It seems like smoothies are just about everywhere you look now. This diet craze has really inspired people to eat right even if they don’t particularly enjoy the taste of some fruits or vegetables. The only problem with the smoothie diet trend is many people are spending way too much money for the delicious drinks. There are a lot of new blenders on the market that cater to smoothie needs as well as prepackaged mixes designed to make your drinks taste incredible. Unfortunately, all of these newly marketed deals aren’t exactly the best on a family budget. There are many ways you can have your smoothie and drink it too though. So, relax and get ready to make some of the best tasting and incredibly nutritious drinks for you and your family without juicing the bank account.
1. Seasonal Fruits
One of the first steps to save money and to get the freshest and most nutritious ingredients is to look for fruits that are in season. Seasonal fruits can be a bit pricey if you find them out of season so you might want to do a little research as to what is in season and plan a recipe around those fruits and vegetables. Of course, you won’t want to use everything that is in season, so looking up what goes great in a smoothie might be of help. For instance, you might not enjoy putting corn in a smoother just because it on sale, nor will you really enjoy fruits that are mostly seeds like pomegranates. If you just want to wing it at the grocery store then you’ll see most of the seasonal fruits are much cheaper than other produce. Buying in season doesn’t just save you money though. A lot of the nutrients found in seasonal fruits will help you fight off illnesses that occur during that specific season, so give your immune system a fighting chance against colds and the flu without having to worry about taking special vitamins to fight them.
2. Bulk Buy
A lot of people starting out on a smoothie diet tend to go through and buy produce in small batches. This will not only prove to be more expensive but time consuming after the first few weeks of blending these treats. You are going to go through a whole lot of fruits and vegetables whether you’re juicing or making a smoothie so you should buy accordingly. Bulk buys are usually the best way to save a lot of money, so whenever you can you should get your fruit in larger packaging. Sometimes this isn’t always possible as many grocery stores will only package items like oranges, bananas, avocado and apples together. However, if you tend to shop at a farmer’s market you can often strike up a pretty good deal when you buy large portions of fruit and vegetables. Many people tend to avoid doing this because they don’t think they can possibly go through the produce before it comes bad. If this is the case then simply save out the produce you do think you can eat and cut the rest and bag it up for freezing. This will give you a cold smoothie that still has a delicious taste and plenty of nutrition.
3. Stay Off Brand
There’s a lot of brands out there that boost up their prices because they are attached to a large company. You can avoid these extra charges by looking for the foods you want at an off brand price. Fruits and vegetables tend not to have a huge price increase because of brands, but if you can try to buy the produce as locally as possible. This will cut down cost here. Other items such as dairy products and nuts can be a huge drain on the budget if you’re not careful though. Many people like to add a touch of yogurt to their smoothies, so try to find a larger package of yoghurt that features the grocery store brand or a brand that isn’t advertised. This is also important when you look for soy or ingredients like almond milk which can really improve the taste and nutritious value of your smoothies. Nuts can really become expensive if you shop for brand names, so try to look at the bottom shelves when you shop for these items. If you’re careful about what you buy you may find having items apart from fruits and vegetables is possible without breaking the bank.
4. Use More Vegetables
Its no lie that most people don’t like vegetables and many just can’t seem to get the right amount in their diet. The amazing thing about smoothies is you can sneak vegetables into your diet without ever tasting them, which is why so many parents are embracing the idea of smoothies. One of the best things about using vegetables in your smoothies is they tend to cost a bit less and go a lot further. Instead of filling up your blender with a lot of different fruits you should fill it up half way with a leafy green vegetable like spinach. This veggie tends to be one of the cheapest and is packed with things you can’t miss out on your diet. With the blender half full of this delicious vegetable you can then add the fruit without having to diminish your fruit stock. You might also want to consider adding a few more ingredients like carrots or broccoli that is also pretty cheap to buy. This will really amp up your smoothie while keeping the cost of each drink incredibly low.
5. Go For Expired
Most grocery stores will keep a clearance bin for items that they need to get rid of right away. Typically the items are fruits and vegetables that are beginning to wilt or only have a couple of days left on their shelf life. These are excellent items for smoothies, especially if you make the drinks everyday. Most items in the clearance bin are 50% off, if not more, and tend to drop a little bit more each day, which means you’ll pay mere pennies for a good piece of fruit. This is a great way to cut down on your smoothie budget, but it might mean altering a few of your recipes to suit the fruits and vegetables you found that day.
6. Look in the Refrigerator
One of the major cost effective ways to save on smoothies is to use what you already have in the house. A lot of people tend to think they have to go out and buy ingredients specifically for smoothies when they have plenty of good food already in the home. Before you go shopping make sure you take inventory of the food you have in the refrigerator so you don’t waste money on food that might go bad. For instance, a lot of people tend to have excess vegetables that didn’t make it into a meal for one reason or another. Carrots, lettuce, spinach and broccoli are some of the most common vegetables that get overlooked in the refrigerator and therefore go bad when they would add the perfect touch to a smoothie. During the holidays most people have excess apples, pumpkin, raisins, grapes and other fruits that go perfectly in pies just sitting around. Most homes also have little packages of yoghurts that are forgotten or juices that sit past expiration date because people would rather drink other things. These items are great ingredients for a smoothie and will cut down on wastage in the home.
7. Go Frozen
If you don’t plan on making a smoothie everyday, or you you tend to forget about produce in the home then you may want to go with frozen ingredients. A lot of people see frozen foods as less nutritious but many pack almost the same amount of vitamins as a fresh price of fruit. You should always shop carefully when it comes to frozen fruits as some stores will hike up the prices during certain seasons. The best thing you can do is shop for frozen fruit like you would seasonal fruit. These pieces of fruit will last a long time so you can stock up when you see a deal. You might also want consider buying packages that contain more than one type of fruit so you can have a diverse smoothie throughout the year. You should always make sure the price isn’t higher than what it would be if you were buying the produce fresh which is easily avoided if you steer clean of brand names.
8. Recipes
So many people take to the book stores looking for excellent recipes when they decide they want to try a smoothie diet. This can be one of the worst mistakes you’ll make when it comes to making a smoothie. A lot of books will claim to have the best recipes for weight loss or energy, when the truth is eating healthy is one of the best ways to lose weight no matter what recipe you use. Instead of buying a book on smoothies you should search around the internet to see if there is any that sound good to you. There are so many websites dedicated to proving people with smoothies that have so many health benefits that you’ll never want to buy a book on the topic. You might also want to check out some of the numerous videos posted online that show people creating some of their favorite drinks. The options are endless and they’re totally free.
9. Blender Crisis
Currently there are a good number of blenders on the market now that claim to create the smoothest and healthiest smoothies on the market. A lot of these blender can cost you up to $500 if you’re not doing research too! When it comes to a smoothie maker it might be best to keep under $50, especially if you’re not sure if you want to stick with the diet or not. There are many smoothie makers on the market that don’t cost a lot and will basically do the same job as the expensive machines, so shop around before you decide to make a big purchase. Of course, if you really want to save money you could always stick with the blender you have. Most blenders will do a great job at blending your ingredients and although it might not be as smooth as you like it, it will still taste pretty good.
10. Go Used
A lot of people have to have their expensive gadgets, which is fine especially if you know it an investment you’re going to keep around the house and use often. You don’t have to go out and buy one of these machines new though. Many people who get excited about the smoothie diet go out and buy an expensive Ninja or Vitamix blender and then realize that they aren’t all that into the diet plan. Of course, these people want to get some money back on their purchase so they list the product to eager buyers. This is a great time to swoop in and buy the piece for yourself. You should always make sure the blender is working before you buy it though,especially if you’re getting the product through Craig’s List which has no clauses to help buyers. If you are looking for a refurbished model from a department store or from the actual warehouse then you have nothing to worry about.
Smoothies are one of the best ways to get all the nutrients you need in your diet, so don’t let the price tag scare you away. With these tips you can have a delicious smoothie that doesn’t come close to costing you what it would had a chain smoothie restaurant. Now, you can enjoy the delicious taste of health food that will even have the pickiest of kids pleased to indulge in this healthy treat!
