Can You Make A Smoothie Without Milk?

Fellow smoothie fans, the time has come to address one of the more common questions that come up when talking about smoothies. Can you make a smoothie without milk?

Sure can. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I made a smoothie with milk. It’s normally something that I don’t even think about doing. Milk is simply not one of the go to things that I use when making a smoothie.

There are plenty of ways to make a smoothie, and many of them are completely vegan and dairy free. However, if it’s only milk you have an issue with, and not all dairy, then I have a few good tips for making a smoothie without milk that still has some healthy dairy.

Let’s jump into the discussion.

Can You Make A Smoothie Without Milk?

As I said above, yes. Of course you can make a smoothie without milk. And when I am speaking about milk in this context I am refering to regular cows milk.

Smoothies don’t have to be made with milk. In fact, most recipes that you see online will not feature milk. At least they won’t feature regular milk. They might have almond or nut milk or some other vegan milk.

Many people want to avoid regular milk for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you are lactose intolerant and want to avoid drinking milk. Or maybe you have simply decided to become a vegan. For whatever reason, you can certainly make a smoothie without the use of milk.

Milk is often used in milkshakes, which many people make using a blender. So, it’s common for people who are new to making smoothies to confuse the two and think that you need to use milk when making a smoothie. The truth is that it’s not so.

What Can You Make A Smoothie With Besides Milk:

There are quite a number of things you can use to make a smoothie besides milk. I’m going to cover the main liquids that you can use instead of using milk.

Of course, you can also use simple fruits to make a thick smoothie and if you use enough high water content fruits and a small bit of ice, you’ll not need to use a liquid.

However, I always suggest that you use a liquid as it will make the blending process go more smoothly.

Option Number 1 For Smoothies Without Milk- Nut Milk

My go to liquid that I always like to use when making a smoothie is some sort of nut milk. I prefer to use almond milk as it’s got a nice consistency and a neutral taste.

Other nut milks such as cashew are a bit thick. They are fine if you’re looking for a thicker consistency, but if you are only looking for a light liquid to add to the smoothie to give it a bit of a thinner consistency, then I would stick to almond milk.

What I would advise is that you steer clear of any almond milk that has added sugars. This can be a bit trickly as many of the almond milks sold have sugar added and they don’t even say “Sweetened” on the front. So, make sure to read the back and always go for the unsweetened almond milk.

Option Number 2 For Smoothies Without Milk – Rice Milk

The second option that I want to discuss is rice milk. It’s a good option for those people who want a liquid that’s light and have an allergy to almonds.

Rice milk is thin and I think it’s really good for smoothies. I don’t think it makes a great milk substitute if you want to add it to tea or coffee because it is thin, but when making a smoothie, that is actually an upside.

The benefit to using rice milk over almond milk is that it’s cheaper, and it has a more neutral flavor. This is great if you’re someone who just wants to add a liquid, but doesn’t want to just add water to your smoothie.

Rice milk is a great option. But remember, like with almond milk, avoid any sort of rice milk that has been sweetened. You don’t want to add extra calories to the mix. And the excess sugar is not just a problem from the calorie standpont. It’s normally a bad sugar such as cane sugar. You are not likely to find rice milk (or any of these dairy free milks) sweetened with honey or something healthy.

Option Number 3 For Smoothies Without Milk- Yogurt

Another great idea for making a smoothie without milk is to substitute something such as yogurt. The addition of yogurt does two nice things. First, the yogurt adds a creamyiness to the smoothie. Second, it adds a liquid like substance that helps to lighten the smoothie.

When you’re blending up frozen fruit, for example, if you don’t add a liquid or a liquid like substance such as yogurt, then you are going to end up with what ammounts to a frozen slushy. And that’s not ideal.

On the other hand, there are benefits to using something such as yogurt over something such as milk. First, yogurt is goigng to boost the protein content of the smoothie. And protein has many health benefits besides helping to build muscle. (one study even linked optimal protein intake to improved memory).

Additionally, yogurt has the benefit of adding healthy probiotics to your diet. These are the helpful bacteria that improve your gut health. That’s a term you hear all the time….”gut health” but it is important. The reason being that it helps to keep you health and also aids in preventing a myriad of illnesses.

Finally, yogurt tastes good. If you get a nice organic plain yogurt (I would skip any sort of flavored yogurt). If you are ok with a thicker smoothie, then you can choose a greek yogurt. These have more protein than your regular yogurt.

Option Number 4 For Smoothies Without Milk- Coconut Water

If you’re looking for an excellent liquid for smoothies that will thin them out, then onviously you won’t want to use only yogurt. And many people don’t like nut milks. My advice would be to try coconut water.

Coconut water is very popular, especially with people who are atheleticly inclined. It’s been called natures gatorade. That is because coconut water contains a huge ammount of electrolytes. And it’s also healthy. Unlike many sports drinks that contain lots of added sugars, coconut water is all natural.

So, when you are making a smoothie for the gym, and you want that same electrolyte content that you get from sports drinks, but you want to avoid added sugar, then coconut water is a perfect choice.

I would caution about which brand of cocnut watrer you get. Avoid the cans of coconut anything as they have addatives. Stick with a natural coconut water. Brands like Zico, Harmless Harvest, etc… The ones that you see sold in terapacks are best. Then make sure to check the sides and confirm that there are no added sugars in them.

One of the best reasons for substituting coconut water for something such as milk is that you’re going to be getting the liquid without the fat, lactose, or unhealthy ingredients. It’s all things considered an excellent alternative.

Option Number 5 For Smoothies Without Milk – Fruit Juice

Another option to consider is to use fruit juice. There is a big but here….but don’t use store brought juice!

I caution against using store brought jucie for a number of reasons. First, you want to avoid any type of premade juice because it will have been pasturized. While there is a whole lot to discuss regarding pasturized juice and the pros and cons, the main takeaway that you should know is that all nutrients are essentially destroyed. You get some vitamins and minerals, but the helpful antioxidents and all of the helpful enzymes are gone.

So, if you’re looking to add juice to your smoothie instead of milk, make sure you use fresh juice.

If you have a juier, great. But if you don’t have a juicer, then perhaps consider buying one. That’s a big investment, so please make sure you like the addition of juice into your smoothies.

Of course, you can always get a cheap citrus juicer if you want to. These are not as costly as fully mechinized juicers and they will allow you to get the juice from lemons, oranges, grapefruits, and other citrus fruits.

Adding a citrus juice to your smoothie instead of milk would work great for things such as green smoothies. So, adding some lemon or grapefruit juice to a spinach smoothie or a kale smoothie would undoubtely help the flavor.

 

Option Number 6 For Smoothies Without Milk – Soy Milk

Finally, if you are looking for that milk like texture, but are unable or do not want to drink milk, then soy milk is the perfect option.

Soy milk is the closest of the non-dairy milks to the texture of real milk. That’s why it is such a popular milk alternative. If you go into any Starbucks or any other coffee shop, you’re going to hear customer after customer ask for a Soy Milk this or a Soy Milk That.

It’s because it has the most milk like texture. It is much more creamy than almond milk or rice milk, and it’s more liquidy than yogurt.

The one hesitation that people do have when it comes to soy milk is that there have been questions regarding the danger of soy and estrogens.

While there is a ton of research on this, and it would be too much to cover in this article, let’s briefly take a look at the concerns that you should have if you are planning on taking soy as a milk substitute.

Soy has been studied and researched for it’s positive effects on cancer prevention. The way in which it is thought to do this is by estrogenic compounds. However, these same compounds are thought to be adverse to mens health.

I advise that, to be on the safe side, men should avoid soy products. And ladies should only use organic soy milk if they are going to use it.