Have you any idea of what is going into that smoothie you are drinking? In recent years this type of drink has become big business and many companies will use words like "healthy" and "natural" to describe theirs. However, what you may not realize is that the smoothie you purchased from your local grocery store is not all that it seems. Although the label may show a sunny outdoor scene or lots of fruit in a blender to show you that they contain lots of living ingredients. What you will soon discover that these have been produced on a mass scale using fruit puree that has been pasteurized to help extend its shelf life.
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 simple; it was a blended health drink. It was made popular in the USA; although today there is still no specific definition to describe this drink. However, most of us know them as a thick, smooth drink that is fruit based and will be created using either frozen fruit or frozen fruit and ice. A large number of the independent juice bars around today are health focused and will offer a high quality of freshly prepared natural products. Also for the health enthusiasts they will provide super foods and boosters to further enhance their smoothies.
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.
To make a smoothie is very simple you just put the ingredients into the blender jug and then press the button. It only takes a few seconds to turn the whole fruit into pulp and juice and cost per smoothie you make at home is much less than those you buy on the high street. Homemade smoothies not only taste great by contain lots of essential nutrients that your body needs. You can either make smoothies using frozen fruit or fresh fruit mixed with ice. Plus to further enhance the flavour and make the smoothie creamier you can add some yoghurt. Plus experimenting with other ingredients you could further enhance the health benefits of the smoothies you make.
First off you need a blender or smoothie maker! If you are looking for one that will do the work effectively and is able to cope with frozen ingredients then avoid the cheaper models you find in the bigger electrical outlets. Mixing ice can be very demanding on a blender so by the best you can. One type that is worth considering as it can also mill dry ingredients is the "Mill Blender" from American Health Brand L'Equip. Using this machine you can mill up some flax to provide you with essential fatty acids and then add this to your healthy smoothie.
Many health enthusiasts demand much out of their kitchen equipment and some will spend several hundred pounds on purchasing commercial blenders like the Blendtec Total Blender. But you don't need to although you will get many years of good service out of such a model spending more than 60 on yours will be sufficient, especially if you intend to use ice in your smoothies. If you are looking for a good quality smoothie maker there are plenty of online sites such as www.ukjuicers.com who have available what you may need.
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 simple; it was a blended health drink. It was made popular in the USA; although today there is still no specific definition to describe this drink. However, most of us know them as a thick, smooth drink that is fruit based and will be created using either frozen fruit or frozen fruit and ice. A large number of the independent juice bars around today are health focused and will offer a high quality of freshly prepared natural products. Also for the health enthusiasts they will provide super foods and boosters to further enhance their smoothies.
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.
To make a smoothie is very simple you just put the ingredients into the blender jug and then press the button. It only takes a few seconds to turn the whole fruit into pulp and juice and cost per smoothie you make at home is much less than those you buy on the high street. Homemade smoothies not only taste great by contain lots of essential nutrients that your body needs. You can either make smoothies using frozen fruit or fresh fruit mixed with ice. Plus to further enhance the flavour and make the smoothie creamier you can add some yoghurt. Plus experimenting with other ingredients you could further enhance the health benefits of the smoothies you make.
First off you need a blender or smoothie maker! If you are looking for one that will do the work effectively and is able to cope with frozen ingredients then avoid the cheaper models you find in the bigger electrical outlets. Mixing ice can be very demanding on a blender so by the best you can. One type that is worth considering as it can also mill dry ingredients is the "Mill Blender" from American Health Brand L'Equip. Using this machine you can mill up some flax to provide you with essential fatty acids and then add this to your healthy smoothie.
Many health enthusiasts demand much out of their kitchen equipment and some will spend several hundred pounds on purchasing commercial blenders like the Blendtec Total Blender. But you don't need to although you will get many years of good service out of such a model spending more than 60 on yours will be sufficient, especially if you intend to use ice in your smoothies. If you are looking for a good quality smoothie maker there are plenty of online sites such as www.ukjuicers.com who have available what you may need.
About the Author:
There are a huge variety of smoothie makers available to order from various online stores. It is worth doing a littleresearch into what model is most appropriate 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.
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