Cranberries are among the most valuable berries. It strengthens the immune system, improves skin condition, prevents aging of the body, reduces the risk of cancer, and has other beneficial properties. However, in its pure form, this berry may seem too acidic, which is why it is more often used for cooking and drinking. One of the most delicious and healthy cocktails is a cranberry smoothie. This thick drink quenches not only thirst, but also hunger, as it has a thick consistency. Many supporters of healthy eating replace their daily snacks or eat it for dessert.
Cooking Features
If you want a cranberry smoothie to be both tasty and healthy, you need to take several things into account when preparing it.
- Both fresh and frozen cranberries can be used to make a smoothie. If the berry is frozen, it is not necessary to wait until it is completely thawed. You can add it to a half-thawed cocktail, then it will be thicker and colder, which will only improve its organoleptic qualities.
- If you do not like a slight bitterness present in the taste of cranberries, it should be frozen.
- Cranberry is an acidic berry; to harmonize its taste, the smoothie has to be sweetened. If you do not want to greatly increase the calorie content of the cocktail, it is better to refuse sugar. Sweeten the drink can be honey, rosehip syrup, sweet berries and fruits.
- To add extra thickness to the smoothie, you can add oatmeal, flax seeds, cottage cheese, bananas and other fruits with dense pulp. If you want the cocktail to be less thick, you can add mineral water, fruit or berry juice to it.
In order to have a feeling of fullness when eating a cranberry smoothie, it comes faster, it is better not to drink it, but to eat it with small spoons.
Cranberry smoothie with kefir
Composition:
- cranberries (fresh or frozen) - 100 g;
- kefir - 0, 2 l;
- sugar - 30 g (or an adequate amount of sugar substitutes).
Method of preparation:
- Loop, wash the cranberries, sprinkle it on a towel so that it dries faster. If you are using frozen berry, let it thaw at least half.
- Place the berry in the bowl of the blender, add sugar or sweetener. If you use a sweetener in tablets, it must first be diluted in a small amount of warm water.
- Turn on the unit, chop the berry to a puree state.
- Add kefir, beat the products.
It remains to pour the cocktail into a glass and enjoy its taste.
Smoothies with cranberries and banana
Composition:
- cranberries - 80 g;
- banana - 100 g;
- orange - 150 g;
- icing sugar (optional) - 20 g;
- ice (optional) - 3-4 cubes.
Method of preparation:
- Pour the prepared cranberries into the blender bowl.
- Peel a banana, cut it into slices, put them to the cranberries.
- Cut the orange in half, squeeze the juice out of it, fill it with cranberries and a banana.
- Turning on the blender, turn the contents of its bowl into a homogeneous mass.
- Add icing sugar. It can be replaced with honey, but it must be melted to a liquid state before adding.
- Turn on the blender for another half a minute.
- Put ice cubes in a glass, fill it with a smoothie.
A cranberry smoothie with a banana can be cooked without added sugar, as this fruit is sweet enough to balance the cranberry sourness.
Cranberry-Banana Smoothie with Oatmeal
Composition:
- cranberries - 150 g;
- banana - 150 g;
- milk - 0, 2 l;
- oatmeal - 10 g;
- flax seeds - 5 g;
- powdered sugar or honey (optional) - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Peel the banana, cut into small pieces of arbitrary shape.
- Wash and dry the cranberries or thaw them.
- Grind oatmeal and flax seeds to flour. For this it is advisable to use a coffee grinder.
- Fill the flour with milk, leave for 10 minutes.
- Transfer this mass to a beater. Add bananas and cranberries. Grind food by mixing at the same time using an immersion blender.
- Add melted honey or powdered sugar to a liquid state. Whip the smoothies again.
Smoothies for this recipe is thick and hearty enough to replace one of the snacks. It can also be eaten for breakfast.
Fruit Cranberry Smoothie
Composition:
- cranberries - 100 g;
- apple - 0, 2 kg;
- grapefruit - 0, 25 kg;
- ginger - 10 g;
- honey - 20-40 ml;
- mineral water (preferably without gas) - 100 ml.
Method of preparation:
- Pick up the cranberries, put in a colander, rinse in the shower. Let the berry dry.
- Peel an apple, cut a seed box out of it, cut the flesh into small cubes, put it in a bowl.
- Peel the grapefruit, divide into slices. With each slice remove the white film. Remove bones. Place the grapefruit pulp in apple slices. There, pour the dried cranberries.
- Melt the honey to a liquid state, pour it cranberries and fruit.
- Peel the ginger, grate it with fine holes, transfer it to other ingredients.
- Fill with mineral water. Water is desirable to choose with a neutral taste, non-carbonated. It can be replaced with ordinary boiled water - with it a smoothie will be a little less useful, but the risk of distorting the taste of the finished cocktail will be excluded.
- Dip a blender into the fruit bowl, turn it on. Grind food for 2 minutes. As a result, in a bowl should be a liquid puree, which has a uniform consistency.
- Pour the smoothie from bowl to glass through a funnel or other convenient way.
It is recommended to serve a smoothie made according to this recipe with a spoon, as it is so thick that it is more convenient to eat than to drink.
Cranberry smoothies are not only a delicious dessert, but also a healthy drink. It is included in the diet if you want to improve immunity and improve the overall condition of the body. In the fight against excess weight, this cocktail is also a good helper.
