Smoothies seem like they should be so easy; just throw your favorite fresh ingredients in a blender and puree. But there are actually quite a few things to avoid that can mess them up. Going all in on fruits and vegetables without properly balancing the liquid can leave your smoothie a thick mess. But don’t skimp on ingredients with fiber either, or your healthy drink might not be filling. And the most important tip for making a smoothie? They need to taste good. That’s half of the point, right? You’re getting in all that produce in a way that’s quicker and more palatable than eating it all raw. One of the biggest guarantors of a bland, unpleasant smoothie? Using too much water.
It may be tempting to pour a little water into the blender when your smoothie is too thick, or use it as the base to make blending all those ingredients easier, but there are plenty of other options for liquid in your smoothies that will all add flavor instead of diluting it. Smoothies are all about an alchemy of ingredients, and while there is nothing wrong with a brisk glass of water, it’s not adding anything to a good smoothie recipe – it’s only thinning out all those fresh tastes. Even if you just want to cool things down, there are better options than adding ice to a smoothie. Instead, you should consider alternatives that can add flavor boosters like fat and acid.
Milks, teas, and juices will boost the flavor of your smoothie
Milk is the obvious choice to use instead of water, but it’s not just better because of the creaminess it adds. Unless you are using skim milk, your dairy will have fat in it, and fat will boost the flavor of all the other ingredients in your smoothie. It’s also a taste that most other smoothie ingredients lack. Fruits and vegetables can be sweet, tart, or earthy, but outside of nuts you might add, there isn’t much fat in a smoothie, so milk will create a more balanced experience. You get this boost from non-dairy milks as well. Different types of plant milks will not only bring the flavors of whatever they were made from to a smoothie, but options like coconut and almond milk contain fat.
Using water also means foregoing an opportunity to get creative with your smoothie. You can turn a fruit smoothie into a complete morning beverage by getting some caffeine from swapping in green tea instead of water, which will also add a nice vegetal, fresh taste. Maybe the most underrated option is fruit juice, or kombucha. Besides adding the healthy probiotics the drink is known for, kombucha’s flavor will bring more acid and sharpness to your smoothie, boosting it much like fat does. And it will add its own fermented complexity as well. Water has so many uses in the kitchen, but smoothies present too many options for it to ever be your first choice.
