How To Save A Smoothie For Later
Want to know the best way to save a smoothie or juice for later?
Saving a fresh smoothie or juice for later is possible if you follow these easy steps!
Fresh is always best, but I also love the idea of making a double batch of a smoothie to save time. Cook once, eat 2 or 3 times is one of my favorite kitchen mantras. Its far better to have a smoothie or juice that youve saved and stored in the refrigerator overnight than a bagel or afternoon coffee break.
Need some smoothie inspiration? Check out over 30 healthy smoothie recipes here.
What Is A Fruit Smoothie
A fruit smoothie is a drink made from blended fruits with a liquid base of fruit juice, yogurt, milk, ice cream, or other dairy product. Once you blend all your fruity ingredients into a smooth mixture, you have your perfect smoothie.
You can use various fruits to make a fruit smoothie, including bananas, oranges, apples, kiwis, peaches, and more. First, we’ll look at some fruit smoothie recipes that you can try. However, before we dive in, let’s look at the steps to make a basic smoothie.
Can I Use This Smoothie For A Cocktail
This is one of my favorite questions because the answer is YES! The simplicity and sweetness of this smoothie make it a perfect base for a summer cocktail. Add shot of rum or tequila and serve it blended with ice or on the rocks. You can also turn it into a fancy tropical mimosa by blending it half and half with prosecco or cava. Its great addition to the bar at a bridal shower.
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How To Make A Fruit Smoothie
This basic recipe will teach you How to Make ANY Fruit Smoothie using fresh and frozen ingredients! Once you learn this simple formula youll be able to mix it up with tropical fruits and berries, add in greens such as spinach or kale, and even make them vegan and dairy-free. And the best part? Only a few simple ingredients and less than 5 minutes are needed to make the best homemade smoothie!
Smoothie Recipe Serving Sizes
There are lots of Smoothie recipes but it can be confusing if they are written for use with certain size blenders
Typically, smoothie recipes that you see for Vitamix, Blend-tec or other full-size countertop blenders will make 2 servings which equals 32 ounces or 2 pints.
Whereas, a recipe for a Nutribullet, Magic Bullet, Nutri-Ninja, or other similar size personal blender will be make a single serving which is about 12-16 ounces.
A counter-top 2-serving green smoothie recipe would typically have:
- 2 Cups of Liquid Base
- 2 Cups Leafy Greens
- 3 Cups of Fruit
> > You would cut above amounts in half for a personal blender since it makes 50% less. < <
These are just general guidelines and certain recipes will have variations to the portions.
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How To Use The Blender For Smoothies
How to Make Smoothie with a Countertop Blender
A typical countertop blender like a Vitamix has the blade on the bottom and you add ingredients from the top. You should reference the specific instructions for your blender but below are the common steps to follow.
The best way to make a well-blended smoothie with a countertop blender is :
Step 1 : Add the liquid and soft ingredients like greens or soft fruits like bananas or oranges.
Step 2: Then add hard vegetables and frozen fruits on top.
Step 3: Have hard ingredients like nuts or ice on top. Some people will add their superfood or protein powders once the other ingredients are purified.
You want to have the softest ingredients towards blade. You should start the blender slow and move slowly to high speed to purify the ingredients.
You want to see the liquid create a vortex and the time to blend will depend on your blender strength and ingredients.
With a high powered blender like a Vitamix it usually takes 30-45seconds to purify the ingredients.
Example of how to make a green smoothie with a Vitamix
Add 1 cup of liquid: Choose 1 liquid Add 1 Green : 2 cups spinach / 1 cup kale / ½ head romaine lettuceAdd Fruit/Hard Vegetable :1 apple1 cup peeled mango
How To Make A Smoothie With Frozen Fruit And Milk
Ah, smoothie. It is something fresh and filling at the same time, who would not love it? The best way to make a smoothie is, of course, to use all fresh ingredients. Unfortunately, not all of us have the time to get fresh fruits and veggies once every three days. Thankfully, now we can buy fruits in a form that lasts longer: frozen. With frozen fruit, you can do grocery shopping once a month and store everything in the fridge! But this does not mean you can just throw everything into the blender. There are steps you need to take in how to make a smoothie with frozen fruit and milk the perfect way. And that is what were going to discuss in this article.
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Orange Strawberry Squash Smoothie
This two-serving sipper is a delicious way to help you reach your daily fruit and veggie requirements. Like many smoothies, you could blend it into a drink or a smoothie bowl. If you want to make more of a meal out of it, add protein-rich enhancers, like protein powder or Greek yogurt.
This smoothie bowl packs 27 g of protein to power you through a long morning. Plus, wild blueberries are packed with antioxidants and fiber.
If a non-dairy smoothie is more your style, this one, with plant-based protein powder, makes a delicious and filling meal.
Cottage cheese provides the protein in this layered drink. Its made parfait-style so the smoothie and cottage cheese are kept separateperfect for days when you want to dig in with a spoon.
Make Sure You Have A Good Blender To Make This Frozen Fruit Smoothie
You want to make sure you have a good blender. I have been thru some cheap ones and they barely last a week. They just cant handle the ice and frozen fruit.
Dont waste your time like I did with these cheaper models, and just get something nice from the get go. It will save you time and money!
I have a Vitamix now and I love it. We have had it for many years and its still working to make smoothies and more! Its paid for itself time and time again with all the money I have saved making smoothies and milkshakes at home.
Now, it is pricey but its truly worth it. You wont have to keep replacing it like with the cheaper blenders. Amazon has several of them on sale right now for a great price.
If you just cant make it work in the budget, I recommend a Waring professional blender. I think it is the next best thing and it will get the job done. Now, it is not as good as the Vitamix but its a close second for a more reasonable price. Amazon has several Waring blenders on sale right now.
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S On How To Make A Smoothie
Below is the basic 4 step process listed in the order you should follow. We provide the most popular ingredient suggestions for each step so that you know the best ingredients you should use to make smoothies.
Add Your Liquid Base
The amount of liquid will depend on the ingredients, blender size, and how much you are making.
Generally the rule of thumb is about cup of liquid for every 1 cup of solid ingredients but it really depends on the ingredients.
You can always add liquid as you blend to get the consistency that you want since certain ingredients like bananas, mango, or oats will make a smoothie thicker, whereas fruits like melons have a high water content.
Popular liquids for healthy smoothies include: Water, Soy Milk, Coconut Milk, Coconut Water, Hemp Milk, Raw Milk, Almond Milk. ** You can also use yogurt like Greek yogurt which adds a nice texture.
Add Fruits And Vegetables
You want the softest ingredients closest to the blade so it can blender better. There are 1000s of fruit and vegetable combinations so following proven recipes will save you a lot of trial and error from mixing ingredients that dont taste well together.
Popular Greens : Spinach, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard
Popular Fruits : Apple, Banana, Strawberry, Mango, Pear, Peach, Berries, Melons, Pineapple, etcetera..
Kale has a little more earthier taste but is good to switch up with spinach sometimes because Kale is nutritionally dense.
Add your Boost Ingredients
OPTIONAL
How To Make A Smoothie Without Milk
It might surprise you when I say that more often than not, I make my smoothies without milk.
Sure, sometimes I make fruit based smoothies with milk and yogurt, but oftentimes I do not use milk at all in my smoothies, and sometimes no liquid either!
This guide will help you find out which flavors work best in a smoothie so that you can make delicious smoothies without milk at home!
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Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe
If you walk into any smoothie bar or coffeehouse, youll probably find a strawberry banana smoothie on the menu. And thats because its a yummy combo that everyone loves!
Reading: simple fruit smoothies recipes
The great news is that a perfect strawberry banana smoothie is such a breeze to make at home, youll never hit up the smoothie bar again! Were going to teach you how to make the perfect strawberry banana smoothie at home with just 5 ingredients. Lets get blending!
How Do You Make A Smoothie Thicker
One last thing to address in this post is how to make a smoothie thicker.
Smoothies in my opinion are all about texture.
I absolutely do not like runny, gritty smoothies.
I prefer my smoothies to be super thick and creamy, almost to ice cream texture.
This way it feels like a treat when I am drinking it!
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Adjusting The Blender Speed
Its best to gradually ramp up the speed on the blender. Start with medium speed for about 30 seconds. This gives the blades the chance to gradually break things up without burning out the motor. Use a plastic tamper to help push down all of the ingredients into the fast-moving blades at the bottom of the cup.
Turn the speed to high for 15 to 30 seconds for final processing. This is when I add any extra liquid or ice needed to help with blending. If the smoothie doesnt easily whirl and move, it needs a little more liquid, add small amounts at a time to keep thick but sippable consistency.
Ways To Thicken A Smoothie
Frozen fruit or ice is the first way to thicken smoothies. However yogurt, bananas, coconut milk , avocado, tofu, and nut butter can assist in creating a creamy consistency. If using tofu, start off with ¼ to ½ cup cubes of silken tofu. For avocado, use ½ of the fruit first so the taste doesnt become too rich.
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Easy Healthy Smoothie Prep
If you want to have smoothies everyday, you need to be super organized. Its best to get everyone involved with smoothie prep.
Chop and dice fruit and store them in the freezer in single portion packs. You can vary the fruit combos to cater for different preferences.
In the morning, simply blend with the liquid of your choice.
Heres a YouTube video by A Sweet Pea Chef on how to do smoothies prep.
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.
Read Also: How To Make A Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie
Why Use Frozen Fruit To Make Smoothies
Using frozen fruit automatically makes the smoothie thicker and more like a milkshake, which I love!I know some people like to add ice to smoothies, but I personally am not a fan of the watered-down flavor that gives.
I also find that its more convenient to use frozen fruit. I dont know about you, but I dont always have fresh fruit on hand- at least not enough to make enough fruit smoothies for our family of six.
But its easy to buy a couple of bags of frozen fruit and keep them in the freezer!
Easy Fruit Smoothie Recipes All Busy Moms Need To Give Their Families A Healthy Start
If you have picky eaters, these fresh fruit smoothie recipes are a winner. Loaded with fruit with immune boosting properties, your kids will absolutely love them. The best part is that they can be served as afternoon snacks and are so rich and creamy, you can easily use them as desserts.
Heres the perfect morning solution for all busy families. So easy your kids can make them.
But, you may be wondering why theres so much hype about smoothies. Here are a few reasons for their increasing popularity:
- Easy to make
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How Can I Make My Smoothie Healthier
The smoothie recipes below are plain, but if you want to expand your smoothie horizons, go for it! Toss in chia seeds or protein powder or hemp seeds or flax or whatever else makes your heart happy. If you have a standard set of mix-ins you like, you can even freeze them into booster packsgreat for really quick and easy smoothies!
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!
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How To Make A Smoothie In A Blender
Smoothie aficionados will tell you a blender is the way to go for smoothie making. A good quality blender is going to break up your ice, pulverize your fruit, and yield a not-too-thick, not-too-thin smoothie consistency. Plus, a blender is an incredibly useful multipurpose kitchen tool to own for way more than just smoothies.
A great blender is the one thing I think every healthy kitchen needs, says Alder. You can make amazing soups, desserts, smoothies, sauces, and more in it. And clean-up is effortless.
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.
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How To Choose A Smoothie Maker And/or Blender
When choosing a smoothie maker and/or blender, consider your priorities and budget. If you can splurge for a full-sized blender, thats the way to go, says Adler. Thats largely because of its ability to do a number of thingsnot just make great smoothies.
If you dont want to spend hundreds of dollars on a smoothie makerand youre going to be making one smoothie at a timeconsider a mini blender or an immersion blender. These products dont have the versatility of a full-sized blenderyoull be limited in how many things you can make in it. But if all you plan on making with them is smoothies, they certainly will do the job.
Strawberry Banana Smoothie Ingredients:
To make this strawberry banana smoothie recipe, you will need the following ingredients :
- Frozen strawberries: Or you can sub in any other kind of frozen berries that you have on hand.
- Banana: I typically just use fresh bananas. But if you have frozen sliced bananas, you can omit some of the ice in this recipe.
- Milk: Any type of milk will work for this recipe cows milk, almond milk, oat milk, you name it.
- Ice: However much is needed to achieve your desired smoothie consistency.
- Optional add-ins: See ideas below!
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How To Make A Smoothie With Fresh Fruit
Of course, fresh fruit can be an amazing addition to your favorite smoothies. Just be sure your fruit is soft and free of large seeds before you add it to the blender. Peel your fruit, and chop it into smaller pieces if its large or a little on the firm side.
One fresh fruit smoothie recipe youll definitely want to try: Adlers Everyday Green smoothie, made with fresh avocado, banana, blueberries and spinach.