Last month, we talked about the benefits of adding shakes and smoothies to your froyo shop menu. There are many recipes out there for shakes and smoothies. We were interested in finding out what makes a shake or smoothie better than what the average person could make at home. We’ll focus on how to make a better smoothie in this post.
We looked at smoothie tips from cooking sites and culinary experts to find out what advice they gave.
Fresh vs. frozen ingredients
Most smoothie recipes suggest using frozen fruit. When you use frozen fruit, you can skip adding ice to your smoothie. Frozen fruit is also available year round and makes your smoothies more consistent. They also improve the texture of your resulting smoothie. If you do want to use fresh fruit, offer seasonal flavors that capitalize on what’s available when it tastes the best. Avoid underripe or warm fruit. You can definitely combine fresh and frozen fruit. If you don’t use frozen fruit, you’ll need to add ice instead.
Type and Quality of ingredients
BBC Good Food says you can use any liquid base, but they omit water from their listed ingredients. Bon Appetit cautions against using milk but is fine with yogurt. EatingWell says that using juice as a base adds too much sugar and is unnecessary since you’re making your smoothie with fruit anyway. Shape recommends using dairy milk or a non-dairy alternative that’s high in protein. The advice on whether to use milk or not is definitely mixed. Bobby Flay and the Food Network use milk in their smoothie recipes. It seems as though most smoothie recipes call for milk or a milk alternative.
Avoid adding refined sugar. If your smoothie needs to be sweeter, use dates, honey, or agave nectar. You don’t want to make an overly sweet smoothie.
Don’t forget the leafy greens: spinach, kale, dandelion greens, romaine, collard greens, etc.
Also, include some healthy fat to make your smoothie richer and more satisfying. Greatist recommends using nut butter or avocado.
Ratios and Order of ingredients
BBC Good Food recommends starting your smoothie with “2 mugfuls of a liquid base.” Then, they recommend three-quarters of a mug of fruit. Blend and adjust with more liquid or fruit depending on the resulting texture. Sweeten if desired. Add ice at the end and blend for a frostier, thicker smoothie. However, Bon Appetit says it’s a mistake to add ice because it will make the smoothie watery. They say ice is unnecessary if you use frozen fruit in a smoothie.
Other experts agree that you should put liquids at the bottom and then thicker ingredients, followed by solids and protein powder if using.
Creativity of Add-ins
Another way to make unique smoothies and increase their flavor and nutritional value is by using add-ins like spices, flavorings, oats, flaxseeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, bee pollen, nuts, mint leaves, basil, turmeric, ginger, etc.
There are thousands of smoothie recipes out there that you can experiment with. Bon Appetit provides a good variety of recipes in their article, 21 Smoothie Recipes That Are Actually Good. The recipes are rated, so you can get a sense of which ones are the most liked.
