First, let me point out that in order to make smoothies healthy, and really reap benefits from them you really do want to create you own. One main reason for this is because most smoothies you buy from stores or cafes are packed with a lot of unnecessary sugar, or sugar substitutes, which takes away any benefits you may get from the few pieces of fruit put into them. Also, when you make smoothies for yourself at home, you know what you are putting in, so you know what is going into your body, there is no guessing game. Also, lots of smoothies are made with milk, cows milk. Cows milk has been something I have found to be a odd concept over the last 5 to 10 years; there are two reasons why cows milk is an odd concept. First, when mothers lactate, that milk is filled with nutrients specifically for infants and babies. Eventually, all species wean off their mother's milk as they age. So, we are drinking milk that not only comes from another species, but a product specifically developed in the mother for her babies. So, secondly, because of this besides for some calcium, there are not really any other health benefits to drinking milk, from a cow. For my smoothies I personally love and advocate for those to use almond milk. It's packed with vitamins and has I believe about double the calcium that cows milk does. However, if you are going to use almond milk, I would stick to the unsweetened almond milk (which is all I ever use) to again stay away from unnecessary sugar (you will get PLENTY of natural sugar from the fruits in the smoothies, and it wont be harmful on the body like sugar and sugar substitutes).
Second, lets talk about ingredients to use in the smoothies. Any kind of fruit, veggie, or nut/seed you use in your smoothies you want them to be in their RAW, natural form. Nuts and seeds for example, you want to buy them salted, or flavored as barbeque or ranch; you even don't want to buy them with just they saying "unsalted" on them. Why? Because just because the bag says unsalted they are still cooked/roasted! You want to buy seeds and nuts that say RAW,WHOLE right on the bag. Another great way to tell if they are natural I find more often than not is if they have the USDA organic stamp right on the bag. For bases for the smoothies I tend to use either greek yogurt (plain/original with no flavoring), unsweetened almond milk, water, and/or orange juice (I usually use trop50).
Here are the first two smoothies:
The green smoothie I call my "green tea green power smoothie" the ingredients are as follows:
- 1/4c hot water
- one green tea bag
- 3/4c spinach and kale mix
- 12 raw almonds
- 1c-1 1/2c of unsweetened almond milk
- handful of fresh cranberries
Start off buy first putting the 1/4c of hot water into the blender. Next take the green tea bag and put it into the hot water in the blender, allow that to sit for about 5 minutes. Then put in the spinach/kale mix, almonds, cranberries, and lastly the unsweetened almond milk. Blend about 5 minutes and it should be set. This smoothie only has 205 calories in it, and this recipe makes one serving (double or triple the ingredients if you would like more).
This next smoothie, (the blue-purpled color smoothie next to the green) is a blueberry-banana smoothie, the ingredients are:
- one whole banana
- handful of fresh blueberries
- 24 raw almonds
- 1c unsweetened almond milk
First cut the banana into 1/2 inch pieces and put the banana in the blender, then put in the blueberries, almonds, and lastly the unsweetened almond milk. Takes 5-10 minutes to make. Again this recipe is for one serving, so double, triple, etc the ingredients as you wish.
I have one more smoothie recipe to share, and it is for this smoothie:
This smoothie I call carrot-orange protein power. The ingredients for this smoothie are:
- 1/2c unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2c trop50 orange juice
- 1/2c plain/original greek yogurt
- 24 raw almonds
- 10 carrot sticks
I would first put the carrots and almonds in tot the blender, followed by the greek yogurt, and then the orange juice and unsweetened almond milk. This one also takes 5 minutes to make, this recipe is a single serving, and the calorie count for one serving is about 295.
I have one more recipe for everyone before I sign off for the night (and get started on my exercise routine). This one is for my take on almond butter; however, it is not your typical almond butter which is one thing that makes it so healthy.
The ingredients for this almond butter are:
- 1 whole banana
- 48 raw almonds
- 1/8c unsweetened almond milk (just enough to moisten/coat the bottom of the blender)
First, chop up the banana in 1/2inch pieces, then coat the bottom of the blender with some unsweetened almond milk (I'm estimating that at taking about 1/8c), then put in the almonds, and blend together. This takes 5 minutes to do, and this recipe makes 2 servings, each serving is about 1/4c, double the serving of most nut butters, and at only 210-215 calories a serving, you are saving about 150-200 calories (if your were to eat 1/4c of regular nut butters). One big calorie cut I eliminated was the oil that goes into nut butters. Oil has a lot of calories, and only a tiny bit is considered healthy for an average diet, much less than what s put into store bought nut butters.
Time to exercise now! Thanks all for reading, I will be back tomorrow with another new post! Be sure to check back.
Stay forever healthy and forever fit.
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