10 Types of thickeners for smoothies
Enjoying snacks and drinks can turn healthy, fun and fabulous when we have smoothies around. Do you like cold treats like ice creams and shakes? If yes, smoothies are great alternative for you if you want these treats minus the worries while getting more nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Enjoying snacks and drinks can turn healthy, fun and fabulous when we have smoothies around. Do you like cold treats like ice creams and shakes? If yes, smoothies are great alternative for you if you want these treats minus the worries while getting more nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals.
What makes smoothies creamy and not soupy are the thickeners. Thickeners are the ingredients that add volume, texture and consistency to your healthy smoothies. These smoothies are perfect treat if you want to energize yourself or if you just want to relax and chill for a while.
You can make perfect smoothies when you have your dependable food blender around. There are wide choices for the fruits and vegetables as well as thickeners to come up with your own version of smoothie recipe. Now we have many available recipes for smoothies and you can experiment and try them all until you come up with your favorite smoothie treat.
We have here 10 types of thickeners to make your Smoothie Thicker.
Look at the many possibilities to make your smoothie a lot thicker and creamier.
1. Dairy Thickeners-The first simple tips is to add dairy products or milk-based products like ice creams and whipped creams. You just need to scoop some ice creams and get the thickness instantly. Expect this as high in fat content.
2. Yogurt Thickeners-You can use cultured milks and non-fat skimmed milk and yogurt as instant thickener. They are healthier and less fattening.
3. Protein Thickeners- A healthier way to boost your smoothies is to add protein powders. You can also used soybean curds or tofu, soybean puddings to add protein and make it more thick at the same time.
4. Fruit Thickeners- Frozen banana is the common fruit thickener. If you are tired of bananas, you can also make use of frozen and fleshy fruit of avocados and mangoes.
5. Vegetable Thickeners- Some may like to make green smoothies. To make the green smoothies, you need leafy vegetables like romaine lettuce, spinach and kale. See your smoothies turn with more volume and texture.
6. Gum Thickeners- You can also use gum thickeners like xantham gums and guar gums. These gums are powdered and is used as food enhancers and stabilizers too. They are non-dairy thickeners that can be mixed and incorporated in your smoothies.
7. Seed Thickeners- Healthy seeds like flax seeds and chia seeds are sure way to make your smoothies thicker and with different texture. They add volume but not creaminess to your healthy drink.
8. Cereal Thickeners- The oat brans and cereal flakes like corn flakes can also be added to make it more thick and with texture. It can definitely add fiber to your smoothies.
9. Gelatin Thickeners-Sea weed extracts powder are healthy and good source of fiber. The powder can be melted then when ready, you can add this to thicken up your drink.
10. Frozen Berries Thickeners- Berries are definitely good source of antioxidants. You add more texture and creaminess when you add frozen berries. Popular berries like blueberries and strawberries are great for a fruity smoothie treat.