By Gina Beretta
Blend it, baby!
Sometimes making a breakfast smoothie seems like the easiest way to kickstart your day – all you’ve got to do is throw a couple of ingredients into a blender and bingo… you’re good to go. But hold up! Rookie mistakes can derail all the health benefits and the taste of your liquid brekkie.
To help you avoid those smoothie fails, we’ve rounded up nine of the most common mistakes you might be making with your blender.
1. Under Blending
The Quick Fix: You might be in a rush in the morning but when it comes to pressing ‘blend’ rather take your time. Whipping up a smoothie is quick, but let’s face it, blending for only a second isn’t going to give you the best smoothie of your life. You need to blend everything really well if you want your drink to be lump-free. Try and blend for at least 60 seconds.
READ MORE: 6 Time-Saving Smoothie Hacks That’ll Change Your Life
2. Not Bulking Up
The Quick Fix: We want body baby! If you want your smoothie to be creamy and thick you need to bulk it up. Fruits with thick flesh (think bananas, mangos and peaches) will give your shake the body it needs. Want to up the ante? Add a tablespoon or two of soaked flax or chia seeds for a good dose of omegas.
3. Adding Too Much Powder
The Quick Fix: Not all powders are created equal! Don’t even think about reaching for a powder without reading the ingredients on the label first – it’s not uncommon to see artificial sweeteners, GMOs, and weird scientific-sounding additives on there. If you’re worried about hidden ingredients, rather sub in a natural protein source instead.
Follow this step-by-step smoothie recipe:
4. Upping The Sweetener
The Quick Fix: Rule number 1… DO NOT ADD SUGAR. Fruit and non-dairy milk alternatives are naturally sweet – dates and honey are also great additions if you’re blending a more dessert-like drink. Want to tone down the sweetness? Just squeeze in a little lemon juice to balance the taste.
5. Adding Every Ingredient In Your Fridge
The Quick Fix: You know the saying ‘less is more’… well, it definitely applies here. Look, it’s very tempting to add spinach, avo, banana, carrots and seed mix to your blender, but resist tossing in every superfood known to man. Instead, focus your attention on three or four (tops!) core ingredients. Otherwise, you risking making a smoothie that tastes rather ‘funky’… especially if you add too many greens.
READ MORE: 4 Healthy Smoothies You’ll Want To Sip On All Summer Long
6. Using Too Much Ice
The Quick Fix: Over-icing your smoothies could actually make it harder for the good fats from nuts, seeds and oils to be incorporated into your drink. Try adding ice last to ensure that everything is well-blended, or get smart by freezing your milk or juice in an ice tray, and use those cubes instead of frozen H2O.
7. Adding ALL The Liquid
The Quick Fix: Liquids will thin-out your smoothie so resist dumping in all your milk, juice or water at the same time. Rather blend in half your liquid, then add some fruit, greens or nuts, and see if you’re happy with the consistency. If not, add a little more liquid.
READ MORE: Beetroot And Carrot Smoothie Packed With Health Benefits
8. Using Under-Ripe Fruit
The Quick Fix: You’d never eat a green banana, so why throw it into your smoothie? It won’t blend well, and it won’t taste great either.
9. Sticking To The Same Recipe
The Quick Fix: Variety is the spice of life! Keeping a few general smoothie guidelines in mind (something to make your smoothie think and creamy, and one or two fruits), but don’t be afraid to shake things up a bit. Bottoms up!
Looking for more smoothie hacks to speed things up? The time-saving smoothie tricks will change your morning routine.
