Smoothies are a go-to for me when I feel like I need to up my nutrient intake, but also are on a regular day to day basis. Whether it’s a smoothie bowl, mixed with chia pudding or just had out of a cup, they’re a great way to get a ton of vitamins and minerals in one go. They’re also great if you or someone in your house isn’t a big fan of veggies. They’re easily disguised with all the other ingredients. The problem I find is when people hear the word “smoothie” they automatically think it’s healthy or good for them, which isn’t necessarily the case.
Smoothies that are mainly fruit based, whether store bought or homemade, do contain a lot of sugar, no fat and little fibre. This is going to quickly spike blood sugar and a crash following it. Do you notice a theme with blood sugar after reading all these posts? We want to pair fruit with a protein or fat to slow down the absorption of glucose into the blood stream. This is also going to keep energy at a consistent level and keep us from feeling hungry shortly after.
Having fruit in your smoothie isn’t bad, but we don’t want it to be all fruit. Try to keep it to ~1 cup and the rest other yummy ingredients that are going to add fibre, fat and protein. I always add in a few handfuls of greens, usually spinach and kale but you could add swiss chard, romaine, even broccoli if you have a high-speed blender to make sure it’s smooth. I always add in avocado if I have it to add in good healthy fat and to make it extra creamy. Next, I’ll add in some sort of nut or seed like hemp or pumpkin, even some nut butter. This is going to add protein and fat. Then I add in some spices, cinnamon for blood sugar balance, turmeric for anti-inflammatory properties, and black pepper to help with turmeric absorption. I usually use cashew milk as my liquid, but you could use anything you like.
Some quick recipes are;
- ½ cup frozen berries - ½ cup pineapple
- ¼ banana - ½ cup mango
- handful of spinach - handful of spinach
- handful of kale - handful of kale
- ½ of an avocado - ½ of an avocado
- 2 tsp turmeric - 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tsp black pepper - 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1-1 ½ cup cashew milk
- ¼ cup roasted or steamed sweet potato
- ¼ cup steamed then frozen cauliflower
- handful of spinach
- ¼ banana
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup cashew milk
Verdict:
Don’t stop adding fruit to your smoothies. Fruit contains a lot of vitamins and minerals that we need. Just be conscious of how much you’re adding and always make sure to add in a protein and/or fat to ensure stable blood sugar and energy!
-xo Samantha