Should You Be Adding Ice to Your Smoothies?

Smoothies
Photo by Fanny Gustafsson on Unsplash

The ingredients you use can make or break your smoothies, and ice cubes have emerged as a popular add-in over the years. You’ll notice it’s used in many smoothie recipes online, but does your smoothie need this ingredient, and what are its pros and cons?

Colder & Thicker

Adding ice to your smoothies comes with several benefits, especially during hot summer days. It will keep your smoothies cold and thicken up their texture without adding any extra calories since it’s basically water.

Watered-Down Taste

Adding ice is a good idea only if you’re planning to drink your smoothie right away. It won’t do it any favors in the long run because it will melt in a couple of minutes, diluting the taste of your smoothie and giving it a watered-down flavor.

Strong Blender

Using ice isn’t a good idea if your blender isn’t strong enough. It can be pretty tough on the blades and can even shorten their lifespan if your blender isn’t designed to handle ice regularly.

Better Alternatives

Using ice seems unnecessary when there are so many better ways to keep your smoothies cold and creamy. Frozen fruits and veggies will usually do the trick, and you can even freeze your milk or other liquid base inside ice cube trays and use them instead of regular ice.