Perfecting Green Smoothies The Right Way
Green smoothies are gaining in popularity hugely thanks to the quick and easy way they can provide great taste, amazing nutrients and all the good things our bodies need in just one drink. The new fast food, green smoothies are a much healthier food on the go than we have been used to.
The combination of leafy greens with fresh fruit and healthy fats makes green smoothies a fast, healthy meal which can also help with weight loss and fitness programmes, providing all the good stuff with far fewer calories.
But if you want to make them right, and avoid ending up with a bitter-tasting, green mulchy mess, then there are a few tips and tricks to perfecting the recipe combination. Get it right and you’ll end up with a delicious tasting healthy drink.
- Get the ratio of greens right
It’s important that once you make your smoothie you can actually drink it so you will need to play around with the ratio but in general, go for more fruit and less greens – otherwise you could end up with a very bitter drink.
Go for a blend of different fruits and when you are starting out, choose smaller amounts of greens initially until you are used to the taste and flavour. You can always add more in if necessary but you don’t want to put yourself off this fabulous drink right from the start.
- Avoid nasty chunks
You don’t want your smoothie to become a solid, chewable dish, so try chopping up your greens first, to avoid any chunks of leaf being left behind. The other tip is to blend all the leaves you’re your liquid first, and then add the fruit afterwards.
If your first smoothie comes out to thick just add in more liquid and blend again until you are happy with the consistency. It might be a bit of trial and error to start with and it depends if you you’re your smoothie thick like a milkshake or more like a juice drink.
- Freeze your fruit to avoid watery smoothies
If you want a cold green smoothie but don’t want to water it down with added ice, then try freezing your fresh fruit, or buying frozen fruit and adding them to your blender straight from the freezer. It’s a great way to use up fruit that might be on its way out, like bananas – just peel and freeze and then you can use them in your green smoothies.
- Avoid adding sugar to your green smoothie
While some green leafy vegetables can be bitter in flavour, avoid being tempted to add sugars or sweeteners to your green smoothie as it then becomes an unhealthy drink. Lower your sugar intake and instead, try increasing the ratio of fruit, or add a naturally sweet product like coconut oil or honey instead.
- Make your green smoothie to go
If you are always in a rush in the morning, or going out somewhere for the day, then make your smoothie the night before and just store it in an airtight container in the fridge. A green smoothie can be stored like this for up to two days.
When you are ready to go, grab your smoothie and just give it a shake before you drink it to make sure any settled ingredients are thoroughly blended together again. That way, wherever you go and whatever you are doing, you can take the perfect green smoothie with you.
If you have never tried a green smoothie before and are still a bit unsure about the combination of flavours and taste, here is a quick and easy recipe to try:
Ingredients
- Two cups of spinach
- Two cups of water
- One cup of frozen mango
- One cup of frozen pineapple
- Two chopped bananas.
Blend the water and spinach together first to make sure there are no chunks of leaf left behind. Once you have a smooth green juice, add the fruit to the mixture and continue to blend until smooth. Once all the ingredients are fully combined and smooth, the drink is ready to serve.
If you find it is too thick just add some more water until it is the right consistency for you to try but the combination of mild spinach and the sweetness of the fruit make this one a great starter smoothie and you can then adapt the recipe as you see fit.
Green smoothies have become very popular but as a great healthy and fast food let’s hope they are a trend that is here to stay. With these tips you will be making your own perfect green smoothies in no time at all. So next time you are tempted to reach for a quick sugary snack, try reaching for the spinach, fruit and blender instead.
