Buttermilk Is The Ingredient You Didn't Know Your Smoothie Needed

People love smoothies because they can offer an incredible balance of nutrition and delicious flavor. Smoothies are also the ultimate customizable drinks since you can make them in countless ways. Pick your favorite ingredients, load them in a blender, and out comes that special smoothie that you desire. You might've been told that your smoothie should always have some fruit, juice, greens, and something sweet like honey or peanut butter. While not essential, all of these ingredients are great. However, what you may not have been told is that your smoothie absolutely needs some buttermilk. 

Using buttermilk as an ingredient is one of the best ways to make your smoothies taste way better. Smoothie development scientist Amanda Daily told well+good, "The best trick for creating a creamy smoothie is to add an ingredient or two high in protein." And according to WebMD, buttermilk is a great source of protein. Buttermilk is also very viscous and tangy. And when you blend it into your smoothie, you will get a delectably thick and flavorful result. So just how much buttermilk should you put in your smoothie?

The ingredient ratios for smoothies can vary based on your ingredients and the kind of smoothie that you are trying to make. However, a typical smoothie recipe will call for about one cup of liquid. When you make your smoothie, adding one cup of buttermilk should be just enough to make it thicker, creamier, and more flavorful. If you want to add buttermilk for what it can do to improve the texture of your smoothie, but you don't necessarily want too much of its flavor impacting your drink, then you can make a simple adjustment to your liquid ingredients.

Instead of using one cup of buttermilk, simply reduce the amount of buttermilk to your liking and add other ingredients that will still amount to a total of one cup of liquid. Some of your other liquid options include water, milk, yogurt, fruit juice, coconut milk, and coconut water. Customizing your liquid base can also help you make a smoothie you actually want to drink. But you'll get more than just a boost of taste and texture from buttermilk in your smoothie.

The flavor and texture of your smoothie will definitely benefit from a cup of buttermilk. But you will also get some health benefits from the buttermilk in your smoothie. Per WebMD, one cup of cultured 1% buttermilk will give your smoothie 9 grams of protein, and the buttermilk that you buy will likely be boosted with Vitamin A, Vitamin D, calcium, and potassium. These vitamins and nutrients can help with several aspects of your overall health.

Protein can help you develop healthy muscles and skin. Vitamin A is great for strengthening ocular health and your immune system. Vitamin D and calcium are great for bone health and structure. The healthy bacteria in buttermilk can also function as probiotics, which will give your gut the kind of bacteria that will make your digestion system run smoother. Now that you know that adding buttermilk will give your smoothie a boost in taste, texture, and nutrition, it's time to give it a shot. And you can start by making a buttermilk banana bean smoothie.