Home-made smoothies or shakes are the most popular instant meal nowadays. They are basically combinations of many nutritious foods. They are easy to prepare, easy to eat, and easy to digest healthy recipes. They are usually liquid or semi-solid recipes.
Who can consume smoothies and shakes?
- In the busy morning schedules of the working people, smoothies are of great importance.
- Smoothies and shakes are healthy foods for toddlers and young children.
- The elderly having chewing problems can also consume these healthy recipes without any difficulty.
- The incorporation of a smoothie in the daily menu of pregnant women supplies important nutrients to her.
- The inclusion of a shake in the f adolescent’s daily diet provides extra energy, protein, calcium and iron to them which is needed for their rapid growth.
Why home-made smoothies and shakes?
Home-made smoothies and shakes are the healthy alternatives of commercially available instant foods and milk shakes due to the following 10 reasons-
- The calorie content of home-made shakes and smoothies can be modified according to the need of the individuals.
- These smoothies are loaded with proteins, healthy fat and carbohydrates.
- They do not contain any trans-fat.
- They are good sources of minerals like calcium, iron, potassium etc.
- Since the preparation of smoothies and /or shakes does not involve prolong cooking, vitamins are well preserved in these recipes.
- They are very good sources of vitamin-C and folic acids.
- They also contain a good amount of beta carotene and other vitamins.
- They are freshly prepared with healthy and tasty foods.
- They are free of preservatives, artificial flavouring and /or colouring agents.
- They contain little sugar and salt.
How to prepare shakes and smoothies at home?
It is very easy to prepare different types of smoothies and shakes at your home. It does not require so much time, it takes only 5 to 10 minutes for the preparation. How? I like to mention 10 different types of iron-rich, nutritious shakes and smoothies. Moreover, recipes of two iron-rich beverages are also suggested.
Five Different TypesofSmoothie Recipes
Recipe-1: Probiotic-rich Cereal Pulse Smoothie
Ingredients required
- Rice flakes: 1 tablespoon
- Bengal gram sattu: 1 tablespoon
- Dry coconut powder: 1 teaspoon
- Watermelon seeds powder: 1 teaspoon
- Niger seeds: 1 teaspoon
- Curds: 2 tablespoons
- Black salt: As per taste
- Black pepper: A pinch
Method of preparation
- Roast and grind niger seeds (black til), watermelon seeds and rice flakes separately.
- Take all the powdered ingredients in a grinder, mix well.
- Now add curd and half a cup of water, crush them in a smooth paste.
- Serve the freshly prepared smoothie to anemic member of your family.
Health benefits
This is a high calorie, high protein, iron rich breakfast smoothie, rich in minerals and antioxidants. Anyone can consume this easily digestible, healthy and tasty breakfast.
Powdered ingredients can be stored for 7 days at room temperature. So, prepare store the powdered ingredients in an airtight container and take the required amount of powder mix, add curd, mix well and serve it. You can replace the commercially available instant breakfast with this home-made instant breakfast.
Recipe-2: Cereal milk Smoothie with fruits and nuts
Ingredients required
- Milk: One Cup
- Puffed rice powder: half a cup
- Banana (chopped): one medium size
- Raisins: one teaspoon
- Cashew nuts: one teaspoon
- Sugar: one teaspoon
- Dates (Deseeded): one teaspoon
Method of preparation
Take the required amounts of all ingredients in a grinder, grind them in a smooth paste and serve.
Health benefits
This is a healthy, tasty, nutrient rich instant breakfast. It is loaded with iron and other minerals.
Recipe-3: Mixed Vegetable Smoothie
Ingredients required
- Beetroot (slices): 25g
- Carrot (sliced): 25g
- Tomato (sliced): 50g
- parsley (chopped finely): One handful
- Black Salt: A pinch
- Black pepper: A pinch
Method of preparation
- Cut the vegetables into small pieces.
- Add all the vegetables and spices together in a pressure cooker. Add one glass of water to it. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Cool the content, crush all the vegetables along with water using a grinder.
- Strain the content and serve it along with half a teaspoon of butter.
Health benefits
This mixed vegetable smoothie is a good source of iron, vitamin-C and antioxidants. This smoothie not only helps to increase your hemoglobin level but also help to boost your general health.
Beet help in blood formation increases hemoglobin level and prevents anemia. (1, 2)
Tomato is loaded with several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It is a rich source of vitamin-C which increases the rate of iron absorption. Tomato helps to improve the hemoglobin level of anemic individuals. (3)
Beta carotene rich vegetables like carrot help to improve hemoglobin level and prevent anemia. (4,5)
Parsley is a very good source of iron, providing 17.9 mg of iron per 100g, so we should include it in our iron-rich vegetable smoothie.
Recipe-4:Mixed Fruit Smoothie
Ingredients required
- Watermelon: 1 cup
- Strawberry: Half a cup
- Pomegranate: Half a cup
- Raisin: 1 tablespoon
- Dates (deseeded): 1 tablespoon
Method of preparation
- Take five types of fresh fruits (chopped) into the grinder jar and grind them together.
- Do not add any sugar. Relish the original taste and flavour of natural sugars present in fresh fruits.
Health benefits
All the five fruits are rich in iron, so the mixed fruit smoothie is also a very good source of iron. Moreover, this smoothie is an excellent source of several vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which help you to improve your general health and boost your immunity.
Recipe-5: Protein power Smoothie
Ingredients required
- Milk: Half a cup
- Cashew: 10 or 12
- Almonds: 4 or 5
- Groundnuts: 1 tablespoon
- Dry coconut: 1 teaspoon
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Elaichi powder: A pinch
Method of preparation
- Dry roast groundnuts, remove the outer brown seed coat, grind them into powder.
- Dry roast cashew nuts and almonds and ground them into a powder.
- Take half a cup of milk in a grinder, add nuts powder, dry coconut and sugar to it.
- Grind them together and make a smooth paste.
- Serve the freshly prepared nut smoothie as an evening tiffin.
Health benefits
- This nuts smoothie is a very rich source of iron because it is a unique combination of 4 iron rich nuts, dry coconut (7.8 mg of iron / 100g), cashew nuts (5.81 mg of iron / 100g), almond (5.09 mg of iron / 100g), and roasted Groundnut (3.1 mg of iron / 100g). Adolescent boys and girls should take this smoothie regularly which will help them to maintain good iron status and prevents anemia.
- This smoothie is a high calorie, high protein, high fat food.
- This smoothie contains both animal protein (milk) as well as vegetable protein (nuts), which ensure mutual supplementation of amino acids.
- This recipe is rich in several important minerals like calcium, iron etc.
Recipe-6: Smoothie with cereal and fruits
Ingredients required
- Milk: half a cup
- Rice flakes: 2 tablespoons
- Banana: 1 medium
- Dates: 4
- Groundnut powder: 1 tablespoon
Method of preparation
- Boil the milk and cool it.
- Roast the groundnuts, remove their brown seedcoats and ground them into a powder.
- Remove seeds from dates.
- Peel banana and cut into small pieces.
- Roast rice flakes for a minute and grind into a powder.
- Take cool milk along with rice flakes powder, groundnut powder, date and banana pieces. Mix them together using a mixer grinder.
Health benefits
- This high-calorie smoothie contains rice flakes (providing 20 mg of iron / 100g) which is the richest source of iron among the cereals. Among the fruits, dates are a good source of iron (providing 7.3 mg of iron / 100g). Roasted groundnut (providing 3.1 mg of iron / 100g) is also a good source of iron.
- This smoothie is also a very good source of protein calcium and potassium.
- It contains a moderate amount of healthy fat from milk and groundnuts.
Five Different TypesofShake Recipes
Recipe-7: Badam Milk Shake
Ingredients required
- Milk: 1 cup
- Cashew: 1 teaspoon
- Almond: 1 teaspoon
- Groundnut: 1 teaspoon
- Dates (4 or 5)
- Raisins: 1 teaspoon
Method of preparation
- Soak almonds and groundnuts overnight and then remove their seed coat.
- Roast the groundnuts on a tawa with constant stirring, so that no burning takes place.
- Remove the seed coat of roasted groundnuts and soaked almonds. Grind into a powder.
- Remove the seeds from dates and cut them into small pieces.
- Take one cup of milk, add all the nuts and raisins and dates to it. Grind them together into a smooth shake.
- Now the healthy, iron-rich badam milk shake is ready.
- Serve the freshly prepared smoothie to your family members.
Health benefits
This home-made, freshly prepared badam milk shake is only a rich source of iron, it also a good source of several vitamins and minerals.
Recipe-8: Strawberry milkshake with dates and raisins
Ingredients required
- Milk: 1 Cup
- Strawberry: 2
- Dates: 4
- Raisins: One teaspoon
- Peanut butter: One teaspoon
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon (5g)
Method of preparation
- Boil the milk. Cool it.
- Remove seeds from dates and cut them into small pieces.
- Cut strawberries into small pieces.
- Take milk in a grinder, add strawberry and date pieces, peanut butter, raisins, and sugar. Crush into a smooth paste.
- Your home-made, strawberry milkshake is ready, serve it.
Health benefits
This Strawberry milkshake is a high calorie, high protein, iron-rich milkshake. This healthy and tasty home-made milkshake is a nutritious alternative to commercially available milkshakes.
Recipe-9: Probiotic based mixed fruit Shake
Ingredients required
- Watermelon (1 cup)
- Banana (1 medium size)
- Dates (4 or 5)
- Yoghurt (half cup)
- Honey (I teaspoon)
Method of preparation
- Remove the peel and seeds of the watermelon and cut them into small pieces.
- Cut a banana into small pieces.
- Remove the seeds of dates and cut it into small pieces.
- Take half a cup yoghurt, add watermelon, banana and date pieces to it. Add a teaspoon of honey.
- Crush all the ingredients into a smooth paste.
- Now your healthy, tasty refreshing fruit shake is ready.
- Serve the freshly prepared smoothie to growing kids.
Health benefits
Probiotic based fruit Shake is a pink coloured, thick shake which is a good source of several minerals like calcium, iron, potassium etc. The bright pink colour, frothy texture and sweet aroma of the shake is appealing to anyone.
Curd (dahi) contain probiotic bacteria which are beneficial bacteria that help to ensure good digestion and prevents constipation.
Those people suffering from a milk allergy or lactose intolerance can also try this recipe because it does not contain lactose, instead, it contains lactic acid.
Recipe-10: Probiotic based mango Shake
Ingredients required
- Ripe mango: 1 small size
- Yogurt: half cup
- Honey: I teaspoon
- Grated coconut: I tablespoon
Method of preparation
- Remove the peel and seed of the mango and cut into small pieces.
- Grate the coconut.
- Take half a cup of yoghurt, add mango, coconut (grated) and honey to it.
- Crush all the ingredients into a smooth paste.
- Now your healthy, tasty refreshing mango shake is ready.
- Serve the freshly prepared smoothie.
Health benefits
A healthy and yummy shake is relished by anyone. It is rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.
Recipe-11: Refreshing garden cress seeds drink
Ingredients required
- Halim seeds: 5g
- Lemon: One
- Salt: a pinch
- Sugar: One teaspoon
Method of preparation
- Soak the garden cress (halim) seeds in a glass of water for an hour.
- Now add lemon juice and a pinch of salt to it. Stir well.
- Your refreshing drink is ready to serve.
Health benefits
This drink is rich both in iron and vitamin-C and thus appropriate for anemic persons.
Recipe-12: Herbal Tea with Halim seed drink
Ingredients required
- Garden cress seeds: 5g
- Water: 2 cups
- Honey: One teaspoon
Method of preparation
- Boil the soaked garden cress seeds with water. When the volume of water becomes half, then switch off the gas. Cool it slightly.
- Now add a tablespoon of honey to it.Your herbal tea is ready now, drink it.
Health benefits
This herbal tea is not only loaded with iron but also contain substantial amounts of other vitamins and minerals.
When smoothies and shakes can be taken?
Smoothies can be taken as an instant breakfast. You can give a milk shake during mid-morning snack time. Herbal tea can be taken at any time. The refreshing drink can be taken in the evening after returning from the work.
Smoothies and shakes should not be taken along with meals like lunch and dinner.
Bottom line
Different types of smoothies and shakes are post popular recipes in modern societies because of their high nutritive values. These easily digestible foods can be prepared and taken easily. These healthy and tasty popular foods can be taken by anyone, from toddlers to elderly people. Depending on the age of the person and their nutritional requirements, the composition of smoothies and shakes can be changed.
Curds, a common ingredient present in shakes and smoothie is loaded with beneficial bacteria which are important for maintaining our good digestion and prevents constipation. Among the cereal products, rice flake is the richest source of iron, which can be powdered and used in smoothies. Dry fruits like dates and raisins are rich in iron.
Among the nuts, cashew, almonds, and groundnuts can be used to prepare milkshakes and smoothies. Coconut, particularly dry coconut, is a good source of iron and other minerals. Among the seeds, garden cress seeds (halim or aliv seeds) are the richest source of iron, followed by niger seeds (black til), watermelon seeds (char magaz or magaz), sesame seeds (white til), etc. They are also rich sources of other minerals and protein.
To improve the mineral contents of smoothies and shakes, the nutritional potentials of the seeds are utilized. Green leafy vegetables are good sources of iron, so greens are utilized whenever possible. Among the fruits, watermelon is the richest source of iron. Red and orange-colored fruits and vegetables are useful for blood formation, so they are utilized.
Here 12 healthy smoothies, shakes, herbal tea, and refreshing drink recipes are mentioned. You may try more and more varieties of smoothies, using healthy foods, to boost the nutritional status of your family members.
