Do You Have To Use Frozen Strawberries For Strawberry Banana Smoothie
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No you do not! Although strawberries are frozen at their peek and using frozen fruit in smoothies eliminates the need for ice. Ice is easy to crush in the blender but it dilutes the scrumptious flavors of the fruit. That being said you can still use fresh strawberries and/or a frozen banana or ice cubes and it will be delicious.
They Protect Their Own
It may be a coincidence that theyre heart-shaped, but strawberries actually protect the entire circulatory system. They improve blood vessel function, lower blood pressure and increase good HDL cholesterol whilst inhibiting the bad.
In fact, a study of 93,000 women found that those who ate three or more portions of blueberries and strawberries a week had a 32% lower risk of a heart attack.
More Drinks To Sip On
Whether it is a quick breakfast or a fancy meal, the drink can make all the difference. Drinks can quench your thirst, warm you up or just help you unwind. Remarkably simple to make and full of flavor, drinks are just so fun to make and drink. Here are a few favorite, tried, and true drink recipes to try the next time you need something for a special occasion.
Beverages
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S To Make A Perfect Fruit Smoothie
No matter what kind of fruit smoothie recipe you are making, you can follow these steps.
Now that you have a great idea of making any fruit smoothie let’s look at how to make some of the most popular fruit smoothies.
How To Make My Strawberry Smoothie
One thing I love about smoothies is how easy they are. Simply add all ingredients to the blender jar and blend until smooth. It’s that simple!
TIP: If the smoothie is too thick for your liking, you can add a bit more of milk and blend again. Or, if you want to turn this into a smoothie bowl, leave it thick and top with the fruit, nuts and granola of your choice!
Pour in serving glasses and serve immediately. Enjoy!
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Blender Notes And Recommendations
- I recently purchased a new high-powered blender and absolutely love it .
- You do not need a high-dollar blender to make this strawberry blueberry smoothie. If you use a high powered blender , your smoothie will have a finer, more even consistency, but you can certainly make this recipe in a regular blender too. If your smoothie is too thick to blend, add more almond milk .
- I owned this more economical option for a while. While it doesnt get things as smooth as quickly as a high-powered blender or come with the same bells and whistles, its a good option for the price.
- I sip my smoothies through these stainless steel straws. They make everything you drink through them from smoothies, to iced tea or iced coffee, to even water taste extra refreshing. I also keep a few in my purse for when Im out and about, so I dont need to ask for a plastic or paper straw.
Add Milk And Blend Until Smooth
Now is the time to add some liquid. Choose your favorite milk and add ½ cup into the blender. Blend on low until the little fruit bits turn into a smooth mixture. You may need to scrape down the sides a few times to unstick the blender. Once the mixture is moving, ever so slowly increase the speed to medium to help the smoothie become a smoother consistency.
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Strawberry & Peach Smoothie
Since peach and strawberry season overlap, itd be rude not to combine the two into a summery glass of goodness. We prefer our smoothies without yogurt but you can add a little if you like. Our recipe includes a handful of leafy greens to instantly multiply its nutritional value.
- 1 peach
- 10 spinach leaves
Blend the leaves with peach until smooth, then add the strawberries. Since peaches are so juicy you shouldnt need any additional liquid, but judge it based on your own preferences and add a little water if you prefer.
Ingredients For Strawberry Smoothies:
- Strawberries: The main ingredient! I love using fresh strawberries, but frozen strawberries are an option. Remove strawberry tops to preserve the pretty pink color.
- Coconut Milk: My favorite base giving this smoothie a tropical flavor. See below for other options.
- Bananas: A staple ingredient for many smoothies, gives a nice creamy texture.
- Pineapple: More tropical flavor for this delicious treat and the frozen chunks serve as a flavorful ice so this smoothie is packed full of flavor!
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Why You Should Make This Strawberry Smoothie
Ive made a version of this easy smoothie recipe more times than I can count. Its perfect on its own and is the best base recipe for adding more ingredients.
Here are a few more reasons we love it:
- You need less than 5 minutes to make it.
- You can use fresh or frozen fruit. In fact, frozen strawberries make the smoothie extra creamy.
- 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 make the smoothie ahead of time, freeze it, and save for later. Details below.
Nutrition Info You Can Trust
Our in-house associate nutritionist holds a Masters degree in Human Nutrition, a bachelors degree in Sports Science and English, and a Diploma in Personal Training. She has over 15 years of experience in the health and fitness industry, working with leading health clubs, equipment companies, and one-to-one clients.
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Why This Recipe Works
This strawberry smoothie recipe is definitely one of my favorites, especially during the warmer months. Refreshing smoothies with strawberries are rich, creamy and bursting with the bright flavor of fresh strawberries.
I also add a banana to make a thick and milkshake-like consistency. Plus it adds another pop of healthy sweetness to the drink that is great to get your morning going!
When making a smoothie with bananas, I prefer to use coconut milk or almond milk. Using plant-based milks makes this a tasty vegan smoothie recipe, and is a bit easier on your stomach.
I have read that according to ayurveda, eating certain fruits and dairy milk together can create all kinds of digestion problems. For instance, banana and dairy tend to cause gut issues. However, I always find that beverages made with coconut milk or almond milk are lighter and easy to digest.
I have not used any sweetener in this 3 ingredient smoothie recipe, but you can add some sweetener if your strawberries arent quite ripe or you prefer a sweeter smoothie.
Smoothies, fruit juices and milkshakes are terrific to make for a quick and healthy breakfast. Here are just a few Smoothie Recipes I have shared on the blog:
How To Make A Simple Strawberry Smoothie
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Strawberry smoothies are healthy, delicious, and refreshing and best of all, theyre easy to make! With just 4 ingredients and a blender, youll have a nice cold treat thats sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
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How To Make A Strawberry Smoothie:
Smoothie Pro Tip: Be sure to put the liquid ingredients in first, and then the frozen ingredients. The liquid helps with the blending process and prevents your blender from locking up on the hard frozen fruits!
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Ingredients
So you ask, how to make a strawberry banana smoothie? Its as simple as blending all the ingredients until smooth, then adding a little more milk as needed to reach a texture to your liking. Its that easy! Youll need:
- Strawberries: Fresh of frozen work here. You can also substitute blueberries or blackberries!
- Banana: Again, use fresh or frozen. I like to pre-chop and freeze soon-to-go-bad bananas and store them in my freezer for smoothies. It ensures I never throw away rotten bananas and makes smoothies instantly frostier!
- Milk: You can use cows or dairy-free milk . Alternatively, you can make these Strawberry Banana Smoothies without milk and use apple or orange juice instead.
For the best possible smoothie, make sure at least one of your fruits is frozen!
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How To Freeze Strawberries
Often, I buy strawberries in February , and freeze them. BAM! Ive got the best strawberries around for a few months of strawberry smoothies. Heres my process:
2. Hull the strawberries using either a knife or strawberry huller.
3. Place the strawberries on a baking tray, making sure each berry doesnt touch.
4. Freeze for at least an hour.
5. Place frozen strawberries in a resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 12 months.
This strawberry smoothie recipe can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries. If you arent using a high powered blender, then make sure to thaw the berries slightly before blending.
Tips For Making Smoothies
Here are a few tips for making the best smoothies possible:
- Start with ripe fruit. High quality fruit means better taste which makes a delicious smoothie.
- Use frozen fruit. Frozen fruit makes for a creamier, more refreshing smoothie.
- You dont need ice. Since youre using frozen fruit, theres also no need to include ice in the mixture. Your smoothie will be much more flavorful this way because the ice wont dilute the other ingredients.
- Plan ahead. Measure out the fruit for a few batches of smoothies into separate zip-top freezer bags. When its smoothie time, add the contents of one bag to the blender along with the milk and yogurt for a super quick breakfast or snack.
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How To Freeze Fresh Fruit For Smoothies
For the coldest, creamiest smoothie possible, use quality frozen fruit. Store-bought frozen fruit is a convenient option and is especially handy when berry season is long gone. Keep bags tightly closed and consistently frozen to avoid icy, dull-tasting fruit.
Its also easy to freeze fresh ripe fruit, and its a great option when strawberries are dirt cheap at the supermarket or you bought a few too many bananas.
To freeze strawberries: Give them a good wash, drain, and let them completely dry. Cap the berries and slice them in half, placing on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Theyll keep for two months.
To freeze bananas: Simply peel and slice into chunks. Stick the baking sheet full of fruit in the freezer for at least an hour, or until the fruit is frozen solid. Scoop into a zip-top freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and seal. Frozen bananas will keep for a month.
How To Make A Strawberry Smoothie
So now we get to the really fun part recipes! Heres a basic recipe that combines fruit and liquid into a deliciously simple smoothie
Here is a rundown of our all-time favourite strawberry-based recipes. Were all about simplicity so each one contains a maximum of 3 everyday ingredients. Theyre also vegan-friendly since we arent big fans of dairy or honey.
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How Do You Make A Strawberry Smoothie
Health Benefits Of A Strawberry Smoothie
From flavor to health benefits, cherries have so much to offer in this smoothie. Not only do they have a welcoming tartness that balances out the sweetness, theyre also packed with powerful antioxidants. Cherries also support healthy sleep and reduce inflammation.
Strawberries are full of vitamin C, which boosts your immunity as well as reduces the free-radicals that cause disease. With all of the cold and flu viruses circulating, theres no better time to load up on vitamin C!
Cashews are a great source of plant-based protein. Cashews provide heart-healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, along with vitamins E, K, and B6 and Manganese, Magnesium, Copper, as well as Phosphorous and Zinc.
Whip up this tasty strawberry smoothie recipe as a health-packed breakfast or satisfying snack. The whole family will love this creamy treat!
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What Ingredients Do You Need For A Smoothie Bowl
- Frozen Banana or frozen cauliflower for a low sugar version. If you freeze your bananas whole, like I often do, run them under hot water for 30 seconds to one minute and the peel should slide right off!
- Frozen fruit I used mixed berries but pineapple, strawberries, mango, etc. are all delicious!
- Dairy free milk I like soy for its rich and creamy consistency
- Superfoods if youd like! Powdered greens, adaptogens, cacao powder, maca
- Toppings, toppings, toppings I usually go for a combo of coconut flakes, nut butter or a sprinkle of PB2, fresh and frozen fruit, freeze dried fruit, cacao nibs and/or granola. The skys the limit!
Why You Will Love This Smoothie
Cold, creamy and utterly slurp-able, this yummy 4 ingredient strawberry smoothie is the perfect quick weekday breakfast. Boasting just 6 Weight Watchers points, this is perfect for almost any diet.
This smoothie recipe is also dead simple. It takes just 5 minutes to throw together! Fruit is blended with skim milk and a touch of honey for a guilt-free treat that tastes like dessert.
And just because it tastes like a milkshake doesn’t make this frosty beverage any less healthy. Suitable for adults and kids alike, my banana strawberry smoothie is packed with flavor AND nutrients.
Strawberries are filled with antioxidants, vitamin C and manganese. Did you know that just one serving of strawberries provides more vitamin C than an orange? Check out all of the health benefits of strawberries WebMD has to offer.
Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, making this a fantastic drink to help your muscles recover from exercise. They are also naturally sweet and lend a delightfully velvety consistency to this blender beverage.
And that’s not all! The addition of non-fat milk means that this breakfast smoothie has 5 grams of protein and 165 mg of calcium per serving. So not only will you stay full until lunchtime, you’re also doing your bones a favor.
Finally, this drinkable meal is endlessly adaptable, meaning you can customize it completely. Feel free to make it vegan, add extra protein, or sneak in some vegetables .
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Ingredients For This Strawberry Smoothie
Heres what youll need to make this strawberry smoothie! Alex and I were careful to choose healthy ingredients for this smoothie: no overly sugary juices or syrups. Heres what we selected:
- Frozen strawberries: Its easy to find and store frozen berries, and they add a great icy texture to this smoothie. If you want to use fresh berries, use a frozen banana.
- Fresh banana: Our pet peeve is smoothie recipes that call for frozen bananas, because we never keep them on hand! Usually we want a smoothie recipe now. So we customized this one to use a fresh banana.
- Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt gives this recipe a protein boost and helpful probiotics. It also makes for a perfect creamy texture.
- Ice: Heres the most important part ice is essential to a perfect strawberry smoothie! It makes just the right frothy texture. Weve tried it without and it really makes a difference. Do not omit it!
- Milk: You need just the right amount of liquid in a smoothie to get it to blend. Not enough and the blender gets stuck , and too much it tastes milky. You can also use non-dairy .
- Maple syrup: Adding a hint of maple brings out the sweetness in the berries. If you eat a low sugar diet you could omit, but it doesnt quite taste sweet enough with no sweetener.
Thaw Strawberries For 5 Minutes Before Using
Frozen strawberries, especially larger ones, can be hard on your blender. To prevent damage to your blender and for greater ease in blending, let the strawberries thaw at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before using. Or, you can microwave them for 30 seconds to a minute, just until theyre losing their frost and starting to soften a bit.
If you still have trouble blending, pause, stir and let the mixture rest for a few more minutes before trying again. You can always add another splash or two of milk if you need more traction.
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