Smoothies are commonplace among healthy living enthusiasts and most surprisingly smoothies are very easy to make but more importantly smoothies is good for everyone. You may wish to include in your recipe fruits and veggies, you make also want to feel like a pro and then you whip up more ingredients in order to get that delicious blend. This is why there is no doubt that smoothies have become a regular feature on menu item at even fast-food joints everywhere you go—but the truth is that not all smoothies are created the same way. But at that there is however no gainsaying that you’re always better off when you skip high-calorie; sugary drinks disguised as healthy alternatives.
There are quite a number of smoothies types and in this piece, we shall consider:
- Smoothie types
- Smoothie recipes
- Smoothie benefit
- Procedures to make smoothies yourself
SMOOTHIE TYPES AND RECIPE
A. Green Smoothie
Green smoothie is a uniquely blended drink combination that mainly comprises of vegetable greens or fruit, or sometimes even a combination of both. Green smoothies are great to flush out body of toxins, get lots of healthy nutrients, and even to lose weight quickly.
Typically green smoothies are often green or bright green just like the name implies and it may not exactly look like the most attractive or delicious meal, but trust me if you get it right you’ll not only love these simple green smoothies, you’ll always crave them!
Green smoothie does not only satisfy your hunger, it also helps you feel great and lose weight as well.
What are the benefits of Green Smoothie?
- Green smoothie contains majorly all the edible part of the plant, not just the juice only; and indeed they are healthier than fruit or vegetable juice. When juices are extracted from fruit or vegetables, the fiber part of the plant is taken out. Green smoothies generally contain a large amount of water, which helps to boost body metabolism.
- When you consume fruits and vegetables in the raw state you are able to get double the nutrients, as against cooking the food where it may have lost half of the vitamins and nutrients.
- Green smoothies are pretty much easy to make. As you don’t need any special equipment, you need just a regular kitchen blender.
- Green smoothies relatively cheap (if you make them at home). While a vegetable smoothie at a juice bar may cost you about $7, a homemade green smoothie may only cost you about $2 – $3 on average. It is therefore advisable to shop at your local farmer’s market and save even more money while getting the freshest fruit and vegetables possible.
How do I Make Green Smoothie?
Green smoothie recipes are pretty easy to make and these are the directions:
- Step 1 – Bring all ingredients together in the blender
- Step 2 – Blend patiently until smooth
- Step 3 – Enjoy your delicious recipe
If you want your green smoothie colder, you have two ways to achieve this:
1. You may decide to freeze the fruit, or even purchase frozen fruit.
2. Add 1/2 a cup of ice to the smoothie blend as desired.
B. Frozen Fruit Smoothie
A frozen fruit smoothie is an icy juicy blend of apple juice and frozen blueberries, cherries, raspberries and mango. It is an easy nutrient-packed drink that is perfect for a sunny day.
So here are the recipes to prepare frozen fruits smoothie
• 1 1/2 cups apple juice
• 2 cups assorted frozen fruit I used cherries, raspberries, blueberries and mango
• 3/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• Additional fruit and/or mint sprigs for garnish optional
These are the instructions to follow
1. Place the juice, fruit and yogurt all together in a blender.
2. Blend until completely smooth as desired.
3. Pour into 2 glasses. You may garnish with additional fruit and mint sprigs if you so desire.
So when you take this, these are the nutritional benefits you derive:
- Cholesterol 2mg1%
- Sodium 34mg1%
- Potassium 378mg11%
- Total Carbohydrates 43g14%
- Dietary Fiber 3g12%
- Sugars 32g
- Protein 8g16%
- Vitamin A1.6%
- Vitamin C19.4%
- Calcium2.4%
- Iron3.5%
C. Green Tea, Blueberry, and Banana
Green tea, Blueberry and Banana are an amazing fruit blend that offers you the power of three in one. This unique blend is a rich in antioxidant green tea making this healthy smoothie a nutritional powerhouse.
So here are the recipes to prepare Green Tea, Blueberry, and Banana:
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 green tea bag
- 2 tsp honey
- 1½ c frozen blueberries
- ½ med banana
- ¾ c calcium-fortified light vanilla soy milk
These are the instructions to follow when preparing this
1. Microwave water on high until it gets to boiling point in a small bowl. Add a tea bag and allow the same to brew 3 minutes. Remove the teabag. Stir the honey into tea until it dissolves.
2. Combine the berries, the banana, and the milk in a blender with ice crushing ability.
3. Add the tea to the blender. Blend the ingredients on ice crush or highest setting until it is smooth. (Please note that some blenders may require additional water to process the mixture.) Pour smoothie into a tall glass and serve as you so desire.
When you take this, these are the nutritional benefits you derive:
Nutrition (per serving): 269 cals, 2.5 g fat, 0.2 g sat fat, 52 mg sodium, 63 g carbs, 38.5 g sugars, 8 g fiber, 3.5 g protein.
D. Watermelon Wonder
Another amazing variety of smoothie is the watermelon wonder which is rich, refreshing and bursting. So here are the recipes to prepare Watermelon Wonder.
So it is in your capacity to transform a summer fruit favorite into a delightfully healthy and attractive smoothie. Just be sure to purchase seedless watermelon or take out all the seeds before you blend!
These are the required ingredient to make watermelon wonder
- 2 c chopped watermelon
- ¼ c fat-free milk
- 2 cubes ice
These are the instructions to follow when making watermelon wonder
Start by combining the watermelon and milk, and then blend for 15 seconds or until it is smooth. Add the ice, and then blend for 20 seconds longer, or to your desired consistency. You may add more ice, if needed, and blend for 10 seconds.
These are the nutritional benefits you derive when you take this:
Nutrition (per serving): 56 cals, 0.3 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 19.5 mg sodium, 13 g carbs, 11 g sugars, 0.5 g fiber, 2 g protein
E. Coconut Water Berries & Berries Detox Smoothie
The recipes you need to make Coconut Water & Berries Detox Smoothie
- 1 glass tender coconut water
- 1/2 cup tender coconut
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 medium-sized gooseberry
- 2 blueberries
- Mint leaves
These are the instructions to follow in order to create the perfect blend:
1. Gather the tender coconut, strawberries, blueberries, and mint leaves together into a blender.
2. Patiently and carefully take out the seed from the gooseberry, now cut into four pieces and throw into the blender, now give it a spin.
3. Now, you may add the coconut water into the blender and spin it for three seconds.
4. Pour it into a glass, serve and enjoy!
When you take this, these are the nutritional benefits you derive:
• Because tender coconut water is an excellent source of electrolytes, vitamins, proteins, and fiber. You have helped yourself regulate blood sugar levels, aids weight loss, and cleanses the colon
• Strawberries are also rich in vitamin C, manganese, and fiber. This implies that these red and luscious fruits have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They help in regulating the blood sugar levels which is ultimately in favour of healthy living.
• Gooseberries are greatly loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and dietary fiber and this help to improve skin, hair, heart health and it boosts immunity tremendously
• Blueberries are said to be rich in antioxidants as they help to improve brain function, cardiovascular health, and eye health, regulate blood sugar levels, and protect against cancer
• Mint aids a lot in digestion and it prevents microbial infections
EXTRA RECIPES:
- Glowing Skin Smoothie
This combination is healthy and delicious, the fruits required are avocado, mango, pineapple, and spinach, it’s just too good to ignore. And trust me, it never hurts to get some vitamin C, carotenoids, and healthy fats.
- Citrus Flax Green Smoothie
What you need is two tablespoons of flaxseed in this bright green drink and you can be sure that this will give you omega-3s plus lignans for cardiovascular health. You can blend it with clementines, bananas, spinach, and pineapple, and all you’ll taste is sweet satisfaction.
- Lime and Coconut Green Smoothie
This combination is packed with the hydrating electrolytes of coconut water and creaminess of coconut milk; this is almost like a virgin version of lime in de coconut. You may sip poolside for refreshment without a headache.
- Peach Banana Spinach Smoothie
This blend comes along with lending juiciness without any form of added refined sugars, what makes the addition of peaches to this smoothie really sweet is that it doesn’t matter if you’re using canned, frozen, or fresh, they all come with polyphenols that have been shown to fight cancer cells. When combined with banana, the fruit easily overpowers the spinach—so feel free to throw some handful of the greens!
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