Lemon Is The Key To Fixing An Overly Sweet Smoothie

Unlike most other drinks, smoothies allow you to consume most of the important food groups in only a few sips. Flavored with your favorite fruits, vegetables, a splash of milk, and a protein-packed nut butter to keep you full, smoothies always make an excellent breakfast. Yet, going overboard on things like dates, ripe bananas, or agave syrup can result in a smoothie that's way too sweet.

Instead of making your smoothie with water to temper the sugar, try squeezing lemon juice into your smoothie. The citrus is naturally acidic, which helps to counteract sweetness. Start out with a small amount and taste it to ensure that you don't go over the top and end up with a mouth-puckering smoothie. If you don't have any lemons on hand, a teaspoon or two of apple cider vinegar will also suffice.

While lemon juice adds a bright, zesty flavor to fruit smoothies, the best way to avoid an overly sweet smoothie is to learn how to balance flavors. Read ahead to learn the best ways to make a smoothie that tastes just right.

When assembling ingredients for a smoothie, you're most likely thinking about the sweeter ingredients that will stand out. With your focus on the mangoes, apples, or cherries you want to fit into the smoothie, important aspects like spinach or kale become an afterthought. Although no one wants a bitter-tasting smoothie, following a ratio that's equal parts fruits, vegetables, and milk, yogurt, or coconut water will help to avoid that.

Being mindful of the types of fruits you put in your smoothie will also help you balance the taste. Fruits like figs, pineapples, grapes, and bananas have a high amount of sugar and will make your smoothie extremely sweet. Papayas, avocado, berries, and cantaloupe don't only have a lower sugar content, but they'll make your smoothies even more refreshing.

Although they can be beneficial, ingredients you use for protein may also be the culprit behind an overly sweet smoothie. Flavored yogurt, sweetened protein powder, and nut butter can be swapped out for raw cocoa powder, chia seeds, raw nuts, and plain yogurt to get a smoothie that has the right amount of sweetness.