How to Make a Smoothie

Smoothies are fun, tasty, healthy, and quick and easy to make!

It's easy to learn how to make a smoothie. For healthy fruit smoothies I love to blend ripe juicy fruit with freshly made fruit juice, or simply with water.

Freshly squeezed orange juice makes a great base for smoothies and is quick and easy to make.

How to Make Fruit Smoothies with a Jug Blender

1. First prepare the fruit, and add to your blender.
2. Then add the water or fruit juice so that the blades are covered. For a thin smoothie that is easy to drink add more liquid.
3. Now blend until smooth. If your blender has more than one speed setting then start off on the slowest speed, and then turn the dial up to max.

Some fruits like mangoes and melons may blend easily without adding any liquid at all, it all depends on your blender.

It's fun to experiment with making fruit smoothies. As well as using a wide variety of juicy fruit, you can also use different liquids. I love to blend fruit with lovely creamy almond milk.

How to Make a Smoothie Thicker and Creamier

To make healthy smoothies lovely and thick and creamy add:

• Less or no liquid at all.
  The less liquid you add, the thicker the smoothie - and vice versa. If you need to you can help out your blender by pushing down the fruit with a celery stick, but please be careful to keep your hand well clear of the blades.
• Soaked dates are wonderful to sweeten and thicken a smoothie.
• Ripe bananas create lovely creamy smoothies.
• Half an avocado, or a teaspoon of nut and seed butters will create gorgeous creamy smoothies and add some healthy fat.

To make your smoothies thick and cold you can use:

• frozen fruit, either slice and prepare your own, or buy already prepared from the frozen section of the supermarket.
• ice cubes - either plain water, or frozen fruit juice.

Adding Healthy Fats to Smoothies.

You can add healthy fats to your smoothies with

• half an avocado.
• soaked or ground sunflower seeds, almonds, or cashews.
• raw hemp seeds.
• raw almond butter or almond milk.
• raw tahini, or sesame milk.
• cold-pressed flaxseed oil.

When you add avocado to a smoothie it becomes thicker and creamier. If your blender finds it hard going then blend the fruit first before adding the fat to make it easier to blend.

Different types of Blenders

The most common type of blender is the jug blender, but you can also use a personal blender, or a hand blender to make smoothies and puddings. Blenders come in three different designs.

• The Jug Blender.

  The most common type, and great for large amounts and making green smoothies. Jug blenders will all happily blend soft fruit, but choose one that is able to crush ice if you want to blend frozen fruit and ice cubes.
  
  Heavy Duty Jug Blenders

  The vitamix and blendtec blenders are seriously heavy duty jug blenders that use a very powerful engine to pulverize the contents of the jug. They cost a lot more, and are certainly not essential (I haven't got one). But they do make lovely smooth smoothies out of just about anything!

• The Personal Blender.

  Very handy for individual smoothies and puddings, and nice and safe as the blade is sealed inside the container.

  How to make a smoothie using a Personal Blender

  Simply add the prepared fruit and liquid (if using) into the cup. Then securely attach the blade and blend until smooth.

  I you like your smoothies on the thin side then they should blend easily, and if your prefer them to be thicker you may be able to pick up the whole machine and gently shake it to help it blend.

• The Hand Blender.

  Hand blenders are very versatile and can be used to make fruit smoothies and puddings. They are handy to take traveling.

  How to make a smoothie using a Hand Blender

  Put the prepare fruit and liquid into a tall container or glass. Next plug in your hand blender and position the blade end well down inside the container to hopefully avoid being splashed in the face! Blend the fruit and liquid together until smooth.

Like to learn more about healthy smoothies?

Then the Ultimate Smoothie Recipe Selection might be just what your looking for. These super healthy raw and juicy smoothies are a delicous and easy way to improve your health.

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