Smoothies are blended and chilled beverages that are made from blending fresh fruits and vegetables. Although smoothies can be a hundred percent made of fruit, there can also be other additions such as crushed ice, honey, frozen yogurt as well as frozen fruit. Smoothies have a consistency similar to milkshakes and thicker than slush drinks, although they only contain milk but not ice cream like milkshakes. Smoothies are very ideal beverages for those people who are conscious of their health. There are even some smoothie stores or vendors that offer additional mixes such as soy milk, green tea, whey powder as well as herbal and nutritional supplements for a healthier drink.
Because of their sweetness, fruity flavour as well as nutritional value, smoothies are very popular among a wide range of people and age groups. The nutritional benefits one can get from drinking smoothies include dietary fibers, vitamins as well as anti-oxidants that help prevent premature aging. Smoothies have a very short shelf-life that they needed to be drank at once. They can be refrigerated as well but keeping your smoothie too long may lead to fermentation or spoilage. There are also “green smoothies” that are made of green vegetables like spinach, lettuce and kale.
Making a smoothie is a very simple task. What you simply need is the food blender machine aside from the fruits or vegetable ingredients. A food blender machine, also called liquidiser, is a kitchen appliance that is used for mixing ingredients. There are many modern food blenders that offer a wide selection of blade speeds.Blenders with low-power speeds oftentimes require some liquid to be added in it to be able to mix the ingredients properly. High-powered blenders, on the other hand, can mill grains as well as crush ice without the need of putting liquid in it for assistance. There is also a type of food blender, called immersion blender, which does not have a container but a mixing head with blade that is immersed in a mixture.
You can choose to put as many different kinds fruits and vegetables in your blender, for as long as the smoothie will suit your taste. A blender mixes everything that is put in its container, so if you are going to include the skins of the ingredient, be sure that these fruits or vegetables are organically grown. Organically grown produce is spared from being sprayed with pesticides, insecticides or other chemicals that may harm the body of the consumer. If the fruit or vegetable that you bought is inorganic, then all you have to do is to thoroughly rinse their skin or peel it after all.
The items that you put in your food blender should be smaller than a golf ball so that they will be blended properly and completely. The liquid ingredients can be put last when the smoothie is near smooth already. During the blending process, stop the machine once in a while to see whether the ingredients are blended well or some of the ingredients are jammed under the blender blade. Use a spatula to smoothen the jammed area then resume the blending until your desired texture.
When the mixture is already evenly blended, add a couple of ice cubes in the mix while the blender is on the run. Do this as slowly as possible so that the contents will not escape, and add more ice cubes slowly at a time. Keep adding the ice cubes until the gravelly sound of the blender becomes smooth. If your blender is not high-powered to crush ice cubes, then you just have to add ice cold water so the smoothie will have a consistency to that of a milkshake.
If the resulting smoothie is thin for you, then just add more ingredients such as fruit or ice. For thick smoothies, you only have to add more liquid. Smoothies are best drank right after they are made, to ensure the freshness and the optimum availability of the nutrients that are in it. If you wish to store the smoothie, placing it in the freezer will do but its freshness will only last for a day. Smoothies can also substitute a meal, so long as you include in it ingredients that are rich in protein such as olive or flax oil as well as certain fruits and vegetables. Drinking smoothies can be a healthy habit for most of us, ensuring a bright and healthy future.