“You can make the smoothie in my old blender that stands there at home on the kitchen counter,” you might be thinking. “It still has some strong steps to contribute.” And this may be true, but the result may not be exactly as you intended. The differences between a blender and a good smoothie maker are small but important:
How effectively the ice is crushed. An ordinary blender turns an ice cube into small ice cubes, but it does not get better than that. So the smoothie does not get really smooth. But a smoothie maker machine is designed to prevent this from happening: the ice is crushed so hard that the drink becomes creamy but without losing its coldness. The smoothie becomes soft as glass – but useful. Imagine putting this breakfast on the table in the middle of tired children’s eyes – it will soon speed up food intake!
What happens to the fruit: If you blend fruit, you must always add liquid (such as water or milk) to help the process, and even with this, the fruit is never really crushed. In a mixer for a smoothie, the fruit becomes a real puree – no large pieces that destroy the harmony, but a really soft mix of the ingredients you have chosen to use, which irritates the appetite even of the most discerning.
How is the cold preserved? In the blender, the drink will quickly lose cold as the room temperature begins to be felt. But the smoothie maker usually has a supplement at the bottom, which helps keep the cold for a long time.
The blender consists of the jug, the knives, the rubber, the bracket, and the lid. The mixer for smoothies also has these parts, but it has also been designed with a mixing stick in the lid, which is used to ensure that all the ingredients are properly mixed, and the smoothie is soft.
The price: Last but not least, there is a difference between the price of the best blender and the best smoothie maker. The latter usually costs a little more, but it depends on the brand you choose.
Benefits of drinking smoothies
- You get a good amount of insoluble fiber that contributes to better intestinal cleansing and emptying.
- You get more enzymes in you that facilitate digestion.
- The skin becomes smoother and more beautiful thanks to the nutrition in vegetables and fruit.
- Green makes the body more alkaline, so you get an improved PH value in the digestive system.
- You will feel fuller and more satisfied after the meal – which means a reduced craving for goodies at inappropriate times.
- Your immune system is strengthened.
- Reduced discomfort from allergies and aches.
- Your turnover improves, and your metabolism increases.
- Green vegetables contain lots of readily available amino acids but very few carbohydrates.
- You get better sleep, stronger nails, and your vision improves.
Does it sound good? More and more people are realizing that something is wrong with their lifestyle and want to change it. Plenty of sleep and regular exercise are quite important, but not everyone succeeds in getting 8 hours of sleep each night just by deciding to do so, and exercise is also usually difficult to get as a routine in the beginning. Green smoothies are another story. It’s a super simple change, and the benefits will be felt almost immediately – so they act as a kickstart to the path to a healthier life.
We recommend you to read: General information about smoothie maker
What can a good smoothie contain?
For the smoothie to be effective, it must be made from green leafy vegetables, fresh herbs, and good fruit. Be sure to avoid added sugar and whole milk. Some ideas on the vegetables you can use are chard, kale, arugula, spinach, endive, green salad, beets, carrots, radishes, white flour, dandelion leaves, nettles, clover, basil, oregano, baby spinach, dill, rosemary, chervil, thyme, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cauliflower, savoy cabbage, celery, cucumber, squash, asparagus, peppers, leeks, peas, and sugar peas. Mix these vegetables with fruits and berries such as banana, avocado, kiwi, mango, orange, melon, lemon, strawberries, and different kinds of berries. Add ginger, cinnamon, nuts and almonds, and even chili or garlic if desired. Just select four or five ingredients from the above list and run in the best smoothie blender.
An excellent idea for you who want to save money and at the same time make the smoothie even more useful is to opt out of cow’s milk and replace it with other homemade alternatives. You can cook milk on soybeans, oats, nuts, or seeds by taking one dl of the selected raw material, soaking and rinsing it, and then mixing it with water.
A successful recipe: There are lots to choose from when you make your smoothie. If you want it to be really useful, you have to make sure that it contains everything you need in a regular meal: protein, fat, vitamins, and fiber.
Related Article: Best Blenders for Making Smoothies
Fruit and vegetable smoothies: 4 recipes to try
Fruit and vegetable smoothies are a delicious snack, easy, and very quick to prepare. Discover our recipes to make delicious homemade smoothies!
Fresh, thirst-quenching and nutritious fruit and vegetable smoothies are a perfect snack to enjoy in the morning or mid-afternoon instead of packaged snacks and snacks. The richness of raw fruits and vegetables in smoothies guarantees a good supply of vitamins, minerals, fibers, and precious antioxidants.
They lend themselves very well to being consumed in spring and summer when the days are hot, and we can fully enjoy their refreshing and thirst-quenching power, but it is also possible to consume them during the rest of the year, varying the ingredients according to the season.
There are many recipes for smoothies, and often, our taste is the winning weapon! However, if you have no ideas or are looking for new ideas to make a healthy and light smoothie at home, we offer 4 delicious homemade smoothie recipes that use only vegetable ingredients, therefore suitable for vegans and lactose intolerants, and celiacs, as the recipes are gluten-free.
Now let’s see how to prepare a delicious DIY fruit and vegetable smoothie! What you will need are the ingredients and a good quality blender. We remind you that once the smoothie has been prepared, it would be better to drink it immediately so as not to lose its properties. If you have any leftovers, keep them in the fridge in a tightly closed container and consume them within a few hours.
Fruit smoothie with strawberry and banana
We now propose a recipe for a very tasty fruit smoothie, which will surely appeal to even the little ones: the banana and strawberry smoothie. For this recipe, we used soy milk, but you can replace it with the drink you like best, or if you are not intolerant, you can also use cow’s milk. Let’s see what it takes to do it.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
- 8 Organic strawberries
- 1 ripe banana
- Half Apple (we recommend the granny smith or gala variety)
- 250 ml of soy milk
Method:
First of all, wash the strawberries well and cut them into small pieces.
Peel the banana and apple and cut the fruits into coarse pieces.
Put all the ingredients in the blender, together with the soy milk, and blend for at least 30/40 seconds.
If necessary, add a little vegetable drink until you get the desired consistency. Your smoothie is ready!
Tips
In summer, when strawberries are no longer in season, you can replace them with a handful of organic raspberries. For an even more refreshing effect, place the raspberries in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before making the smoothie.
Coconut milk, kale, turmeric, and mint smoothie
The coconut milk, turmeric, mint, and black cabbage smoothie are excellent to consume during the summer to cool off and fill up on vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It can be consumed by both vegetarians and vegans, as it is free of derivatives or ingredients of animal origin, and by celiacs because it does not contain ingredients with gluten.
This smoothie is rich in properties and very easy to prepare, just wash and cut the ingredients and blend! So let’s see what ingredients are needed.
Ingredients (Serves 2):
- 50 gr of rocket salad
- 6 black cabbage leaves without a central rib
- Two pieces of fresh turmeric root
- 4 or 5 peppermint leaves
- 200 ml of coconut milk
- A cedar
Method:
First, wash the black cabbage leaves and the rocket and dry them well.
Remove the central rib of the black cabbage leaves and cut them into pieces in a blender with 100 ml of coconut milk.
Now add the rocket, mint, and another 100 ml of coconut milk and blend.
Squeeze the cedar, cut the turmeric root into small pieces, and pour it into the blender together with the cedar juice for 30 seconds.
If there is little liquid, add more coconut milk until the desired consistency. Your smoothie is ready to taste!
Tips
The smoothie should be drunk immediately so as not to lose vitamins and antioxidants. If you find it difficult to find black cabbage, you can replace it with 2 cucumbers cut into slices and then blended for an even more thirst-quenching and purifying effect, or with ten strawberries, which will enrich the smoothie with antioxidants and sweetness. Cedar can be replaced with a squeezed lemon.
Green spring smoothie with kiwi, banana, and lettuce
This green smoothie, ideal for spring, is made with rice milk, banana, kiwi, and lettuce. Naturally sweet, with no added sugar, it is also very popular with children. Kiwi and bananas provide this smoothie with an excellent amount of potassium and vitamin C, while lettuce provides valuable fiber, beneficial for the intestine. The smoothie recipe is very fast. In 5 minutes, you will have your drink ready!
Ingredients (for 1 person):
- 1 Kiwi
- 1 ripe banana
- 1 large lettuce leaf
- Rice milk to taste
Method:
Take a ripe banana, peel it and chop it roughly;
Take the kiwi, peel it and also cut it into small pieces;
Wash and cut a large lettuce leaf into pieces;
Now add the rice milk until you get the desired consistency, about 4 tablespoons. If you don’t have this drink, you can replace rice milk with water;
If you have guests, before serving, you can decorate with a mint leaf and a few slices of fresh kiwi.
Tips
If you want an even sweeter flavor, you can also add half an apple, peeled and cored, to the recipe.
Smoothie with cherries, banana, and mint
This recipe is a smoothie made with banana, cherries, mint, and parsley. Ideal for drinking in the summer season or in late spring, when the cherries are in season. Naturally sweet, with no added sugar, it is rich in beneficial properties. Let’s find out the recipe (very fast) to prepare it.
Ingredients (for 1 person):
- 3 Mint leaves, washed and dried
- 1 ripe banana
- Rice milk to taste
- 1 cup of pitted cherries
- 1 sprig of washed and dried parsley (optional)
Method:
Take a ripe banana, peel it and chop it roughly, then wash and dry the parsley and mint;
Wash and remove the stones from the cherries, which you will keep aside.
Add the banana, mint, and parsley to the blender, then pour in the rice milk until you get the desired consistency, about 1 cup. If you do not have this drink, you can replace it with water or another vegetable milk.
Blend all the ingredients for about a minute, then add the cherries and blend again for another minute.
Pour into the glass and drink. You can also prepare a saucer with some cherries to tease along with the smoothie.
Tips
If you prefer an even fresher drink, you can put the cherries (already washed and pitted) in the freezer for a couple of hours before using them in the smoothie.