Smoothies have seen a meteoric rise in popularity in recent years. Smoothies are awesome on so many levels, it’s hard to attribute just one reason why everyone seems to enjoy drinking smoothies. Here are just some of the many reasons why smoothies have made such a big comeback.
Smoothies Can Replace Meals
Does anyone remember when Slimfast Shakes first debuted? They were arguably the first smoothie on the market. People who wanted to slim down were told to just replace one meal a day with a Slimfast shake. Eight loss results might have been mixed, but everyone loved the tasty goodness of the shakes. And since the formulas were packed with nutrients, it was safe to replace one meal with the shake.
Today’s smoothies are a big improvement. Smoothies made with fresh, whole ingredients are packed with vitamins and nutrients. It’s safe to say it’s probably safe to substitute a smoothie for a meal.
Smoothies Taste Good
Whether you’re blending up a green smoothie, a soy smoothie or a vitamin smoothie, there are plenty of things you can add to the ingredients list that will enhance the flavor. Basically, you don’t ever have to drink a healthy smoothie that doesn’t taste good.
Smoothies are Easy to Make
Smoothies are so easy to make that even a small kid can make one. In fact, smoothies are one of those things that frequently appear in kids’ cookbooks. If you have a blender and electricity in your home, you can make a smoothie. It really doesn’t even matter if you have a stick blender, a hand blender or a stand blender. They all work equally well with smoothies.
Smoothies are Cheap to Make
People will always debate about whether whole foods are cheaper than processed foods. But the typical ingredients in smoothies can usually always be found on sale or just plain old inexpensive. You don’t even have to use milk in your smoothie. You can substitute water. And the blenders themselves are cheap. You can get a blender that’s capable of making smoothies for $20, or sometimes less.
Smoothie Recipes to Try Today
Are you ready to make your first smoothie? Are you already a smoothie connoisseur? Whether you’re a smoothie virgin or you’ve been around the block with smoothies, here are some new smoothie recipes you can try today.
Matcha Smoothie
Matcha is a kind of interesting green tea that some call a superfood. It’s basically powdered green tea. Matcha is an antioxidant, detox agent, and supposed weight loss booster. It’s also caffeine-free.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3-4 ice cubes
- 1 teaspoon matcha
Blend all ingredients and enjoy.
Matcha Custard Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon matcha
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (or Half & Half)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 peeled and pitted mangos, rough chopped
- ½ cup milk
Directions:
- In a saucepan on the stove, steam the cream and 1 tablespoon of the honey with the matcha.
- In a bowl, whisk the other 1 tablespoon of honey with the egg yolks.
- Now, slowly add the matcha mixture into the egg yolks, whisking all the while.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan and stir on low heat for about 5 minutes, or until it’s thickened.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Pour into a new bowl and refrigerate, covered, for one hour or until cold.
- Put the mangoes in the blender, add the custard and blend thoroughly.
Gazpacho Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and de-seeded
- 1 peeled garlic clove
- 1 small cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 cup tomato juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 5-6 ice cubes
Place all ingredients together and blend. For a spicier smoothie, add a dash of cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce. Hint: This also makes a great foundation as a modified Bloody Mary. Just add vodka and a celery stick and you’re on your way!
Ingredients to Modify Smoothies
There are lots of ways to enhance or modify most smoothie recipes to make them tastier or more nutritious. These random ingredients that you might have in your kitchen include:
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Poppy seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Vitamins and supplements
- Chia seeds
- Citrus juice
- Ground flax seed
The Secret to a Great Tasting Smoothie Every Time
There’s only one secret that you need to know to ensure a great tasting smoothie every time. That is, to use fresh ingredients whenever possible. Your smoothie blender isn’t the place to throw gone off vegetable or rotting fruit. The fresher your ingredients, the healthier and more delicious your smoothies will be!
