NEED a wholesome breakfast or midday meal?
Craving a better-for-you sweet treat?
Make one in a matter of minutes with these easy recipes.
It is tempting to think that making a smoothie is just throwing a bunch of ingredients into a blender.
But, ask anyone who has ever had a chunky, icy or otherwise less-than-perfect sip, and they will tell you there is a real art to making a smoothie.
Done right, smoothies boast a flavourful punch and an indulgent creaminess.
Better yet, they can easily be “healthified”, making them the perfect wholesome breakfast or lunch.
You just need to know how to boost them with protein or other nourishing add-ins.
That is where these recipes come in.
You will find a myriad of options, perfect for every diet and preference (plus a few that are just downright delicious and worthy of being a midday snack or dessert) each one formulated to give you the perfect texture and flavour with just the push of a button.
Our smoothie journey begins by adding fruit to a blender. Any standard-size blender will do; no need to run out and buy something with the horsepower of a Camaro.
For even blending, order matters: Start by adding the lighter fruit (in this case, the berries) to give the blades something to grip, then move on to the heavier stuff (the bananas).
Next stop: The liquid.
Unsweetened almond milk beautifully complements the flavours of the berries, but feel free to swap in your favourite milk, plant-based or otherwise, if you like.
You could even use fruit juice.
For optimal smoothie texture, I like to make sure the liquid is fridge-cold.
And now for the thickener.
Whole-milk Greek yoghurt is excellent at thickening and lends satisfying richness and a welcome tang.
Rev up your engines and blend! High speed is our friend here.
The idea is to arrive at thick and smooth as quickly as possible, since the longer you blender, the more you heat up (and thin out) the smoothie.
That is what we are after, it is a sign our smoothie is blending evenly.
If needed, turn off the blender and stir to get the mixture moving.
If the mixture is too thick to form a smoothie vortex, add a splash of almond milk (or your liquid of choice) to help it along.
Pour the smoothie into glasses and garnish if you like.
Recipe tips:
Frozen is best: Nothing against fresh fruit, but when it comes to smoothies, frozen cannot be beaten.
It blends up thicker and allows you avoid using ice cubes, which only water things down.
If you don’t have frozen fruit, freeze fresh fruit for 30 minutes before blending or add about 1 c. ice and blend until smooth!
Portion out fruit ahead of time: The morning rush is not the ideal time to be playing with measuring cups.
Instead, freeze fruit in individual portions so all that is left to do is blend and enjoy.
Go crazy with the add-ins: Add some spinach or kale for additional nutrition (it is our favourite way to get in greens) or flax seeds for omega-3s.
Flavours like fresh mint, vanilla extract, cinnamon, or honey will take any smoothie to the next level.
Make Ahead:
Smoothies are best consumed fresh; they begin to thaw and separate soon after they are made.
But you can get ahead of the game by freezing and portioning your fruit up to three months in advance. – Online.
