1. Healthy Smoothie Recipes
Smoothies are revolutionizing the world of healthy beverages across the world together with
green tea, fresh fruit and vegetable nectars where they are sold in fancy juice bars in malls, fitness
centers and spas.
These ice-blended, optionally sweetenedbeverages are predominantly fresh fruit-based though
variations include chocolate, coffee and even vegetables. It is called such because of its very
thick consistency achieved with the addition of milkor yoghurt.
It originated in the United States(bellini
cocktail) in the 1960s and rapidly grew in
popularity and distribution and is now sold in
cafes, juice bars and restaurants where they
continue to be marketed as healthy drinks
boosted with nutritional powders and
supplements. Vegan versions are made with
soy, rice or coconut milk instead of dairy.
When preparing smoothies at home, a good
quality blender is ideal if you want to achieve a
fine homogenous texture especially if ice and
green leafy vegetables are included in the
blend. Hand held immersion blenders are sold everywhere and are cheaper than heavy duty high-
speed versions that come with a pitcher.
Not all smoothies can be considered healthy. Heavily sweetened drinks flavoured with powdered
artificial flavors provide virtually no nutrients. On the other hand, a health buff can get easily
carried away with by adding super foods from exotic countries like antioxidant-rich acai from
Brazil to spirulina and chlorella, two kinds of blue-green algae harvested from clean water sources
in different parts of the world.
When preparing these drinks for kids, go easy on the greens and use more colorful and naturally
sweet fruit like mangoes and bananas. Tart berries and citrus fruits provide contrast. Rather than
refined white sugar, go for honey and other natural
sweeteners.
Raw vegans even replace entire meals with what
they like to call breakfast or lunch
smoothies,(poularderecette) depending on when
they take it. More than the usual recipe of fruit, ice,
sugar and milk, raw smoothies eliminate any form
of animal products and instead uses fruits with a
high fat content such as avocado and coconut meat.
These are powered up with greens like kale and
spinach and sweetened with honey, stevia, coconut
or palm sugar, or agave extract, all healthier forms
of sugars.
Tip: If the smoothie already has a sweet fruit like mango, you may do away with any sweetener.
Add a teaspoonful of super food to kick up nutrient content several notches higher. Lastly,
consume it right away as these tend to spoil quickly having no preservatives. Nutrients are also
lost as the smoothie sits in the refrigerator.