Why Does My Smoothie Taste like Shit?

a chapter from my book, Weight Loss Smoothies

Why does my smoothie taste like crappity crap? Most of the time, someone took a juicing recipe and shoved it into a blender. That is simply not going to work. Here is the list of the major reasons why your smoothie tastes like 14 different kinds of poo:

1. Juicers and blenders are two different machines. Doesn’t that seem obvious?! But it’s true. A juicer makes juice and a blender makes a smoothie. A juicer will remove all of that water and flavored liquid, whereas a blender leaves everything in the drink. So… there is a big difference between the taste of organic apple juice and an organic whole apple, right? That’s one difference that you will find between juicing and blending. There are several types of juicers (centrifugal, auger, cold pressed, etc.) and even those differences will result in a difference in taste based on how much actual juice is extracted from the plant. There are mostly 2 types of blenders, and the best blender for a successful smoothie is a high speed blender that will liquefy greens and vegetables (VitaMix, etc.). If you have questions about this email or call me and I will help.

2. If you are using a juicing recipe for a blender, it will take like shit. Do not use a juice recipe for a smoothie and vice-versa! Again please re-read reason number 1. The machines will extract different flavors to your produce if you juice versus blending it. Consider that you cannot blend celery, for example, and that alone with the fibers and strings will slay your smoothie. Celery, on the other hand, is excellent for juicing. This is a common issue and the reason for this article.

3. Blenders leave in the fiber, and that makes the taste different. This is important. Try this, again with apples. Get organic apple juice, organic apple sauce and a whole organic apple(ideally same variety). Taste them in that order and notice the subtle difference of how much less sweet and more complex they taste as you get to the whole apple. That’s the idea. The fiber, skin, seeds and the way they are processed all have an effect on the taste of a blended drink versus a juice (remember don’t blend your celery!)

4. Sometimes, it’s the texture. Green smoothies are fantastic! Blending some greens, like kale, can give you the health benefits, but can leave a strange texture that affects your palate. If my blender isn’t strong enough to liquefy greens (you often need a high speed blender), then honestly I’d prefer a salad than a pithy smoothie (personally). This effect is not a new discovery; that’s why the French have 143 different ways to cut a carrot and the Italians make 9,000 different shapes of pasta (these numbers are just examples and have not been scientifically proven). In my book Sexy Salads (Amazon) I recommend the ways to cut your salad for maximum deliciousness. The addition of the fiber and plant matter can change the flavor simply because the particles are a different shape.

5. Greens can be earthy tasting without fruit. If you are trying to go low sugar, and you want to omit some fruit from your green smoothie, it might not work or might taste harsh (or, like crap). You can try adding some organic lemon juice and/or organic ginger juice (very little) if you like those flavors. If sugar/blood sugar is an issue than salads (most fiber) or green vegetable juice (vegetables only and you can still add the lemon/ginger) might be an easier choice than a smoothie, which almost always requires fruit for the flavor win.

6. Organic organic organic. Try using fresh, organic fruits and vegetables in your smoothies, it really makes a difference. If you buy locally from the farmer and freeze the fruits yourself, even better. Lots of the good tasting stuff in fruits can be killed by freezing, and often store bought frozen fruit will taste only like colored ice (which is still a good place to start and might still work, but won’t be as flavorful). Use only the freshest organic produce in your smoothies and you will like have a better experience.

7. Sugar, sugar, sugar! Juice your veggies and eat your fruit (or blend/smoothie). When you juice a fruit or vegetable, you will get higher concentration of the natural sugars in the food (I only recommend juicing vegetables for this reason). Since a blender retains the fiber and your drink is more of a food than a liquid, the smoothie will likely taste more like the original fruit, and less sugary than the juice. Again, this is another reason why juicing recipes won’t taste as good in a blender.

1. Changes in the chemical structure of the food. One of the best articles I have found on green smoothies is entitled Victoria’s Response to Criticism of Green Smoothies(Victoria Boutenko). She points out another great reason that smoothies might taste different. Blending can change the vitamin and mineral content of the food. Some vitamins, like A and C, are reduced in the blending process. This can change the taste significantly. Per the study cited in her article, there are a lot more phytochemicals in a smoothie than a juice drink, so it’s a tradeoff. (Personally I feel benefits from both blending and juicing, so I include both in my life.)

Juicing and blending are like baking and frying. You might be able use the same ingredients in both places, but they won’t taste the same no matter how hard you try. Organic juice (juicer) and organic smoothies (blender) are both excellent additions to your day because we need to make it easier to absorb more nutrients and phytochemicals.
Often we are shoveling and inhaling (and not chewing) due to time demands in our lives. Help your body help you.
If you need some classes, coaching (via internet or phone too, location is not an issue), recipes or have any questions, just let me know.

Your smoothie should be sunshiny and delicious!

Here is the link to Michele’s book, Weight Loss Smoothies!
https://sellfy.com/p/4IqO/
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Previously published in my book, on my blog http://EngineeringWellness.com , on Medium
Images from Unsplash & gif from Giphy

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