Smoothie Success: The Best Things You Will Want to Add
Aug 05, 2022
When you hear the word "smoothie", you probably think of a healthy cold snack option you can grab on the go. Depending on what you throw into your blender, your smoothie could easily turn into more of a milkshake and have the same impact on your body as eating a dessert :(
Fortunately, you have full control over how your smoothie affects your body, so just be careful when selecting what goes into yours.
Before you blend consider this:
1. What does your body need to fuel itself right now?
2. How do you want your body to feel in a couple of hours?
Setting your body up with a meal or snack that will keep your blood sugar stable means fewer cravings and energy crashes. Most importantly, over the long term you are helping your body avoid preventable diseases that are related to metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance! You can read more on this subject in an earlier blog post here.
What you eat in the first meal of your day impacts your choices for the rest of the day. Therefore, the following ingredients should be avoided when making your smoothie.
1. All types of juice: even "all-natural" juice contains high amounts of sugar and it's best to avoid it.
2. Fruit that is higher on the glycemic index bananas, grapes, peaches, mangos, pineapple, etc.
3. Flavoured Yogurts or nondairy beverages with added sugar (always check the ingredients and the nutrition label to verify).
4. Protein powder with added sugar or artificial sweeteners.
So how can you make that nutritious and delicious smoothie that your body is really after? Here is what I recommend:
- Start with a liquid:
- Water
- Unsweetened almond, hemp, coconut or soy milk
- Iced green tea or ginger tea
- Pick a Protein
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Kefir
- Cottage cheese
- Silken tofu
- Clean sources of Protein powder or Collagen
- Fit in some Fruit
- Berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries) are the best choice because they are powerful inflammation fighters and are loaded with nutrients while also being lower on the glycemic index
- be mindful and use only 1 serving of fruit = ¾ – 1 cup berries
- If adding a banana, use 1/2 and the less ripe the better
- Pick a Vegetable
- 1-2 handfuls of dark leafy greens like spinach, kale or Swiss chard. We buy them frozen for easy access
- A serving of powdered greens supplement such as Greens First that is available at Parks Health Shop
- Choose a healthy fat
- almond butter, cashew butter, tahini, coconut oil
- chia, flax or hemp seeds
- avocado
- cashews, pecans, walnuts or almonds
- Add natural flavours
- cacao powder
- fresh herbs like mint or basil
- spices like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, turmeric, ginger
- pure vanilla extract
The best thing about smoothies is that they are so versatile and anyone can learn how to make them. All you need is a few key ingredients in your freezer and pantry and a blender or handheld mixer and you are ready to go. You are now better equipped to make sure you are really getting that healthy impactful snack you were imagining :)
For more empowering guidance to help you achieve great health, be sure to complete the "How healthy are your habits?" Quiz here.