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If you’ve not yet tried making smoothies to help you lose weight, (or any other reason – such as speeding up recovery after exercise and workouts), you may well wonder where to start.
So I’m preparing a couple of articles to give you a fast-start – set you off in the right direction without have to read & research too much.
Here’s the first of these – covering the basics.
what ingredients to buy
the question of natural sweeteners
the key tool – which blender to use
Check out the article below and let me know what you think.
It’s really pretty straight forward, according to Chantelle Zakariasen of RootandSprouts.com ...
All you need to get started is a blender and some key ingredients.
Get into the habit of stocking up lots of leafy greens, apples, fresh or frozen berries, and whatever additions you want in your smoothie.
Smoothie Buying Guide
Try and stick to organic fruits and vegetables. The extra cost is worth their added benefit. Studies have shown organic food is more nutritious than non organic.
Tip: Look for deals at your local farmers market. Buy fruits and vegetables in bulk when they are in season. Then freeze the excess so you can have local organic strawberries all through the winter!
Tip: With greens (like kale) – puree the leaves with some water then freeze in ice cube trays. Transfer to a plastic bag for storage.
Tip: Have one drawer in your fridge dedicated for use as your juicing drawer. Keep all smoothie ingredients in that drawer. This will save you time and make preparation easier each morning.
Natural Sweeteners
For those of us with more of a sweet tooth there are natural sweeteners that you can add. Stevia is the best as it tastes sweet but contains relatively no calories.
Also, consider raw honey if you are pretty active, in good health and around your target weight.
But maybe a better suggestion is to use the natural sweetness of bananas as in the healthy Mocha Banana Smoothie recipe coming up at the end of this post.
Blender Buying Guide
Ideally you’ll want to go with a high powered blender, these really get the job done well and last a long time.
If your budget is limited, opt for a lower cost version with similar features. You’ll have lots of choice.
But consider this – high powered blenders (like the vitamix or blendtec blow) are much more versatile. You can do much more with these than just make smoothies.
As Chantelle Zakariasen comments ...
Anything from nut and seed butters, hummus, soup, baby food, sauces, dressings, spreads,nut milk, grinding your own flours from whole grains, coffee, and more.
My high powered blender is definitely the most utilized tool in my kitchen, and typically they last for 10+ years.
Best High Powered Blenders
Vitamix 5200
BlendTec
Omega Commercial Blender
Best Low Budget Blenders
Ninja Professional NJ600
Oster Beehive Ostercizer
Cuisinart Smart Power Premier
Recipe: Mocha Banana Smoothie
Ingredients (2 medium servings)
1/2 cup cold black Coffee
1/2 cup fat-free Milk (I use lactose free)
1 frozen Banana, sliced
1 heaping Tablespoon unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1 Tablespoon ground Flaxseed
1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 teaspoon local Honey (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 handfuls of Ice
Recipe: Talya Tate Boerner
Article Source: Chantelle Zakariasen (Update: website no longer available.)
Photos DrinkMeHealthy.com
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