Real Smoothies - Keep it Healthy
When you have a smoothie are you sure you know what is going into it? Certainly the smoothie has become big business these days because words such as "natural" and "healthy" have been used to describe certain food products. However the smoothies that you see on the supermarket shelf are not as "innocent" as they may seem. Many of these products use advertisements where sunny outdoor scenes are used or the blender contains fruit to convey an image that these contain vital and fresh living ingredients. But often these are produced on mass using machinery and vats of fruit purees which to extend their shelf life have been pasteurized.
Also be aware that not all the drinks your local juice or smoothie bar offers are not completely natural. Many of the companies who provide commercial equipment to smoothie outlets will also supply them with frozen portions of fruit purees high in sugar. In most cases the kinds of professional blenders you see being used to make smoothies in a juice bar have been supplied to them for nothing as long as they use their frozen fruit purees as well.
However, there are now a few juice bars where to simplify their operations and save money actually make their own frozen fruit products. Again some will produce good drinks, but a few others load theirs with sugar. Don't think that for one minute the company that create these are trying to prevent us from getting natural ingredients, they just use this as a way to help streamline their business to ensure that they make a profit. Although there may be times when we as the consumer lose out because of this.
The original idea of a smoothie was very simple. It was a way of blending a healthy drink. Made most popular in the USA still there is no definitive term to describe this type of drink. Most of us simply recognize as this drink being a fruit based one made from frozen or fresh fruit and ice. Many of the independent juice bars tend to focus on the health side and so create high quality products that are freshly prepared when ordered, plus to further enhance the smoothies for some health enthusiasts they add super foods or boosters to them.
If you happen to have a juice bar like this close to where you are then you should support it. But if your only contact with smoothies is drinking the ready bottled variety you are losing out on getting all the goodness and flavour that freshly prepared ones offer.
A great way of trying a smoothie to see if you like it is to make your own at home. However, there has been some confusion caused by a few of the blender manufacturers regarding smoothie makers. When we talk about smoothie makers we actually do mean a blender which has for many years been a vital piece of equipment in many kitchens. That was until some bright spark in some marketing company thought it would be a good idea to call them smoothie makers so that a company could target those people wanting to make their own smoothies. It is for this reason alone that we think blenders and smoothie makers are two different machines, when in fact they are not.
It is very simple to make a smoothie just place the ingredients in the jug of the blender and press the button. Only a few seconds later you have a jug full of pulped fruit and juice which will cost you much less than you would pay for the high street ones. As well as tasting great these smoothies are full of essential nutrients. You can like others use frozen fruit chunks or you could use some fresh fruit mixed with ice. To make the smoothie creamier and tangier add some yoghurt or just experiment to gain more health benefits by adding other healthy ingredients to it.
For making such drinks you need a blender or smoothie maker. It is important that you go for one which will do everything you require and is able to deal with frozen ingredients. The cheaper models may save you money but are as effective and blending ice in such machines can be very demanding on them. So it is better to go for a more expensive model. Ideally go for one that allows you to mill dry ingredients as well such as the Mill Blender by the American company L'Equip. This is a machine that not only allows you to create smoothies but allows you to grind up flax which is full of essential fatty acids and which can be added to the drink.
There are many health enthusiasts who place great demands on their kitchen equipment and spend hundreds on buying commercial grade equipment such as the Blendtec Total Blender. Although a luxury model they do offer you a long time of service, but you yourself don't need to break the bank to make your own smoothies at home. If you intend to blend ice or frozen ingredients in your smoothies avoid those that cost below 60. Instead to go for a much more expensive model such as the smoothie makers to be found at www.ukjuicers.com. - 17269
Also be aware that not all the drinks your local juice or smoothie bar offers are not completely natural. Many of the companies who provide commercial equipment to smoothie outlets will also supply them with frozen portions of fruit purees high in sugar. In most cases the kinds of professional blenders you see being used to make smoothies in a juice bar have been supplied to them for nothing as long as they use their frozen fruit purees as well.
However, there are now a few juice bars where to simplify their operations and save money actually make their own frozen fruit products. Again some will produce good drinks, but a few others load theirs with sugar. Don't think that for one minute the company that create these are trying to prevent us from getting natural ingredients, they just use this as a way to help streamline their business to ensure that they make a profit. Although there may be times when we as the consumer lose out because of this.
The original idea of a smoothie was very simple. It was a way of blending a healthy drink. Made most popular in the USA still there is no definitive term to describe this type of drink. Most of us simply recognize as this drink being a fruit based one made from frozen or fresh fruit and ice. Many of the independent juice bars tend to focus on the health side and so create high quality products that are freshly prepared when ordered, plus to further enhance the smoothies for some health enthusiasts they add super foods or boosters to them.
If you happen to have a juice bar like this close to where you are then you should support it. But if your only contact with smoothies is drinking the ready bottled variety you are losing out on getting all the goodness and flavour that freshly prepared ones offer.
A great way of trying a smoothie to see if you like it is to make your own at home. However, there has been some confusion caused by a few of the blender manufacturers regarding smoothie makers. When we talk about smoothie makers we actually do mean a blender which has for many years been a vital piece of equipment in many kitchens. That was until some bright spark in some marketing company thought it would be a good idea to call them smoothie makers so that a company could target those people wanting to make their own smoothies. It is for this reason alone that we think blenders and smoothie makers are two different machines, when in fact they are not.
It is very simple to make a smoothie just place the ingredients in the jug of the blender and press the button. Only a few seconds later you have a jug full of pulped fruit and juice which will cost you much less than you would pay for the high street ones. As well as tasting great these smoothies are full of essential nutrients. You can like others use frozen fruit chunks or you could use some fresh fruit mixed with ice. To make the smoothie creamier and tangier add some yoghurt or just experiment to gain more health benefits by adding other healthy ingredients to it.
For making such drinks you need a blender or smoothie maker. It is important that you go for one which will do everything you require and is able to deal with frozen ingredients. The cheaper models may save you money but are as effective and blending ice in such machines can be very demanding on them. So it is better to go for a more expensive model. Ideally go for one that allows you to mill dry ingredients as well such as the Mill Blender by the American company L'Equip. This is a machine that not only allows you to create smoothies but allows you to grind up flax which is full of essential fatty acids and which can be added to the drink.
There are many health enthusiasts who place great demands on their kitchen equipment and spend hundreds on buying commercial grade equipment such as the Blendtec Total Blender. Although a luxury model they do offer you a long time of service, but you yourself don't need to break the bank to make your own smoothies at home. If you intend to blend ice or frozen ingredients in your smoothies avoid those that cost below 60. Instead to go for a much more expensive model such as the smoothie makers to be found at www.ukjuicers.com. - 17269
About the Author:
There are a huge range of smoothie makers available to buy from various online shops. It is worth doing a littleresearch into what model is most suitable for you and you diet needs. You may also consider picking from the many juicers which can be a great alternative to a smoothie maker.
posted by X - Men at
2:05 AM
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