Strawberry Mint Smoothie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you put ice or fruit first in a smoothie? ›

Add small amounts of water, milk, or juice. Work your machine back up to its highest speed, and process for 10-20 seconds. Tip: Load the container in the following order: liquids first, then soft fruits or vegetables, greens, and ice on top.

No ice: If you don't have ice, you can use frozen fruit, oats, chia seeds, yogurt, or nuts and nut butter to thicken your smoothie. No frozen fruit: Add a scoop of raw oats or chia seeds into the blender instead. No yogurt: You can swap yogurt with nut butter to thicken a smoothie.

Frozen ingredients are the key to creating a thick smoothie. Using fibrous, thick-fleshed fruit and vegetables can also help the texture. Adding chia seeds, avocado, yogurt, and protein powder are other thickening options.

Water or fruit juice works very well, but if you want to add calcium to your flavorful health drink, milk and yogurt work. Feel free to use tea or soy –experiment and have fun! Typically you would add ice to a smoothie, but if your fruit is pre-frozen, it is unnecessary to use ice.

Start your smoothie with two mugfuls of a liquid base. This can be milk, or a dairy-free alternative such as soya or almond milk, natural or flavoured yogurt, fruit juice, or for a tropical flavoured smoothie, low-fat coconut milk or coconut water.

When making a smoothie, it's important to always add the liquid ingredients into the blending container first. This ensures the other ingredients don't get stuck under the blades. It also creates a vortex that pulls everything into the blades for a smooth blend.

Protein Powder. Protein smoothie recipes often contain protein powder, and Spivak says protein is an important part of a nutritious smoothie. “Protein builds and maintains muscle mass, and can help to keep you feeling full and satisfied,” she says.

The effect ice has on a smoothie

Once the ice melts, your smoothie tastes watered-down. Instead, Chowhound suggests using frozen fruit (try antioxidant-packed blueberries or raspberries), or frozen veggies (a great way to use up that frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and kale).

However, some frozen fruit may lose vitamin C during blanching or have added sugar or ascorbic acid to prevent spoiling. The best way to get the most nutrients from your smoothies is to use either freshly picked fruit or a variety of fruits, both fresh and frozen, and drink it straight after blending.

How much fruit should I put in a smoothie? ›

(1 serving = ½ cup of chopped fruit or berries, or 1 medium banana.) ➜ Freeze single-serving baggies of fruit to replace ice. Slice fresh fruit, or use frozen fruit. They're equally nutritious.

Pour ¹⁄₂ to 1 cup (120 to 240 ml) of liquid into a blender. If you put the liquid into the blender first, the machine will have an easier time combining the ingredients. Although milk and juice are common smoothie liquids, you could use water, coconut milk, yogurt, or non-dairy milk, such as soy, hemp, or almond milk.

First, it helps create a smooth and creamy texture acting as a natural thickening agent. When blended, ice helps emulsify the ingredients, creating a well-incorporated mixture. Second, well…it keeps the smoothie cold.

The reason for this is insoluble fiber which is usually found in the skin of fruits and vegetables. When you use fruits or veggies with higher amounts of insoluble fiber, your green smoothies may become foamy. Your green smoothie will usually separate as well.

Layering foods properly helps your blender thoroughly emulsify everything so you get a more cohesive, undeniably smooth smoothie. Basically, you want the liquids on the bottom, to create the vortex that pulls solids down into the blade, and the heavy stuff higher up to push everything down.