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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

How to Blend Healthy Shakes, Smoothies, and Snacks on the Go

A mixer bottle is one of the easiest ways to blend healthy meal replacement shakes, smoothies, and snacks while you are on the road. There are both battery powered versions and battery-free versions to choose from. The battery-free versions offer more flexibility and you don't have to rely on having batteries on hand. They're also more portable and can generally be used as water bottles, and of course they don't break as easily.
Battery-free blender bottles come in two models. One has a plastic mesh in the top of the cup. This breaks up lumps and clumps. The other type has a blenderball inside of it, which is usually a stainless steel ball that will swirl around the cup as you shake the ingredients. This doesn't just blend the ingredients but it breaks up lumps as well, especially lumps caused by protein and supplement powders. The blender bottle models are also good for mixing up other things, like salad dressing, gravy, and pancake mix, making them useful camping accessories as well. You should just be aware that most mixer bottles are not designed to hold hot ingredients: everything should be mixed and used cold.
When you choose a mixer bottle you should pay particular attention to the tightness of the lid. A leaky mixer bottle is no fun at all! It also helps to have handles or grips to help you shake the contents of the bottle as vigorous shaking is part of the process no matter what style of mixer bottle you use.
You should also pay attention to the materials that the bottle uses. If the bottle is plastic, for example, you will want to make sure that it is BPA free so you aren't taking in harmful chemicals with your health drink. It's also a good idea to look for dishwasher-safe mixer bottles so that you aren't spending a lot of time cleaning them, which might make you less inclined to use them. It's sometimes worth having several on hand so you don't hamper your diet or workout routine with dirty dishes
There are other options as well in terms of size, color, and features. There are even mixer bottles that have different compartments so you can carry around different protein powders and pills. Whatever you choose, mixer bottles are wonderful tools for helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle, and they make outstanding gifts for health nuts, campers, and outdoorsmen in your life.