders are known for their strength and ability to create the perfect pureed texture in just seconds.
This will help when trying to break down tough ingredients like kale, spinach, or celery- which take only a few seconds thanks to the blades of a high-powered blender like Vitamix.
Recommended Reading: What Are Smoothies Made Of
Can You Make A Smoothie Without Liquid
You might now be wondering if you can make a smoothie without liquid at all.
Once again, the answer is YES!
Just follow the same steps as above, but leaving out the water all together.
I went through a phase for awhile where I ONLY made my smoothies without liquid.
I just loved how thick and flavorful they were and I most often went with a super tropical theme!
My pineapple detox smoothie has no liquid at all and tasted like a tropical frosty!
Fresh pineapple, cucumber, and lemon were the water components, which I added to the blender first.
After that, I added in my frozen fruit, ice, and remaining ingredients and blended until thick and creamy!
Is A Smoothie Better With Milk Or Water
More liquid in smoothies will make it runnier. It is up to you how you want it. However, the extra fluid can make blending difficult for your normal blender. Milk will add extra taste, but it has some drawbacks too.
Milk is full of fat. Despite its nutrient contents, it will pile up extra plump on your body. If you want to have a more refreshing experience, go for water. You will keep yourself healthy and hydrated.
You May Like: Fruit And Vegetable Combinations For Smoothies
What Ingredients Should I Put Into My Green Smoothie
There are endless combinations you can make, but I suggest starting with 1-2 cups of fruit and 2-3 handfuls of leafy greens .
You can also experiment with adding crushed ice or yogurt if you want your smoothie thicker.
Using the touchscreen panel on top makes it easy to adjust the settings of your blender- and make sure you choose the highest setting!
Why You Should Make This Banana Smoothie
Ive made a version of this easy banana smoothie recipe more times than I can count. Its perfect on its own and is the best base recipe for adding more ingredients like fruit, nut butter, and veggies.
Here are a few more reasons we love it:
- You need less than 5 minutes to make it.
- You can use fresh or frozen bananas.
- Its easy to adapt to what you have in the kitchen.
- This smoothie is perfect for breakfast or a snack.
- Kids love it!
- You can even make the smoothie ahead of time, freeze it, and save it for later.
Recommended Reading: Best Smoothie To Cleanse Colon
Best Green Smoothie Recipe
By Jen Hansard | Published on 1.1.2021
Sure, I know a spinach smoothie doesn’t sound that appealing, but when made right it can be beyond delicious. With hundreds of 5-star reviews, it’s time for you to see why this is the best green smoothie recipe.
Are you wondering why anyone would be excited to drink something as green as this? I hear ya I’ve been right where you are. And so have 1 million+ others who’ve blended this smoothie in our free 7-day smoothie challenge.
Drinking this daily smoothie is what helped me get the body and energy to do some incredible things, such as run 47 miles of the Grand Canyon, ride motorcycles through Morocco, publish two best-selling recipe books and create a backyard garden for my kids. This daily habit has kept my kids healthy when we didn’t have health insurance, energized us in between school and sports and nourished us so we don’t need to take vitamins.
When I created this green smoothie recipe…it changed my life in more ways than I ever imagine. It was love at first sip for me, my two kids and over 1 million others who were scared of spinach smoothies.
I’ve published an entire recipe book on Simple Green Smoothies, and then went on The Doctors to blend a few green smoothie recipes live on stage! I was nervous with all the cameras and lights, but I knew I had to share green smoothies with the world! They truly are magical for your health.