Tips for making Smoothies Smoothe

Vonikins

So I have bought ingredients to start making green smoothies for the hubby and me in the mornings as our breakfast. Currently hubby is a total meat & potatoes guy that resists/avoids vegetables. Right now he has no breakfast other than a can of Orange Soda, and then lately he's allowed me to make him a deli sandwich for lunch, no veggies allowed. He is willing to try a smoothie, so I have that to start. The ingredients I have are frozen blueberries, frozen peaches, almond milk, spinach, avocados, and greek yogurt. I also was reading about using a double brewed green tea as part of the liquid base to add some caffine. Hubby and i have a caffine need in the mornings and I'm hoping if I use the green tea, he'll give up one of his sodas for the day. I'm wondering if any experienced smoothie makers have any tips on how to make sure the texture is smoothe and the easiest to digest. Also, a side question, if I use bananas, do you actually taste the banana or does it kind of melt behind the other flavors (I have almost phobic adversion to bananas but recognize their healthy qualities and might be willing to add them in part to the mix for more nutrient boosts). TIA

jim180155

I think the biggest factor in making sure that your smoothie is SMOOTH is the blender. I have a Vitamix. It will turn just about anything into a smooth liquid. They're pretty expensive though. I think I paid $400 for it. But they have a reputation for quality and they have a 7 year warranty, so it should balance out in the long run.

If I was looking for something less expensive I think I'd get a Nutribullet. They do a pretty good job of pulverizing food from the comparisons I've seen. The drawbacks are the relatively small capacity (28 oz vs. 64 oz) and you may need to buy a replacement every year or two. But you can get them for less than $100.

SKME2013

I agree with the above poster: to make any smoothie REALLY smooth it depends a lot on the blender. I use the Blendtec blender, which can turn your mobile phone into powder.

My morning smoothies consist off: 400 g spinach, 250ml Almond milk (no added sugar, Vanilla taste = 30 cal), a cup of frozen blueberries, a spoon of protein powder (Vanilla), a spoon of almond butter (homemade)

This is what I add to the above from time to time: cooked brussel sprouts, cooked broccoli, flax seeds, chia seeds

They are superbly yummie and the blueberries hide the boring taste of the spinach very well.

Best of luck
Stef.

Glossysweets

I fully agree that a good blender with be the kicker here. I personally use an inverted hand blender because I have travelled a lot and I make different smoothies for both myself, my hubby, and my daughter so it works for me...but it doesn't make things extremely smooth and sometimes some chunks just don't break down. So a good blender is key.

You can make a lot of delicious smoothies with what you have gotten. I personally haven't used an avocado in my smoothy although I know it is a popular ingredient - I personally like to eat it plain with some pepper (I just hate drinking things like avocado or peanut butter lol). Keep it mind the greek yogurt with make it a tad sour so it's good to go with maybe half yogurt and half almond milk. If you were to take all of those ingredients and mix in a banana you may not be able to taste it, it will also depend on how ripe the banana is. If the banana is very ripe, so over sweet then you will most likely still be able to taste it. If you are worried about it then just throw in half, you still get the great qualities of it but will have less have a likelihood of tasting it.

I wish you luck with your smoothie endeavor, I really love having smoothies

Vonikins

You can make a lot of delicious smoothies with what you have gotten. I personally haven't used an avocado in my smoothy although I know it is a popular ingredient - I personally like to eat it plain with some pepper (I just hate drinking things like avocado or peanut butter lol). Keep it mind the greek yogurt with make it a tad sour so it's good to go with maybe half yogurt and half almond milk. If you were to take all of those ingredients and mix in a banana you may not be able to taste it, it will also depend on how ripe the banana is. If the banana is very ripe, so over sweet then you will most likely still be able to taste it. If you are worried about it then just throw in half, you still get the great qualities of it but will have less have a likelihood of tasting it.

Thanks for the tips on the bananas, I have a weird relationship with them, but have not honestly ate them or anything containing them for ages and part of me wonders is my adversion is still evident. I will keep in mind that the more ripe the banana the stronger the flavor/sweetness. I have a newer blender, but it is a standard kenmore that my in-laws got me just before I had my 2yr old toddler so I could make baby food. Hopefully it will do the trick for now. I found a website that suggested putting the greens and liquids in first and blend until ultra smooth and then add the fruits to minimize any chewy-ness. My biggest concern is making it appealing for the hubby so we can start having better consistency with the family's overall health.

jwdieter

Chocolate protein powder+ espresso = yummy jolt. Don't need to blend.

Can add yogurt, banana, etc if you want to blend something in.

Green smoothies don't taste like sugar drinks. You won't be able to trick your husband into drinking them and thinking they're consistent with his current mindset. At some point, your husband has to take some personal responsibility for his health.

cerumens

I didn't believe it until I broke down and bought one, but my Vitamix is worth every penny and more. Texture is a huge deal for me and I have owned many blenders but none makes a smoothie as smooth as my Vitamix. I have heard the Ninja is good for the price as well. I justify my Vitamix because of all the things I used it for beyond smoothies.

Edited to add~ I loathe bananas but can tolerate them in a smoothie. Cinnamon, frozen bananas, vanilla protein powder and coconut milk make something that tastes like banana bread, and I actually crave it.

Vonikins

Green smoothies don't taste like sugar drinks. You won't be able to trick your husband into drinking them and thinking they're consistent with his current mindset. At some point, your husband has to take some personal responsibility for his health.

I have no intentions with tricking my husband. I asked if he would be willing to try smoothies in the morning and I specifically mentioned that they are green smoothies with spinach, and other items. My goal is to make is sweet enough to be pleasant but in no way am I attempting to match the sugar sweetness of soda. The bigger issue is the caffine that he gets from his Mountain Dew and orange soda. I"m hoping to supplement with green tea, maybe coffee, so initially he doesn't get the caffine withdrawal that he sometimes experiences when he's gone a day without his soda. He has agreed to the green smoothies so there is no tricks about what is in the cup.

Vonikins

I didn't believe it until I broke down and bought one, but my Vitamix is worth every penny and more. Texture is a huge deal for me and I have owned many blenders but none makes a smoothie as smooth as my Vitamix. I have heard the Ninja is good for the price as well. I justify my Vitamix because of all the things I used it for beyond smoothies.

Edited to add~ I loathe bananas but can tolerate them in a smoothie. Cinnamon, frozen bananas, vanilla protein powder and coconut milk make something that tastes like banana bread, and I actually crave it.

I'll keep in mind that I might have to invest in a heftier blender.

Thanks for the info on bananas. I know it is a good base fruit for smoothies and my hubby and son love them, so eventually I'll have to get used to having them around more often in general.

jim180155

Green smoothies don't taste like sugar drinks. You won't be able to trick your husband into drinking them and thinking they're consistent with his current mindset. At some point, your husband has to take some personal responsibility for his health.

I have no intentions with tricking my husband. I asked if he would be willing to try smoothies in the morning and I specifically mentioned that they are green smoothies with spinach, and other items. My goal is to make is sweet enough to be pleasant but in no way am I attempting to match the sugar sweetness of soda. The bigger issue is the caffine that he gets from his Mountain Dew and orange soda. I"m hoping to supplement with green tea, maybe coffee, so initially he doesn't get the caffine withdrawal that he sometimes experiences when he's gone a day without his soda. He has agreed to the green smoothies so there is no tricks about what is in the cup.

One step at a time. He shouldn't be drinking that crap, not because of the caffeine but because of the sugar. But forget about that. If you can get him drinking green smoothies on a somewhat regular basis, that will be a big step in itself. Like jwdieter said, at some point your husband will have to take responsibility for his own health. Drinking green smoothies might be all the nudge he needs to eventually start making healthier choices on his own. Or you just may find that you have to travel this path on your own.

RhineDHP

Thanks for the tips on the bananas, I have a weird relationship with them, but have not honestly ate them or anything containing them for ages and part of me wonders is my adversion is still evident. I will keep in mind that the more ripe the banana the stronger the flavor/sweetness. I have a newer blender, but it is a standard kenmore that my in-laws got me just before I had my 2yr old toddler so I could make baby food. Hopefully it will do the trick for now. I found a website that suggested putting the greens and liquids in first and blend until ultra smooth and then add the fruits to minimize any chewy-ness. My biggest concern is making it appealing for the hubby so we can start having better consistency with the family's overall health.

A green smoothie recipe I use doesn't taste like anything but sweet fruity goodness, with hint of citrus:

Handful of kale
Handful of chard
Handful of spinach
1 carrot

Blend the above with about 2 cups of water, then add:

1 pear
1 banana (you don't taste it at all, you just taste overall sweetness when the smoothie is done - it's not necessary for the smoothie though, if you're really averse to it)
1 apple (I like granny smith)
7-8 grapes (whichever you prefer)
Fresh squeezed juice from half an orange
1/4 lemon (rind intact)
1/4 lime (rind intact)

Blend until as smooth as you can get it. How smooth it is really depends on the blender, as others have stated. But it tastes so good!

Vonikins

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you just may find that you have to travel this path on your own.
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I have been traveling the healthy path on my own for the past year working to reclaim myself with regards to fitness, energy, and self-image. I recently felt inspired to see if I could influence him and nudge him towards investing in himself. As for the sodas, he's slowly getting better. There was a time before I met him that he had a beer gut and was way over weight and drinking a case of Dew a day. Now it sometimes takes 2 weeks to get through a case, so there is improvement and awareness on his part to keep his habit reigned in. I kind of reign over the kitchen and meal planning so my healthy habits have been slowly trickling down to him, though I have resorted to being very controlled for my breakfast, snacks, and lunches and allowing room with dinner for meals that please his palate but are modified to be healthier. I don't see smoothies as a fix all for him, and I agree he has to choose to invest in himself. I plan on succeeding with my goals without his participation because it matters to me.

jim180155

Vonikins, it sounds like you know what you're doing. Good luck with getting your husband involved. I've tried to get my wife to make some healthier changes, but she is stubborn, so I'm doing this on my own.