Right now is a great time to brush up on your smoothie-making skills. To be clear, I mean a drink made of juice, fruits, and vegetables when I say smoothie, not that stuff with sherbet!
Why make smoothies, you ask? They can cool you down and help you stay hydrated in the spring and summer. In addition, smoothies can be complete meals that you can easily consume while studying. Smoothies are also a great way to ensure you are getting enough fruits and vegetables in your diet.
I have practiced the art of smoothie making seriously for about two years, so I have compiled many tips for a great smoothie. Smoothies are typically made of a liquid base (¼ – ½ cup), at least one fresh fruit (¼ cup), and frozen fruit (½ -1 ½ cup).
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Orange juice is a delicious base for a smoothie, but water works just as well. The only difference is that the smoothie is slightly less sweet. Fresh bananas thicken your smoothie; I put bananas in my smoothie but I cannot stand the taste of banana by itself. Dates are also a good fresh addition to your smoothie, but be warned that they have more simple sugar than other fruits. Dates do not break/blend well, so soak the dates in water before using.
Next comes the frozen fruits. I have found that berries and pineapple go well together as do mango, pineapple, and strawberry. My smoothies usually have many frozen fruits because I love cold smoothies. If you like high amounts of frozen fruit in your smoothie, it is ideal to own a Vita-Mix or Ninja. Unfortunately, both blenders are very expensive. Have no fear, though; I have an inexpensive blender and I drink smoothies all the time. All you have to is let the frozen fruit thaw for fifteen to twenty minutes before blending.
Making the actual smoothie is easy: assemble your smoothie ingredients, thaw frozen fruit, and blend the ingredients to desired smoothness. I used to be impatient and drink smoothies that were very chunky, but take it from me: the smoother the better.
Some delicious additions to smoothies include granola for an acai bowl, vanilla extract for sweetness, and ginger for a spicy kick. Spinach is not a bad addition either, as long as you have more fruit than spinach. I am okay with kale, but the leaves take forever to blend.
I have learned the hard way that there some really gross things to put in smoothies. On the top of my list: oatmeal. I tried a recipe with oatmeal once and never tried it again. It made the smoothie oat-flavored and gave a weird texture. I also deeply dislike nut butter in smoothies because it covers the flavor of fruit and feels slimy. Also, use common sense: do not blend spicy foods in your blender before making a smoothie. Two or more scrubs should get rid of the flavor of spices.
Happy blending!