Dean - Simply Great Smoothies! : 57 Delicious recipes for Great Health and Weight loss

Here are a few tips to setyou on your way to creating delicious flavour combinations to delight the wholefamily: Pick the right blender: There are numerous types of blender in the market so pick one that suits yourneeds. A lot of modern food processors come with a blender attachment whichwill be smaller than a stand-alone blender so would be fine for a smoothie or 2but maybe not the best if you are blending for the whole family. Stand-aloneblenders will tend to have a more powerful motor than an attachment (but notalways, so check). Also check that the blender can deal with crushed ice whichis used a lot in smoothie recipes you dont have to use ice but I tend to useit a lot and for this reason I have a powerful stand-alone blender. It shouldideally be glass and not plastic as these tend to be more robust. If you are into fitness andregularly visit the gym to lift weights, a lot of people like to take a proteinpacked shake as soon as possible after working out to refuel tired muscles.

Youcan buy smaller compact blenders, normally plastic, that you can blend yourdrink in and then attach a lid and carry to the gym for a convenient postworkout shake. I use this too but tend to not used crushed ice as they arentas robust and you will be drinking the smoothie later and not immediately. Prepare your ingredients: To help your blender, it is best to slice or dice your ingredients intosmall pieces to ensure a nice uniform blend. It will also blend a lot quickerthan using big chunks. Frozen fruit can be a challenge for less powerfulblenders so you can chop it into smaller pieces or let it thaw for a whilebefore blending. After you have prepared your ingredients, there is an optimalorder to add things to the blender to ensure a nice smooth drink.

Always addyour solid ingredients first as this means that they are closest to the bladesand need the most blending. So add your crushed ice and frozen fruit first,followed by any fresh fruit and vegetables. Finally add the liquid componentsof your smoothie. This may seem a little strange but it really does ensure thebest results for a delicious thick, smooth blend. Use your imagination: This is your chance to get creative and put your spin on your own smoothies soreally let your imagination run wild and try all sorts of flavour combinations.There isnt much that cant be blended so give it a go. Ive used chocolate andeven used tofu on occasion.

Just ensure that there is a good balance betweensolid and liquid ingredients otherwise your drink will be too runny or toothick. Just remember that a recipe isntset in stone; it is more a way to inspire you so if the balance of ingredientsdoesnt suit your taste then amend it to suit you. Common ratios between solid andliquid are: 2:1, 2 :1, 3:1, and 3:2, and if you add more solids remember toadjust the liquid to balance it out. Practice makes perfect and you will get itright in no time. Also remember that when dreaming updifferent ingredient combinations to ensure that the flavour combinations arebalanced e.g. balance citrus or sour ingredients with naturally sweetingredients.

Below is a list of my favouriteingredients to mix and match in your smoothies. It is by no means an exhaustivelist so feel free to add your own! These are just the ingredients that I findwork best for me and my family. The great thing about making your own smoothiesat home is that there are no rules be outrageous and if you dont like theresults move on to your next experiment. Encourage the kids to get involved andthe possibilities are endless (although not always desirable)!!!