We tried out a range of frozen fruit purées that can be whipped up into a power brekkie or healthy snack for time-starved working professionals
Blueberry kiss mixed with curd (left) Banana and date smoothie (right) Yogurt with a topping of love berry
When food packs health with convenience, it only adds to its favour. But this writer also abides by the “healthy bhi, tasty bhi” expression. That’s why, when we chanced upon smoothie venture LQI’s (pronounced Liquii) DIY frozen smoothie packs — that promised to blend a hassle-free experience with health and taste — we were intrigued.
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The range was released last year to offer quick and healthy smoothies at home. The eight flavour options include four core smoothie flavours (Rs 119 each) — custard apple, mango, strawberry, and banana and dates — and four indulgent flavours (Rs 129 to Rs 139), such as dragon pop with dragon fruit, blueberry kiss with blueberry, cranberry and sweet apple, love berry with strawberry, blackberry, raspberry and watermelon, and mixed fruits with mango, apple and guava.
The outer packaging
A quick glance at the ingredients listed reveals that sugar is substituted in most packs with honey, while some also use apple or banana as sweeteners. The vegan options are limited to banana and date, and custard apple, which include nothing but puree of the fruits.
Quick fix
LQI highlights the ease of making a smoothie in 60 seconds as one of its USPs, a claim which holds if you subtract the two to three minutes needed to slightly thaw the smoothie packs. The instructions on the packs direct us to use 120 ml or 140 ml liquid, depending on the flavour.
The inner packaging of banana and date custard apple and dragon pop purees
The more tart flavours such as blueberry kiss and love berry will curdle if the puree is at room temperature when you blend it; so ensure the packs are only slightly thawed. If you’re running out of time and the puree has thawed too much, opt for yogurt or curd to ensure that the smoothie does not split.
Flavour forward
We tried the smoothies with milk, coconut almond milk and even curd, varying the consistency each time. We enjoyed it best with regular milk as unsweetened plant-based milk does not have the natural sweetness of dairy. However, coconut milk and almond milk make up for the lack of sweetness by adding a nuttiness to the smoothie.
Among the flavours, strawberry tops our list. It’s perfectly sweetened and seems like a healthier alternative to strawberry milkshakes — it can be a potential favourite for kids and mothers. Next on our list is custard apple, as it saves us the trouble of cleaning the fruit and spitting out the seeds. The puree tastes great on its own as well. The banana and date smoothie also hits the spot.
(From left) Founders Kapil Kumar, Palak Kapoor and Shubham Khanna
The berry range tastes great with curd. The taste of the mango smoothie, however, doesn’t quite cut it, possibly because they use Totapuri mixed with Alphonso and honey.
Locked-in freshness
The smoothies can stay fresh for a maximum of two to three hours in the open, and 12 hours in the refrigerator, after being prepared. Shubham Khanna, the co-founder and CEO, shares that the fresh-to-frozen production process includes no heat treatment and zero oxidation of fruits. They also ensure that the nutrients are intact while freezing. So, they are perfect if you are looking for a health booster on your way to school or college, a quick snack at work or a power brekkie after the gym.
Log on to: lqibev.com, Big Basket or Swiggy Instamart
Sweet hacks
>> For a sweet ending to a meal, ditch the milk and mix the puree with curd for instant flavoured yogurt. Love berry and blueberry kiss are suitable choices.
>> Freeze the mixed fruit puree into a popsicle mould for healthy sorbets.
>> Try the puree with water for a light beverage in between meals, or when you crave something sweet during the day.
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