Smoothies seem super healthy and convenient.
They absolutely can be...... if you do it right!
If you’re turning to smoothies as part of your strategy for convenience, to lose weight or take your healthy eating up a notch, your smoothies may need a little tweaking.
Done right, smoothies can make a nutritious punch when packed with quality ingredients along with protein, fats, quality carbohydrates and fibre.
However, time and time again, I am seeing smoothies that are built the wrong way.
This can turn into an unintentional caloric intake or overconsumption of sugars from fruit, leading to a spike in blood glucose levels. This can become counterintuitive leading to weight gain and feeling tired, flat and out of energy. Im not here to bad mouth fruits as they are packed with an abundant amount of vitamin, nutrients and antioxidants.
We have the opportunity to make our smoothies a COMPLETE meal and here is how!
Biggest mistakes when making a smoothie:
Adding to much fruit:
Though fruit is a healthy and nutrient-packed smoothie ingredient, you can get too much of a good thing going on (calorie-wise).
*A general rule of thumb is to stick to around 1 cup of fruit per smoothie. That’s about a serving. Putting a few different fruits in your blender can easily add up to much more so if you’re mixing fruits, keep an eye on the total amount.
* Opt for berries as they are packed with antioxidants and low in sugar.
Cheeky added sweeteners:
Honey, maple syrup, agave, coconut sugar, or any other form of added sugar, is still SUGAR. Added sugars can also come from plant-based milk or flavoured yoghurts.
*Use only fruit to sweeten your smoothies to limit the amount of sugar that is going in.
*Opt for low-calorie flavourings eg cacao, turmeric, ginger, nut butter, chia seeds.
No added Vegetables:
Smoothies usually never come with added vegetables..... but why!
Sneaking vegetables into your smoothie is a great, low calorie, nutrient-dense way of getting up your serving of vegetables without even tasting it.
* Add 1/2 cup of zucchini or 1/4 cup of cauliflower (steamed then frozen) to add a beautiful creamy texture without changing the taste! Add a big handful of spinach leaves.
Not enough FAT or PROTEIN:
Ever had a smoothie and found that 1-2 hours later your ready for breakfast again?
This is due to a high content of sugar (which is quickly digested) and not enough fat or protein to slow down digestion and keep you fuller for longer.
* - Add one raw egg into the blender (you need to trust me on this one),
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds,
- 1/2 tablespoon of nut butter,
- 2 x heaped tablespoons of natural greek yoghurt.
- Find a clean natural protein powder to add in
- Brand recommendations:
Amazonia: Raw Protein Isolate
Flavour: Natural
Ingredients: Fermented pea and rice protein, Digestive enzymes
Pete Evans: Collagen SuperBlend
Flavour: Natural
Ingredients: Organic Hemp Protein & Collagen grass feb bovine
Not enough fibre:
This will also be a big contributing factor to not feeling full after your smoothie.
*Making sure you adding vegetables where possible. Adding 2 x tablespoons of oats for a non-resistant fibre starch.
NUTRITIONIST APPROVED smoothie recipes
Get your smoothie-making up to scratch!
