How To Make Smoothies Sweeter
Now, I know youâre probably wondering how the heck you make your smoothies sweeter then!
We all have varying levels of taste when it comes to sweetness. For me personally, as Iâve incorporated less sugar into my diet over time, Iâve gotten used to things tasting less sweet.
Bananas are great natural sweeteners and they are often more than enough when youâre making a smoothie.
Here are some other sweetener ideas below:
Smoothie Recipes To Try
Use these recipes or build from them to create your own.
Banana-kale wake-up smoothie
The sweetness of the bananas balances kales slight bitterness in this recipe. Use just a tiny pinch of cloves theyre potent!
Get the banana-kale wake-up smoothie recipe.
Ruby-red raspberry smoothie
Its nutty. Its sweet. And its good for you. Blast off your day with healthy fats, antioxidants and phytonutrients from this creamy creation.
Get the ruby-red raspberry smoothie recipe.
Creamy kiwi-lime smoothie
You would never guess this creamy, high-protein smoothie gets its texture from tofu and cashew butter. Hey, dont knock it till you try it!
Go green smoothie bowl
Ready to trade in the smoothie glass for a bowl and spoon? In this bowl, the leafy green goodness of spinach meets the sweetness of grapes, mango, apple and banana.
Get the go green smoothie bowl recipe.
Cool tropical smoothie
Youll feel like youre on the beach with this zesty blend of mango, coconut, lime and strawberries. This vegan smoothie is high in potassium and features beneficial phytonutrients.
Get the cool tropical smoothie recipe.
Creamy strawberry and greens smoothie
This satisfying smoothie is sweetened with strawberries, creamified with avocado and then exalted to green goddess status with arugula.
Get the creamy strawberry and greens smoothie recipe.
Peach-vanilla yogurt smoothie
Get the peach-vanilla yogurt smoothie recipe.
Berry vanilla banana smoothie
Get the berry vanilla banana smoothie recipe.
Make Sure You Have The Right Equipment
Whenever you set upon a project, whether its painting the babys room or making smoothies at home, its important to have the right equipment. In this case, youre obviously going to need a blender.
Not all blenders are created equal, however. Years ago, we moved to a high speed blender with travel/party cups which made a huge change in our smoothie-making game. Not only did we no longer have an issue with clumps of frozen fruit or ice in the smoothie, but we also had an easy way for each kid to make his own. You can read my review of our current blender here.)
You dont have to have a high speed blender to make smoothies at home. It is ideal, however, you can just as easily use a standard blender or even a food processor.
If you have a standard blender, you might check to see if the base fits glass canning jars. Some models do, providing a makeshift option for party cups.
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What Blender Should I Use For A Smoothie
I truly believe a good blender is worth it. I got a Blendtec a few years ago, and Ill never go back to a normal blender again. A good blender will whip you up a thick and delicious smoothie with no chunks in about 45 seconds.
And, if youre adding leafy greens, a good blender will make sure theyre blended up nicely and have a great texture! Mine gives me a count for how many times Ive used it, and its well past the 800 mark. So, its definitely worth the investment, in my opinion, especially if you have a family full of smoothie lovers!
What Are The Healthiest Things To Put In A Smoothie
My biggest piece of advice when it comes to what to put in your smoothie is to keep it simple! Pick 1-3 fruits to add, maybe a leafy green such as spinach and then your liquid and protein source. That’s it! Sometimes the healthiest foods are the simplest foods.
There really aren’t too many things you shouldn’t be adding to smoothies, but I can say with confidence that sugar and ice are the biggest no-nos in my book.
First up, ice will totally water down your smoothies if you don’t drink them right away and you need a super high-powered blender to get a smoother consistency. Second, you can get sweeter smoothies with natural ingredients don’t add calories or reduce the healthiness by adding sugar!
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What Do I Use To Sweeten A Smoothie
All of these smoothies here use frozen fruit as a base, which adds a nice baseline of sweetness that you can build on if your tastebuds would like. My recommendation is to blend up your smoothie without any added sweetener, then taste. Add in honey or maple syrup to taste. Many times, I dont need to add anything! Another great natural option for sweetening: pitted Medjool dates. Throw in one or two of those bad boys and let the blender do its thing. Youd be amazed at how sweet your smoothie will be!
The Right Smoothie Ratios
Start your smoothie with two mugfuls of a liquid base. This can be milk, or a dairy-free alternative such as soya or almond milk, natural or flavoured yogurt, fruit juice, or for a tropical flavoured smoothie, low-fat coconut milk or coconut water. Its important to add the liquid to your blender before adding the fruit, as this will prevent the blade from getting damaged.
Next, add about three quarters of a mug of your chosen fruit. Banana is a great base flavour for any smoothie, and will give you a lovely creamy texture. Other fruits that work well are berries, mango, peaches, plums, nectarines, grated apple or pear, and melon. You may have to add more fruit or liquid, depending on the type of fruit you choose. Play around until you have a texture you like. Add a squeeze of honey, maple syrup or agave syrup if your smoothie needs it, and finally add a few ice cubes to the blender for a thick and frosty smoothie.
Smoothie combination ideas
Use these recipes or build from them to create your own.
Banana-kale wake-up smoothie
The sweetness of the bananas balances kales slight bitterness in this recipe. Use just a tiny pinch of cloves theyre potent!
Get the banana-kale wake-up smoothie recipe.
Ruby-red raspberry smoothie
Its nutty. Its sweet. And its good for you. Blast off your day with healthy fats, antioxidants and phytonutrients from this creamy creation.
Get the ruby-red raspberry smoothie recipe.
Creamy kiwi-lime smoothie
Go green smoothie bowl
Cool tropical smoothie
Read Also: Berry Smoothie Cappuccino My Cafe
How To Meal Prep Smoothies
When it comes to meal prepping smoothies, there are two main methods:
How To Store Leftover Smoothie
If you make a smoothie and find that you have some leftover, by all means store it for later!
To Refrigerate: You can place leftovers in small lidded jars, filling all the way to the brim, and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours in most cases. Blend the smoothie again before serving.
To Freeze: Pour the leftover smoothie into ice cube trays, and freeze. Then pack the smoothie ice cubes into a zip-top bag. . Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible before you seal it. Freeze for up to 3 months. Serve the smoothie again by giving it a quick blend!
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Tropical Papaya Perfection Smoothie
This coconut-infused breakfast smoothie tastes just as decadent as a milkshake. One sip will immediately transport you to a tropical island.
Cut 1 papaya into chunks and blend it with 1 cup of fat-free, plain yogurt, 1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks, 1/2 cup crushed ice, 1 tsp. coconut extract, and 1 tsp. ground flaxseed. Process the mixture for about 30 seconds, or until its smooth and frosty.
Nutrition: 299 cal, 13 g pro, 64 g carb, 7 g fiber, 44 g sugars, 1.5 g fat
Should You Rest Your Smoothies
Letting a smoothie sit tends to make it less frothy, but some smoothies willseparate quickly. For example, almost every green smoothie separates into a layer of green juice atop a chunky greenmixture after a few minutes.
Others fare better from resting. Anything with a lot of light or frothyingredients, or a lot of air whipped up into them, applies.
If youre in a rush, prepare the ingredients beforehand by chopping andmeasuring them. Start only when youre ready to eat! You can store ingredientsor even storesmoothies overnight in the fridge, if youre preparing for an earlymorning!
A thick smoothie can last in the fridge up to 24 hours while retaining itsflavor and texture. Thinner smoothies may separate before then. We prefer todrink immediately, though grabbing a drink prepared the night before is almostas good. To store a smoothie in the fridge, pour it into a tightly sealedcontainer such as a Mason jar. Unless you have a tight, screw-on lid for yourblender bottle, dont botheryoull get better flavor and have an easiertime cleaning up if you store it in something else.
In a pinch, you can put plastic wrap over the top of a glass.
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Six Smoothies You Will Want To Drink
After telling you why you should make smoothies, and how to make smoothies, and offering you a book and smoothie challenge, of course the next step is to provide you with a few recipes right here and now to kick off your smoothie a day habit. These are my most popular smoothies on the blog, I hope you find one that suits you.
What Is A Smoothie
A smoothie is a cold, blended drink made up of frozen fruit, liquid such as juice or milk, and other nutritional add-ins such as nut butter, protein powder, and protein powder.
Smoothies are a great way to pack in the nutrition without a lot of effort. There are many varieties of smoothies such as green smoothies, fruit smoothies, smoothies bowls, and more.
Three
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Recommended Tools For Making Smoothies
- Blender. I more recently purchased this high-powered blender, and it makes everything very smooth and creamy. This more economical blender optionis also great, though you may need to add more liquid or add the frozen fruit more slowly.
- Stainless Steel Straws. These stainless steel strawsmake everything you drink through them taste so refreshing. I try to keep some in my purse, so I dont need to ask for a plastic or paper straw when Im out. Theyre great for taking smoothies to go as well.
- Opaque Cup. A great way to make green-colored breakfast smoothies for kids.
Now, lets get to those healthy breakfast smoothies!
Are You Looking For Even More Smoothies No Worries Weve Got You Covered:
- Clementine Avocado Smoothie. If youve never added avocado to your smoothie before, you are missing out! The flavor is so mild, that you cant taste it, but the texture is dreamy, creamy smooth, and the healthy added fats help keep your fuller longer.
- Cold Buster Smoothie. When youre feeling under the weather and your throat is sore, this smoothie for colds is soothing and nourishing.
- Coffee Smoothie. Get a jolt of caffeine and your breakfast all in one cup! This is packed full of coffee flavor.
- Persimmon Smoothie. Packed full of autumnal flavor, this spiced smoothie is creamy and sweet!
- Spinach and Pear Smoothie. Bright green and fresh in flavor, this smoothie is a perfect light breakfast.
- Sweet Potato Smoothie. Sweet potato in a smoothie? YUP! It tastes like a delicious pie. Youll love it!
- Apple Smoothie. This smoothie is packed full of healthy spinach, but tastes like apple pie!
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie. This pumpkin smoothie is perfect for the weather is still warm but your heart wants fall to show up.
- Dark Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie. This smoothie is rich and dark, and it tastes decadent enough you could sip on it for dessert!
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie. All the flavors of your favorite sandwich in a tasty smoothie! Pick your favorite jelly to add to this peanut butter smoothie.
- Tart Cherry and Spinach Smoothies. We show serving this cherry smoothie as a light breakfast in a bowl, but you could easily pour it in a glass and sip away!
Also Check: How To Sweeten A Smoothie
What Is A Smoothie Pack
A smoothie pack is a fancy name for a combo of smoothie ingredients that are mixed together ahead of time and then stored in a bag in the freezer.
A smoothie pack, just like a smoothie, can be made with various frozen fruits and/or veggies, fresh greens, and additional nutrient-rich ingredients . When youre ready to make a smoothie, simply pour the contents of the smoothie pack, taken directly from the freezer, into a blender and add 1-2 cups of liquid.
Also Check: Healthy Yummy Smoothies For Breakfast
Add Greek Yogurt For A Protein Boost
While adding a scoop of protein powder can be an obvious way to boost the protein in your smoothie, an easy natural way to do so is by adding a bit of Greek yogurt instead. If you add 6 ounces of plain non-fat Greek yogurt, youre only adding 90 calories but a whopping 17 grams of protein to your drink.
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Berry Good Workout Smoothie
Get the energy you need to power through your workout in minutes with this easy-to-make smoothie recipe. For an extra dose of calcium, try adding a teaspoon of Organic Kale Powder.
What youll need: 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup raspberries, 2 Tbsp. honey, 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, and 1/2 cup ice cubes. Blend until smooth.
Nutrition: 162 cal, 2 g pro, 41.5 g carb, 6 g fiber, 32 g sugars, 1 g fat
The Best Protein For Smoothies Is Not Protein Powder
Don’t ruin your fresh ingredients by dumping a processed powder full of additives and probably sugar into that blender. I don’t usually order people around, but here I’m delivering my opinion. It’s valid because natural protein is found in so many nourishing choices.
To your smoothie, add nuts, or nut butter or peas, or superfoods such as protein-rich chia seeds or hemp seeds. And don’t forget beans. Yes, beans! I add chickpeas and white beans regularly, in smaller amounts to not give my smoothie a bean flavor.
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More Info On Each Easy Smoothie Recipe:
Strawberry Banana Smoothie: This is a pretty, light pink, sweet, and creamy cold drink thats perfect all year long. Its forever one of my classic favorites, and I make sure to stock up on strawberries when theyre in season so I can freeze them for year-round enjoyment. My kids ask for this one all the time, so you can say its a household requirement around here!
Simple Tropical Smoothie: This has a sweet flavor and reminds you of summer, no matter what month it is. My sunshiny Henry loves this one its summer in a glass. The color is a lovely cream-orange, and its always a hit at our house. Costco sells frozen mango and pineapple cubed and ready to go for a great price.
Very Berry Simply Smoothie: This is made with mixed frozen berries that you can get in the freezer section, including blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I mean, who doesnt love berries?! It almost tastes like ice cream, and it hits the spot any time of day. I make it on movie nights and call it a milkshake. Meanwhile, my kids have no idea it doesnt actually include ice cream!
Peanut Butter Simple Smoothie: This one is a whole big glass of peanut buttery goodness that tastes like dessert but is packed with protein. I cant get over it. Its probably one of my very favorites because I love, love, love peanut butter.
Green Tea Blueberry And Banana Smoothie
To prepare this smoothie featuring antioxidant-rich green tea, simply heat 3 Tbsp. of water in a bowl in the microwave until its steaming hot. Then, add 1 green tea bag and allow it to brew for 3 minutes. Remove the tea bag and stir in 2 tsp. honey until it dissolves. Combine 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries, 1/2 medium banana, and 3/4 cup calcium-fortified light vanilla soy milk into a blender. Add the tea and process all ingredients until smooth.
Nutrition: 269 cal,3.5 g pro,63 g carb, 8 g fiber, 38.5 g sugars, 2.5 g fat
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How To Make Homemade Smoothies
Home » Drink Recipes » Smoothies » How to Make Homemade Smoothies
Homemade smoothies are a tasty way to add extra servings of fruits and vegetables into your diet. Whether you are looking for a delicious way to start your day or just need a healthier afternoon snack, knowing how to make a smoothie is a great way to expand your culinary knowledge and build your kitchen confidence.
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