Smoothies and juices are as healthy as they are delicious. If they are freshly made at home, the nutritional value is even more. The nutrition of the smoothies can be affected by the way they are made using a mixer grinder. So, it’s necessary to know the do’s and don’ts of making smoothies at home. The list below will help you with the actions that should be incorporated and other actions that should be avoided:

Have Smoothies during Snack Time and Not Meal Time

• Do not use smoothies to replace your meal. They may be healthy but still add calories.
• Do: Have smoothies as a breakfast or snack item. It will make you feel refreshed. Keep them prepared the night before if you are planning to have it for breakfast, but make sure to keep the portion small.

 

Add Lots of Fruits and Vegetables

• Do not skimp on fruits and vegetables
• Do: Be sure to add lots of fruit and vegetables in your smoothie. Fruits add nutrition as well as natural sweeteners to the smoothie. Vegetables such as spinach, cucumber and kale not only make the smoothie very nutritious but also add a special taste to it. Vegetables are also low on calories and balance out the richness of fruits.

 

Use Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

• Do not use fruit juices as they would have already lost some of the important nutrients from the fruit.
• Do: Use whole fruit and vegetables. This provides complete nutrition that can be received from the fruit, including all the useful fibre content.

 

Wash the Fruits and Vegetables Thoroughly

• Do not simply toss in the fruits in your mixer grinder without washing it.
• Do: Rinse the fruits, vegetables and greens thoroughly before processing them. Even if the produce is organic and you are likely to remove the peel, there is a high chance that some dirt might get mixed with the fruit at the time of slicing and chopping it.

 

Use Protein-Rich Smoothie Base

• Do not avoid protein in your smoothie. It is a major requirement of the human body.
• Do: Use liquids rich in proteins as a base of your smoothie. You can use cow’s milk or soy milk. You can also add other ingredients that are rich in protein like nuts, tofu, yoghurt, nut butter and other such products. It will help you satisfy your hunger pangs and cravings for a longer time.

 

Add Natural Sweetness and Not Artificial

• Do not add sugar or artificial sweeteners to your smoothie.
• Do: Use fruits to add the natural sweetness. The natural sugars that exist in the fruit do not cause harm to your health. In fact, they provide the body with all the sugar that is required by the body. Fruits such as apples are excellent to balance the slightly bitter taste of some vegetables.

 

Experiment with Different Combinations of Fruits and Vegetables

• Do not get stuck on one combination of fruit and vegetable for your smoothie.
• Do: Use a different combination of fruits and vegetables for your smoothie every time. If your body gets used to one type of smoothie, the benefit received will not be optimal.

All these points are meant to guide you about the health benefits, but an important point is about the texture. If you do not use a good quality mixer grinder, you could end up with a not-smooth smoothie.