Smoothie

A smoothie is a beverage that is made using fresh fruits and vegetables. Smoothies are chilled, blended and even sweetened, sometimes. Smoothies have thick consistency like milkshakes with the only difference that they do not consist of ice cream but they may have milk as one of their ingredients.

 

History of Smoothies

In the 1930s, pureed fruit drinks were sold by the food stores situated on the United State’s West coast. In the 1940s, the recipe of pineapple smoothie and banana smoothie were published in the cookbooks. It was in 1960s that smoothies became popular in the United States when they were sold by the ice-cream vendors. Blended fruit drinks were sold as smoothies by Stephen Kuhnau, the co-founder of Smoothie King, in the 1970s. Smoothies that were supplement-fortified became famous in the 1980s because of the popularity of sports in this era. Specialized smoothie bars also opened during this time.

The smoothie industry ultimately turned into a multi-billion dollar industry in the 2000s. Smoothies were then available in mainstream coffee shops and supermarkets too. Since the year 1990, several companies have been adding frozen yogurt so as to give the smoothies a creamy texture. Several fruit smoothies which are available in the Middle Eastern and the Mediterranean regions, use frozen yogurt along with fresh fruits and honey.

Smoothies when mixed with alcohol make an amazing cocktail and they may even be mixed with soda. Smoothies are liked by the people of all ages primarily because of their sweetened fruit flavor and also because of their high nutritional value. Pre-bottled smoothies must be refrigerated, else they will perish away. Several raw vegans prefer drinking green smoothies that consist of green leafy vegetables like lettuce and spinach. Green smoothies have also been promoted by health magazines as a very healthy beverage. Best smoothies are available at “Smoothie King” and “Tropical Smoothie Café”.

 

Ingredients Used and Popular Methods of Preparation of Smoothie

Some smoothies contain 100% fruit while others may consist of frozen fruit, honey or crushed ice. Smoothies are made by the process of blending.

 

Health and Nutrition Facts of Smoothie

Smoothies are good for health- conscious people. They are rich in vitamins, dietary fiber and antioxidants. Addition of add-ins such as green tea, soy milk or nutritional supplement mixes makes the beverage extremely nutritious.

 

Smoothie Trivia

• Smoothies were first sold in California in the 1960s.

• Jamba Juice and Smoothie King are amongst the largest smoothie franchises.

• Smoothie which is made using fruits and low fat dairy products make up for an extremely healthy breakfast.