Milkshakes and smoothies
Hey so I just got a new blender and I really want to make some healthy smoothies and milkshakes, but Im not sure what to put in it!!!
Can someone please give me some ideas on some tasty but low fat/healthy things to make....
Thank you:)
Reason: Moved to Recipes forum
For those of you putting spinach in your smoothies - what kind of blender do you use? Do you end up with a lot of green pulp?
Original Post by liseey02:
For those of you putting spinach in your smoothies - what kind of blender do you use? Do you end up with a lot of green pulp?
i have a little red hamilton beach miniblender that i bought at walmart for ten bucks and it handles smoothies way better than my regular blender. it even has a lid with a sip-slide like some coffee mugs have so you can drink right out of it.
here it is on amazon but i got it cheaper locally: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101R-S ingle-Serve-Blender/dp/B0017XHSC2
Original Post by ultrachef:
I have a Vitamix. It's the best blender ever- pulverizes everything in seconds. I even put almonds in my smoothies and there is no trace. They are expensive but they last for decades and I use it instead of a food processor now. It actually purees better than my cuisinart. I got mine on qvc last year and it was under $400. Now they have a new model that is 40% quieter. That's the only drawback- high powered motor = very noisy.
Thanks, I have been highly considering getting one but it's quite an investment for a blender. I do have a 2 in 1 food processor/ blender that isn't of the highest quality but does the job for the most part. I figured if I got a vitamix I could get rid of my blender/food processor.
I really like the idea of being able to pulverize, make soups right in it, and crush ice.
I have a couple other questions - is it easy to clean? Do you know if some of the other less pricey options work as well (kitchen ninja, nutribullet)? Does it come will different sized mixing bowl attachments? Does it have different blades - is it able to shred like a food processor?
Original Post by pushbuttonkitty:
Original Post by liseey02:
For those of you putting spinach in your smoothies - what kind of blender do you use? Do you end up with a lot of green pulp?
i have a little red hamilton beach miniblender that i bought at walmart for ten bucks and it handles smoothies way better than my regular blender. it even has a lid with a sip-slide like some coffee mugs have so you can drink right out of it.
here it is on amazon but i got it cheaper locally: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101R-S ingle-Serve-Blender/dp/B0017XHSC2
But have you tried putting spinach in it? Do you get a lot of pulp?
Original Post by liseey02:
Original Post by pushbuttonkitty:
Original Post by liseey02:
For those of you putting spinach in your smoothies - what kind of blender do you use? Do you end up with a lot of green pulp?
i have a little red hamilton beach miniblender that i bought at walmart for ten bucks and it handles smoothies way better than my regular blender. it even has a lid with a sip-slide like some coffee mugs have so you can drink right out of it.
here it is on amazon but i got it cheaper locally: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101R-S ingle-Serve-Blender/dp/B0017XHSC2
But have you tried putting spinach in it? Do you get a lot of pulp?
yeah, sorry i didn't specify, i posted a smoothie recipe and it has spinach in it. i use both fresh and frozen and have no problems with either. handles ice well, too, although i personally don't use ice in my smoothies.
Original Post by pushbuttonkitty:
Original Post by liseey02:
Original Post by pushbuttonkitty:
Original Post by liseey02:
For those of you putting spinach in your smoothies - what kind of blender do you use? Do you end up with a lot of green pulp?
i have a little red hamilton beach miniblender that i bought at walmart for ten bucks and it handles smoothies way better than my regular blender. it even has a lid with a sip-slide like some coffee mugs have so you can drink right out of it.
here it is on amazon but i got it cheaper locally: http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101R-S ingle-Serve-Blender/dp/B0017XHSC2
But have you tried putting spinach in it? Do you get a lot of pulp?
yeah, sorry i didn't specify, i posted a smoothie recipe and it has spinach in it. i use both fresh and frozen and have no problems with either. handles ice well, too, although i personally don't use ice in my smoothies.
Thank you!! I like how small it is :) I don't have a huge kitchen.
liseey02~ I use a food processor (KitchenAid) for my spinach smoothies, but I've heard of other people successfully making them with regular old Oster blenders. I hear the secret is to put the spinach at the bottom with the heavier ingredients on top if you have a cranky blender. That, and a good spatula to scrape down the sides.
yeah, it's compact. i used to bring it to work with me to make a smoothie for lunch. it's quiet and i can rinse it out under warm water and it pretty much comes clean. it's dishwasher safe, too, though. i still have my regular blender for other jobs but this one is my smoothie go-to!
Original Post by ndlsgirl:
liseey02~ I use a food processor (KitchenAid) for my spinach smoothies, but I've heard of other people successfully making them with regular old Oster blenders. I hear the secret is to put the spinach at the bottom with the heavier ingredients on top if you have a cranky blender. That, and a good spatula to scrape down the sides.
My food processor is not the greatest and it can't handle spinach. It just ends up a bunch of green mush - it's definitely not drinkable. Thanks for the tips!
Original Post by pushbuttonkitty:
yeah, it's compact. i used to bring it to work with me to make a smoothie for lunch. it's quiet and i can rinse it out under warm water and it pretty much comes clean. it's dishwasher safe, too, though. i still have my regular blender for other jobs but this one is my smoothie go-to!
For $15 there's not much harm in giving it a try :)
Original Post by liseey02:
Original Post by pushbuttonkitty:
yeah, it's compact. i used to bring it to work with me to make a smoothie for lunch. it's quiet and i can rinse it out under warm water and it pretty much comes clean. it's dishwasher safe, too, though. i still have my regular blender for other jobs but this one is my smoothie go-to!
For $15 there's not much harm in giving it a try :)
i give it the charles atlas seal of approval. and honestly, sometimes just because it is small and easy to clean i feel i'm more likely to use it than if i had to wash my big bulky blender every time i wanted a smoothie. nothing wrong with making it easier on yourself!
Original Post by liseey02:
Original Post by ndlsgirl:
liseey02~ I use a food processor (KitchenAid) for my spinach smoothies, but I've heard of other people successfully making them with regular old Oster blenders. I hear the secret is to put the spinach at the bottom with the heavier ingredients on top if you have a cranky blender. That, and a good spatula to scrape down the sides.
My food processor is not the greatest and it can't handle spinach. It just ends up a bunch of green mush - it's definitely not drinkable. Thanks for the tips!
Ew. Mushy spinach =/= good. Mine is good enough that it chops it to teeny tiny pieces; I couldn't do mushy. In that case, I say go for the blender! I do hear amazing things about vitamix, but from the sounds of it, there are a lot of cheap options out there :)
I am on an elimination diet (no allergy prone foods, such as Dairy, Gluten, Soy, Nuts, or Eggs) and here is my morning and lunch smoothie. This makes about 4 cups:
3oz organic frozen triple berry blend
3oz frozen pineapple chunks
3oz broccoli
3oz chopped carrots (no baby! UCK)
3-4 strips colored bell peppers
1 med banana
2 servings ground flax seed (my bag came with a scoop!)
1 tbsp cinnamon
stuff with spinach and spring mix salad
This tastes amazing! I have a ninja, and I make this in my 5 cup "processor". I drink half for breakfast, stick the other half in the fridge, and throw in maybe a cup of ice to blend up for lunch. I honestly stay full for 4-5 hours on this. Amazing!
Original Post by fieldsj5:
I am on an elimination diet (no allergy prone foods, such as Dairy, Gluten, Soy, Nuts, or Eggs) and here is my morning and lunch smoothie. This makes about 4 cups:
3oz organic frozen triple berry blend
3oz frozen pineapple chunks
3oz broccoli
3oz chopped carrots (no baby! UCK)
3-4 strips colored bell peppers
1 med banana
2 servings ground flax seed (my bag came with a scoop!)
1 tbsp cinnamon
stuff with spinach and spring mix salad
This tastes amazing! I have a ninja, and I make this in my 5 cup "processor". I drink half for breakfast, stick the other half in the fridge, and throw in maybe a cup of ice to blend up for lunch. I honestly stay full for 4-5 hours on this. Amazing!
I want a blender that can handle carrots!!!!!
used to eat yogurt and occasionally add it to my smoothies until I read some things about yogurt from Dr. Mercola. It seems because the yogurt is pasteurized, and there is no nutritional value because of this. Instead of the yogurt, add a good probiotic taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach 15 minutes before you have your smoothie. If you google Dr. Mercola you can read about yogurt on his website.
Original Post by lslanicka:
used to eat yogurt and occasionally add it to my smoothies until I read some things about yogurt from Dr. Mercola. It seems because the yogurt is pasteurized, and there is no nutritional value because of this. Instead of the yogurt, add a good probiotic taken first thing in the morning on an empty stomach 15 minutes before you have your smoothie. If you google Dr. Mercola you can read about yogurt on his website.
I call bs! lol
I just started making smoothies myself and love them! I have been making this one just about every morning:
1/3 cup dannon light & fit vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup light cranberry juice
1/3 cup frozen raspberries.
You can change up the fruit and juice flavors, but 1/3 of everything makes a perfect glass to take with me to work. Enjoy!!
I used to be a patisserie chef so I like things with flavor, but I care about my fitness so I want it healthy. There are several smoothies I make with the Silk Soy products. You can shave about 10 calories a cup, along with fat and cholesterol compared to each cup over skim milk. I use the Light Silk products mostly. One of the smoothies I make is a Chocolate Raspberry. I blend 1 c of their Light Chocolate with 1/2 frozen raspberries. If you want to consume it immediately, slightly defrost berries first or you could use the same amount of fresh raspberries. I also blend fresh pineapple and strawberries in the Light Vanilla. For immediate consumption, 1/2 medium banana can also be added. They have a new product with a coconut flavor, but I haven't had a chance to compare the fat/calorie content yet. I blend my smoothies and take them to work for snacks. Obviously, they should be refrigerated. I don't recommend adding the bananas to the vanilla or coconut to take to work since they turn the smoothie an unappetizing brown. It could be added to the chocolate, however.
