A home smoothie maker can produce even more delicious thick and creamy smoothies if dairy products such as milk, cream and yoghourt are added or by adding one of the many dairy alternative milks available. Careful choice of ingredients will ensure that the smoothies are still healthy and low in calories.
Lactose intolerance and difficulty in digesting dairy milk can be a problem for many people but there are now many non-dairy alternatives that can be added to smoothies. These alternatives to cow’s milk products make delicious rich, thick and creamy smoothies and milkshakes available to everyone.
Dairy milk is one of the richest natural sources of calcium available. Full cream milk is probably only suitable for young children who need the calories as most people need to cut down on the amount of saturated fats in their diets. Anyone wishing to enjoy the benefits of dairy milk can do so by using skimmed or semi-skimmed milk.
For a really special treat, dairy cream added to smoothies will make them really luxurious. This super-rich creaminess can also be achieved by adding mascarpone or creme fraiche. Cream contains a lot of vitamin E but it also contains a lot of saturated fat and for this reason should be limited in our diets.
Adding Yoghourt is another delicious way of making smoothies thicker and creamier. The thick and creamy yoghourts may contain almost as many calories as cream so look for a low fat version. Fruit yoghourts can also be added to smoothies to add interest.
Yoghourt is a good source of calcium and people who are unable to tolerate drinking cow’s milk often find that they can digest yoghourt. Live Yoghourts, often called probiotic yoghourts have many health benefits and are especially good for repopulating the gut with ‘good’ bacteria after taking antibiotics. High fibre yoghourts which actively lower cholesterol are now widely available and make good additions to smoothies.
Dairy alternative milks are widely available and are a good low calorie option. Most nut milks, with the exception of coconut milk are high in healthy polyunsaturated fats. Soya milk is a great dairy milk substitute and is available enriched with calcium which is good news if it is drunk regularly instead of cow’s milk.
Rice milk is available already flavoured, vanilla, chocolate and so on, so this makes a fun addition, especially to children’s smoothies and milkshakes. Rice milk is sweet and delicious and is worth adding for this reason although its texture is not as thick as cow’s milk. Oat milk is widely available and is thick and delicious. Nut milks of almost every nut you could think of can now be purchased, so you could try out a few different types and find your favourite.
To sum up, there are lots of ways to make your smoothies even more delicious by adding some of the ingredients to make them creamier and the amount of additional calories can be controlled by checking the labels on packaging and choosing the healthier options. For me, this is one of the best things about using a smoothie maker to make my own smoothies at home as I can decide exactly what ingredients go into my smoothies.
Visit Best Buy Smoothie Maker dot com for more non dairy alternative ideas for your smoothie maker.