A smoothie is a drink which is made from blended natural ingredients such as frozen or fresh fruits with ice. Natural flavors are also added to it usually for health reasons. It has a thick consistency which resembles that of a milkshake.
Smoothies are easy to make and they are beneficial to your health. They require a bit of planning and preparation, but once they are completed, they are a nice and refreshing family treat.
The Equipment You Need for Making a Smoothie
You can make a smoothie by using any of these three types of kitchen appliances: a blender, a food processor and a smoothie maker.
If you happen to own a blender and a food processor, you should try out which of the two appliances can make the better smoothie. But if you don't have both, you may want to purchase a smoothie maker for this purpose.
What Fruits can Make Healthy Smoothies?
You can make smoothies from almost any kind of fruits or vegetables. You can either freeze them before using or use them fresh and blend them with ice or frozen yogurt.
Both of these methods of preparation is just a matter of personal preference as both are healthy and their tastes are the same. But for the sake of comparison, frozen fruits make thicker smoothies and its coldness stays longer. This is the ideal preparation that most people prefer during hot sunny days. Smoothies which are made from fresh fruits and ice are best drank during cold rainy days.
When you prepare a smoothie, you should peel skin and remove the seeds of the fruit that you intend to put into the smoothie maker. If you want to add flavor, fiber and trace minerals to your smoothie, you can add dried fruits like raisins, dates or apricot. But you need to soften them first by soaking them overnight in pure drinking water.
The health benefits of your smoothie will largely depend on the ingredients that you put into it. But as a matter of principle, you should use whole natural ingredients as often as possible.
