Nobody likes watery, bland smoothies that get separated after a few hours. With our work schedules, it can be very difficult to immediately make smoothies when you feel hungry and then consume them while they are thick and creamy. Since we are on the move and have places to get to we might need to make ahead and carry them to work, to the gym, or on the bus. Then when we actually have time and decide to drink the smoothies it turns out to be a disappointment. It does not have to be like that. You do not need to drink smoothies that don’t taste great and suffer all for the sake of health. Here are some tips to keep your smoothies creamier for longer:
So, to keep smoothies creamy for the longer, first thing, you have to take a close look at its ingredients. You would need to add more ingredients with soluble fibers so that the smoothie is held together for longer and does not separate. Ingredients such as bananas, avocados, mangoes, and tofu can help to keep the smoothie creamy. If your smoothie is mostly fruit juice you will find that it tends to become watery and separate quickly. Another mistake use adding too many greens that are fibrous and tend to make the smoothie settle fast and remove the creamy texture. Adding too much water is also not advisable as it will make it watered down. Too much ice can also have this effect. Keeping airtight containers as well as freezing the smoothies till you need to drink them can help you store them creamy.
So how can you make creamy smoothies and have them remain creamier longer?
Ingredients
The ingredients are the most important thing if you want to store your smoothies creamy. Here we will look at ingredients that enhance creaminess for longer and ingredients that has a reverse effect on creaminess.
Ingredients that give a long-lasting creamy texture
Here are some ingredients that give it a smooth texture:
- Bananas – frozen and plain:
Bananas have soluble fibers and can give a thick and creamy texture. Frozen bananas can give a longer-lasting creamy texture. - Frozen berries:
Frozen berries can enhance creaminess and make smoothies last longer with that texture. - Greek yogurt:
Greek yogurt is thick and creamy and acts as a great binder hence keeping the smoothies creamy even at room temperatures for longer. Simple yogurt is also fine though more watery. Kefir also is a good ingredient to add which is milk-based. - Avocados:
Avocados give the right texture for longer-lasting creamy smoothies. They contain fats that give that richness to smoothies as well. They are also full of healthy fats and antioxidants. - Tofu:
Using silken tofu will give a creamy effect for vegans who may want to avoid yogurt or milk-based smoothies.
Ingredients you should reduce if you want to keep the smoothie creamy for longer
Here is a list of ingredients that you should reduce or avoid in order to get the best result:
Leafy greens:
Yes, you may be horrified, but reducing leafy greens can keep your smoothies creamier for longer. You can add some left greens but remember that the fiber that it has tends to not mix well with other ingredients.
Vegetables:
Whole vegetables that can be crushed to fine particles are fine to a great extend they too tend to settle to the bottom after some time. You can add some such as carrots and beets but not too much. Fibrous vegetables and greens can really affect the creamy texture of your smoothie as they have insoluble fiber. Insoluble fibers by nature do not mix well with the rest of the ingredients. This is why if you ever tried string beans or celery they stay without dissolving and the mix becomes watery and sperate very fast. Greens like celery particles separate very fast and settle down at the bottom.
Seed powders:
When you add seed powders to water they tend to remain undissolved but in plant milk, yogurts, etc they do stay mixed for longer.
Fruit juice:
Fruit juice with fibrous fruit such as apples, pineapple, orange, watermelon, etc. settle down fast, and the water is separated from the fruit particle. But if you use fruits such as mangoes, kiwis, bananas, and pears this does not happen very fast hence better choices for keeping the smoothie creamy for longer.
Why is it happening?
Fruits like Mangoes and bananas have soluble fibers and that is the reason why they tend to get keep all the ingredients together so these are called emulsifiers which help the smoothie to retain its thickness and prevents separation.
Some more important tips
Another important aspect to keep in mind when it comes to storage for a longer period is the oxidation phenomena. If left outside for long, the smoothie tends to separate and changes color because of the oxidation process. This is because the oxygen in the atmosphere acts on your smoothie and this leads to discoloration and hastens separation. Along with changing color as well as removing the nutritional effect of the smoothie, it also has an effect on the creamy texture. A good way to combat this is to use airtight containers and once you have blended a thick and creamy smoothie, ensure that you feel to the top so that there is no air pocket/space left and to remain creamy for long.
For more information about the oxidation in smoothies click here.
If you add ingredients for the smoothie to a good quality blender then the blender will crush the ingredients to fine particles. These particles being lighter do not settle down fast and will tend to keep the smoothies the cream for longer. If the blender is not crushing finely then the particles will be too big and will settle down to the bottom faster due to its natural heaviness. thereby taking away the creamy texture from the smoothies.
Here is a trick to ensure you have blended well – To have a good smooth and thorough blending you need to add the liquid first. Then you can add heavier ingredients such as greens and fruits. Once they are blended well then heavier items like frozen fruit and then the emulsifying items such as avocado, coconut oil, nut butter, tahini, curd, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, etc.
If you add too many ice cubes, the smoothie becomes watery when stored. What you can do is to take the plant milk or milk that you are planning to add and freeze them in ice cube molds. Instead of the crushed ice, adding iced milk cubes tend to add to the thickness and the cream structure for a slightly longer time and keep it colder as well. Although do remember that when the ice melts the thickness and creaminess will reduce but it’s better than adding regular ice cubes. If you live in warm climates this may not work too well for delaying the separation.
The fat secret
The secret to a creamy long-lasting smoothie that keeps its texture ultimately comes down to adding adequate fat and protein. Fruits and veggies are great but then you need to blend all this together in the thick smoothie and they just do not have the adequate consistency that lasts long. When you use yogurt, almond butter, avocado, peanut butter, or other nut butter, you will find the smoothies become thick as well as creamy and they last longer in the same consistency. Adding in protein powders can also help bring in the creamy texture, but you need to check for the ingredients to ensure they fit your diet criteria.
So to conclude to remain healthy and to consistently follow a diet which includes smoothies, it is necessary to have it in a manner that you can enjoy. When smoothie stored for long, the smoothies should maintain its creamy textures for longer. You can now enjoy delicious and creamy smoothies whenever you want by learning a few tricks to make them retain the creamy texture for longer. With a little bit of trial, error, and experimentation with the various ingredients mentioned in this article along with tricks such as using airtight containers and using fats, you can also make great creamy smoothies that can stay for longer without losing their consistency. Get started then, try out the tips and you will see better results for your smoothies and enjoy them even after stirring them for some time.
