Can You Make A Smoothie with Water?

Sometimes you don’t feel like using almond milk or oat milk and would prefer to just use plain water. But can you make a smoothie with water?

You don’t often see smoothie recipes call for using water, but does that mean that you can’t use water to make a smoothie?

Quick and easy answer? Yes, you can make a smoothie with water.

Longer answer? Let’s dive in.

 

Why Can You Make A Smoothie With Water?

The simple reason why you can make a smoothie with water is because water is a liquid.

I recently wrote a whole blog post that covered whether or not you could make a smoothie without liquid.

The takeaway from that post was that you really can’t. You are not going to get a smoothie if you simply blend up fruits and vegetables. What you will get is either a frozen slushy or some sort of frozen fruit sorbet.

Liquid is key to turning fruits and vegetables into a smoothie. You need to add some liquid. It doesn’t have to be water, but it should be liquid.

The liquid helps in breaking down the solids. Without the liquid, the solids won’t breakdown into a smoothie like consistency.

It doesn’t mean that you have to use water in your smoothie, but it does mean that you have to use a liquid.

The reason that water works is that it is a liquid.

Coconut water works because it is a liquid. Nut milk, almond milk, regular milk are all liquids.

The main similarity to all of these items is that they are liquids.

Are There Drawbacks to Making A Smoothie With Water?

I don’t think that there are any drawbacks really. I often times will make a smoothie using just filtered water as my main liquid.

The upside of using water to make a smoothie is that it’s cheap (you can just filter tap water) and easy.

The other cool thing about using water is that is doesn’t distract from the flavor of the ingredients.

I know that there are a lot of people who don’t like using nut milks because they don’t like the flavor of almond milk.

That’s where water can be a real lifesaver. You can get a neutral flavor profile when using water.

The only drawback is that water won’t add that “creamy’ texture that you might be looking for in a smoothie. But the easy answer to that is to simply add some fat in the form of a coconut cream or coconut oil or some avocado or vegan yogurt.

Water also doesn’t contain as many minerals as coconut water, so if you’re someone who likes to add extra electrolytes to your drink, then think twice about relying only on water.

Using Water vs Using Nut Milk In A Smoothie

Personally I am a big fan of using water when I make my smoothies. If I have some almond milk in the fridge, I might add it, but I like water as an all purpose liquid.

The upside to using a nut milk is that you get added flavor, and some added creaminess. It can help make a fruit smoothie more creamy.

Water, on the other hand, doesn’t do much in the way of making things creamy. So, if you want a creamy smoothie, you are going to have to add things like protein powder (some of them add a creaminess), avocado, or coconut cream.

However, if you are someone who is on a diet and wants to limit your caloric intake, then water is perfect. There are zero calories in water, which makes it the perfect liquid for someone who is on a diet.

My takeaway is this:

• On a diet? Use water in your smoothie.
• On a budget? Use water in your smoothie?
• Doing a single berry smoothie? Use nut milk in your smoothie.
• Want a creamy smoothie? Use nut milk.

What Type of Water Should You Use To Make A Smoothie

Ok, here’s where I am a bit of a stickler for filtered water. I do not think you should use plain tap water (unless you have a well dug on your own property that has been tested).

If you use the municipal water supply, you really must use a water filter.

Water filters are a whole headache to figure out, but long and short of it is to only get a filter that says it removes lead. There are a lot of water filters that do not remove lead.

Who buys a water filter that does not remove lead? Well, a lot of people. That’s because many water filters were changed years ago and now you have to buy a “special” water filter that removes lead.

So make sure that you are filtering your water. I use a standard pitcher filter design. But the choice of filter is up to you.

I would avoid using bottled supermarket water for a few reasons. First, those water sources are a bit sketchy. Unless you are reading up and doing due diligence on the water source, you might end up with some off brand that has lead or cryptosporidium in it.

Also, water in plastic bottles is dangerous. While it shouldn’t be an issue if the water is properly stored, you have no idea about the supply chain and transportation of the water.

The bottles might have been left on a pallet in the sun all day (which can cause the plastic to get super hot which can potentially leak damaging plasticides into the water). Also, they might have been left in a cargo van and froze and then thawed (another way plastic deteriorates).

Plastic and the potential problems that it causes when leaked into drinking water are well documented. These include estrogenic problems.

So, stick to using tap water that you filter yourself. It’s cheap and the safest way to get water for your smoothie.

 

Can You Make A Smoothie With Water and Also Ice?

Sure. There is no reason that you can’t make a smoothie using water and ice. The only concern is that I would bring up is that Ice melts into a liquid.

So, if you’re using both ice and water, remember to not add as much liquid as when you are adding ice.

I wrote up an article that covered the best personal blenders for crushing ice and in it I go into depth about how and why you want special blenders when using lots of ice.