Tips for Making Delicious Healthy Smoothies

There are no limits when creating healthy smoothies. Recipes contain an abundance of nutrients and health benefits. With a variety of liquids to choose from and flavorful super foods, you can easily prepare in bulk. You always have a meal-to-go anytime you need one. Smoothies are wonderful meal replacements for any smart diet.

We want to be certain you’re getting all the assets healthy smoothies provide. Does your recipe provide a nutritionally balanced, healthy mixture; is it what your body needs?

Here are 8 tips to ensure you’re blending a nourishing, energizing smoothie.

 

SMOOTHIE TIP #1: ADD GREENS

Green vegetables are the healthiest ingredient for creating nutritious smoothies. The content of every smoothie should contain 60-80% of alkalizing greens. In other words, greens should be the main ingredient in your smoothies.

Not a ‘veggie person’, add some sweet fruits for a better flavor. Any berry or melon tastes great in smoothies. Start with mild-tasting greens like spinach, cabbage, or arugula. Once you start enjoying the flavor try the bolder flavors of beet or collard greens, kale, even chard.

 

SMOOTHIE TIP #2: TOSS IN A FEW HERBS

Herbs are delicious and very easy to grow. Start an herb garden on your kitchen windowsill for free, easy access to flavorful herbs. They provide many health benefits. Herbs are extremely low-calorie, yet high in nutrients, plus their fat content is zero. Every kitchen should have a variety of herbs just for blending.

Parsley helps boost your energy level. Adding a little cayenne helps induce weight-loss while increasing your metabolism. If you feel stressed, add some melatonin-packed purslane. Research various herbs, test them in several recipes and discover which herbs you like best. You’ll never create herb-free smoothies again!

 

SMOOTHIE TIP #3: USE LOW GLYCEMIC-INDEX FRUITS

Smoothies made with sweet-tasting fruits make you feel tired before lunch? Spikes in your blood sugar won’t help you have a very productive day.

Low glycolic fruit smoothies are best. Fruits with the lowest GI content: strawberries, cherries, oranges, grapefruits, apples, peaches, pears, even plums.

Fruits with a higher GI: pineapples, mangoes, melons, papaya, bananas, kiwi, and grapes.

A bit of higher GI fruits shouldn’t make you feel like you need a nap. Using low to medium GI fruits to increase the sweetness of your smoothie provides a happier, more productive day.

 

SMOOTHIE TIP #4: VARIETY

Everyone needs variety in life. It’s the reason you don’t want to drink the same smoothie every day. Your smoothie journey shouldn’t be boring, plus you shouldn’t ignore your bodies craving for nutritional variety.

Play around, experiment with different greens. Be brave, use fruits you haven’t blended before, vegetables you haven’t cooked before. Instead of flavorless water add coconut or cashew milk. Add some antioxidant-rich tea or coconut water rich in electrolytes. Revitalize your system by mixing turmeric or fresh garlic. Be adventurous!

 

SMOOTHIE TIP #5: ORGANIC INGREDIENTS

Organic fruits and vegetables are slightly more expensive than non-organic produce, but it’s worth the cost.

Peeling fruits and vegetables wastes time and nutrients. Buying organic lets you blend photochemical-rich peels from apples, mineral-rich peels from cucumbers, and skin from grapes are rich in resveratrol.

You don’t have to purchase everything organic, just the ingredients you’re blending into healthy smoothies. Decide which fruits and vegetables you want to blend and keep a list handy for when you go shopping.

 

SMOOTHIE TIP #6: IT’S YOUR BLENDER

High-power blenders are extremely popular. We’re drinking many foods we never considered consuming before.

Powerful blenders, like Nutribullet or Vitamix, enables us to crush the nutrient-rich pieces of fruits and vegetables we’d normally toss in the garbage. Pumpkin seed shells contain protein, and we threw them away along with the stems and seeds from grapes.

We blend foods that don’t taste great, like seaweed and kale, into foods that taste delicious.

 

SMOOTHIE TIP #7: FRESH IS BEST

Smoothies are healthiest and tastiest when fresh. Plan to drink your smoothie when you finish blending.

Prepare the ingredients you use most often, ahead of time. Get a few storage containers like Green Bags, clean and store your greens so you can toss them in the blender whenever you crave a green smoothie.

Containers for storing berries are great blending clean, fresh berries. You can clean, cut and freeze fruits before tossing them into your blender.

 

SMOOTHIE TIP #8: BOOST YOUR DIGESTION

Smoothies are easy to digest, saving your digestive energy for other fun activities.

Smoothies are a thick liquid, but digestion begins in your mouth. Activate your salivary enzymes and pre-digest by ‘chewing’ before you swallow.

You can learn more about Healthy Smoothies at Sane Solution.