Is It Healthy To Have A Smoothie Every Day
If youre looking to put your own blender to use and start making smoothies at home, youre already one step ahead with saving yourself money and ensuring you have full control over what goes into your drink. Enjoying a smoothie every day is totally fine if you make sure it has a good balance of nutrients.
That said, dietitians say its actually better to chew and swallow food rather than drinking it for fullness, so its probably best to limit your intake to one smoothie a day and enjoy proper meals and snacks throughout the day. And if youre aiming to make your smoothie a meal, try to include at least 25 grams of protein if its a snack, go for at least 10 grams of protein.
These delicious, healthy smoothies make it easier to eat right with nutrient-rich fruit and veggies, creamy milk, protein, probiotic-rich yogurt, and other nutritious ingredients. Just a note: Some of these recipes contain fruit juice or honey to up the sweetness, but if youre looking to cut added sugar from your diet, you can nix those ingredients.
Some of these recipes are from Smoothies & Juices, the new book from Preventions Healing Kitchen series. Give these recipes a try, and feel free to tweak and experiment to create your own perfect blend.
Processed Foods That Are Okay On A Whole Food Diet
Many brands of cereals are fortified with B vitamins, which can be hard to come by on a plant-based diet.
For example, vitamin B12 , is largely found in animal sources. It is something that those on a plant-based diet need to keep an eye on, as studies show that around 20% of us are deficient. And we also know that 65% of vegans and vegetarians dont take a B vitamin supplement.
So in that case, choosing a cereal fortified with B vitamins would be a good option, if done wisely. By that I mean use your discretion and check the labels, as many brands of cereals are packed with sugar and additives. But you can strategically choose minimally processed foods using a whole foods mentality.
As a rule of thumb, if there are any ingredients that you cant pronounce, dont understand, or sound artificial, they probably are best avoided.
More Smoothie Blender Recommendations
I did want to share some other great blenders that I have personally owned and recommend depending on your price point.
Low cost:Ninja BL480D Blender$99 this is a great single serve blender for those that want to conserve space. Plus you cant beat the price point.
Medium cost:Ninja Kitchen System $229 Ive owned the Ninja Kitchen System for about 5 years and I love that its interchangeable between a blender, food processor, and single-serve smoothie blender. For $229, you really do get it all!
High cost:Vitamix 5200$429 at the highest price point, the Vitamix is THE BEST kitchen appliance Ive ever owned. It will literally crush, pulverize, mix, or puree anything and everything because its so powerful! I highly recommend, 10/10!
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What Are The Steps For Making Homemade Smoothies
Homemade smoothies are one of the easiest things to make in the kitchen. In fact, there are only 5 simple steps.
Out of all of those steps, the last one is the most important. When using fresh fruits and vegetables their flavor may not always be uniform. Todays strawberry smoothie may be sweeter than yesterdays. The best time to fix it is before its in your glass and youve cleaned up the mess.
The Ultimate Smoothie Bowl Recipes
If you havent hopped on the smoothie bowl bandwagon nows the time. These bowls of goodness turn your average smoothie into a refreshing, vibrant, and colorful meal with room for topping creativity! Choose a base from your favorite smoothie blends, then top it off with nuts, seeds, superfoods, and extra fruit.
- Acai Bowl: This quintessential smoothie bowl is packed with antioxidants and tastes amazing with an array of berries and crunchy toppings.
- Dark Cherry Smoothie Bowl: Come cherry season, this bowl is a must. Its a blend of cherries, banana, coconut water, and topped with cacao nibs and coconut flakes for an indulgent treat.
- Mango Smoothie Bowl: Tropical flavors and sunny vibes are front and center in this recipe. Top it with extra fruit and a sprinkle of granola for added crunch.
- Clean Green Smoothie Bowl: For a veggie-packed meal with a bunch of sneaky greens, look no further than this recipethe ultimate green smoothie bowl.
- Pitaya Smoothie Bowl: Want to feel like youre on vacation in Bali? Pitaya makes for a vibrant smoothie bowl, especially when topped with additional fruits.
If you make any of these delicious smoothie recipes, let me know how it turned out! Id love to hear what you think in the comments below.
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What Is A Smoothie
A smoothie is a drink made up of blended fruits, vegetables, and a liquid base. These are often juice, milk, or water. They are a filling and nutritious breakfast option or something to snack on between meals. Its also a popular meal option for many weight loss plans, thanks to the thick texture and high water content.
The beauty of a smoothie is that it can easily be customized in a plethora of ways and requires nothing but a simple blender to prepare.
How To Make A Smoothie: The Simple And Perfect Home Recipe
Like smoothies? It’s a delicious drink that’s easy to make and adds fruitand vegetables to your diet! Don’t spend $7 on something you can make at homewith whatever ingredients you have on hand in your kitchen! This is the perfectquick and healthy breakfast option to give you energy all day long. Throweverything together and take it on-the-go. Or put things out for the kids afterschool hours.
This basic perfect smoothie recipe provides a great base for you to addprotein and fiber, as well as whatever flavors you like. We’ve tested thisrecipe and explain the physics of how it works so you’ll get something thatblends perfectly every time.
Five simple steps make the perfect smoothie recipe:
You can throw everything in a cheap blender and get pretty goodresults, but you’ll get the best and most consistent results by following thistemplate. Why? Physics!
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Lemon Turmeric Flush Drink:
- 1 teaspoon Stevia or 1 Tablespoon Honey or Real Maple Syrup
- Serves 2
Mix together, water, lemon juice, turmeric, ginger, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Add stevia, honey or maple syrup to taste. The cayenne pepper adds a kick to it so not everyone can handle it.
If you are looking for MORE JUICE CLEANSE RECIPES, CLICK HERE.
If I am suffering from anything – from allergies to autoimmune issues to overeating the night before, this helps to clean out my liver and belly. I woke up this morning with swollen eyes caused by allergies and this drink helped the swelling go down quickly. You can drink it heated up or drink it cold straight out of the refrigerator. We make a large pitcher and keep in the refrigerator to last a week. We give it a good stir and guzzle it down.
What Do You Put In A Breakfast Smoothie
- Healthy Fats. Your favorite nut butter, coconut milk, or chia seeds. This makes the smoothie more satisfying and keeps you full between meals. Keep portions in mind I usually add about 1 tablespoon.
- Protein and Fiber Additions. Greek yogurt or your favorite protein powder are easy ways to make breakfast protein smoothies. A tablespoon of oatmeal adds fiber.
- Fruit. Breakfast fruit smoothies are always a crowd-pleasing choice. Strawberries and blueberries are my go-tos. Bananas make smoothies naturally sweet. Mango and pineapple can hide the taste of greens. Unexpected fruits like apples or watermelon can be scrumptious too.
- Vegetables. Spinach, kale, avocado, carrots, and even beets can all be added to smoothies.
- Flavor Additions. Vanilla, cinnamon, honey, maple syrup, and dates are all excellent ways to give your smoothie more flavor.
- Liquid. Unsweetened almond milk is my favorite for smoothies. You can also use juice , a different kind of milk, coconut water, or even plain water.
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Healthy Blueberry Smoothie Ingredients
- Blueberries: are one of the healthiest fruits because theyre so high in antioxidants and phytonutrients. They help fight cancer, lower blood pressure and boost your cardiovascular health.
- Banana: is both delicious and incredibly nutritious to our bodies. Bananas are known for their high quantity of potassium as well as a good dose of magnesium. Both of these nutrients are known to support heart and digestive health.
- Coconut water: is the ultimate in thirst-quenching hydration and loaded with electrolytes, vitamins and minerals. Its also a lower-sugar alternative to fruit juice, like apple juice or grape juice.
- Greek yogurt: is thick and creamy and adds protein that will keep you full as well as bone-building calcium. And lets not forget all the beneficial gut-happy bacteria that assist with digestive health.
- Flax seed: Ive chatted about why I love flax seeds on my Flax Seed Crackers recipe, but these little seeds are loaded with protein, fiber and heart-healthy Omega-3s. They also help to thicken the smoothie up.
Matcha Green Tea Smoothie
On the other side of the color wheel is Betsys Matcha Green Tea Smoothie. If youre not on the matcha green tea train yet, then its time to hop on board. Its green tea in the form of a fine powder, which makes it super easy to incorporate into a smoothie. The antioxidant benefits of green tea are remarkable, and in the form of matcha theyre even greater than when you sip green tea. A smoothie is one of the most delicious ways to enjoy matcha, especially when it also includes such yummy ingredients as mango, toasted coconut cashew butter, coconut milk and Greek yogurt. The recipe also includes chia seeds and a little honey or maple syrup for an added touch of sweetness.
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Strawberry Banana Smoothie Ingredients:
To make this strawberry banana smoothie recipe, you will need the following ingredients :
- Frozen strawberries: Or you can sub in any other kind of frozen berries that you have on hand.
- Banana: I typically just use fresh bananas. But if you have frozen sliced bananas, you can omit some of the ice in this recipe.
- Milk: Any type of milk will work for this recipe cows milk, almond milk, oat milk, you name it.
- Ice: However much is needed to achieve your desired smoothie consistency.
- Optional add-ins: See ideas below!
+ Best Fruit Smoothie Recipes
Whether youre looking for a quick breakfast to take on the go or a healthy after school snack, these EASY Fruit Smoothie Recipes are satisfying, colorful and also wholesome.
We are big smoothie lovers in our family. My 4-year-old calls them special soup. She operates the blender and then pours them into shot glasses to drink. It creates an hour long activity and for moms, any activity that gets your kids fruit, veggies and doesnt end in a fight for a whole 60-minutes, is a WIN!
I almost always have some frozen fruit in the freezer, or even fresh fruit thats not going to get eaten in the refrigerator. Ripe bananas are like gold. Throw in ice cubes, almond milk, coconut water, Greek yogurt or even veggies or fruit juice and youve got yourself a slushy breakfast.
You can also keep the liquid to a minimum and turn your smoothie into a smoothie bowl. This is more of an at-home breakfast, because you top it with your favorite toppings like granola, fruit, chia seeds or flax seeds and coconut, and eat it with a spoon.
While the majority are healthy smoothie recipes, I always shy away from using the term healthy- it is so subjective anymore. What I can say is that a smoothie is what you make of it and while fruits tend to lean towards the sweeter side, they are natural sugars. Leafy greens and other wholesome ingredients are a great way to round out the food pyramid.
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How To Make A Smoothie Without Bananas:
Bananas are the backbone of my simple smoothie recipes. They add so much creaminess, and natural sweetness while being inexpensive. That being said, I know not everyone likes/eats bananas. If you arent into bananas, you can add some Greek yogurt + sweetener + ice OR a half of an avocado + sweetener + ice. Those two combos will replace a banana nicely in a smoothie and still give you a nice rich and smooth texture.
Nutritionists’ Favorite Weight Loss Smoothies
For this selection, I asked the country’s top nutritionists to share with me their favorite weight loss smoothies, keeping the best weight loss foods in mind, and the results are all delicious and nutritious. Pay attention to the protein countsâif it’s under 25 grams, you don’t want them as a meal replacement, but rather paired with a meal.
All recipes serve one unless otherwise indicated.
“I really love this weight loss smoothie because it tastes super-decadent, but in reality is just loaded with a ton of natural, unprocessed, and healthful ingredients. The cocoa powder is a good source of flavonoids that are both brain and heart-healthy, and also makes the smoothie taste like I’ve added a ton of chocolate. In addition to the healthy cocoa, this smoothie also has other healthy ingredients like raspberries that are a source of immune-boosting vitamin C, and the spinach that’s a source of energizing B vitamins. If I have this smoothie post-workout, I’ll also add a plant-based protein like sprouted rice or pea protein to help my muscles recover more quickly.”
- ½ banana
by Kristin Reisinger, MS, RD, CSSD, founder and owner of IronPlate Studios
- ½ cup frozen mixed berries
- Handful of spinach
- 8 oz unsweetened Silk almond milk
- 1 scoop plant-based vanilla protein powder
NUTRITION: 230 calories / 2.5 g fat / 20 g carbs / 5 g fiber / 7 g sugar / 26 g protein
by Cassie Bjork, RD, LD of Redefined Weight Loss
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Whats The Best Blender For Making Smoothies
Blenders have gotten so advanced in the past few years, that its hard to pick one that wont blend up a great smoothie! If youre blender shopping, here are the three blenders we recommend for daily smoothie-making:
- MOST AFFORDABLE: Cuisinart Immersion/Stick BlenderDont let its small size fool you, this tiny handheld blender is packed full of power, and will easily make a smoothie for you every day! Its perfect if youre limited on counter space.
- MEDIUM: Ninja Professional BlenderFor under $100, you get an incredibly powerful blender that makes a dreamy, creamy smoothie. This was the blender we used in the Wholefully test kitchen for years, and its a great starter-level, but still high-powered, blender.
- SPLURGE: Vitamix Professional BlenderA Vitamix is the top of the line when it comes to blenders, and its what we use every day in the Wholefully test kitchen. It comes with a hefty price tag , so if youre just blending a smoothie every now and again, there is no need to make the splurge. But if you do a lot of cooking or make a lot of smoothies or blended drinks, you might want to start saving your pennies for a Vitamix. Its a lifetime appliance that is a dream to use!
What Do You Put In A Fruit Smoothie
I have a bit of a love affair with smoothies. And the thing that I love the most is that the sky is the limit when it comes to what ingredients you use.
For a fruit smoothie, I like to use frozen fruit when possible. Frozen fruit is readily available at the grocery store, but it is also super simple to freeze fruit yourself at home, too. To keep things basic, you really only need a liquid you can use anything from water to milk to coconut milk to fruit juice and the fruit. If you are using fresh fruit, or if you like a thicker or icier consistency, youll want to add a bit of ice, too.
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The 10 Best Keto Smoothie Recipes
The ketogenic diet involves dramatically decreasing your intake of carbs and instead getting most of your calories from fat.
It can help children with epilepsy manage their seizures, and has also been linked to weight loss, better blood sugar control, and lower cholesterol levels .
Since the keto diet limits carbs, smoothies that contain high-carb ingredients like fruits, yogurt, honey, and milk dont usually fit into this style of eating. This can be an issue for those who rely on smoothies for a quick and healthy breakfast or snack.
Fortunately, there are still smoothies with low-carb and nutritious ingredients that you can enjoy while following the keto diet.
Here are the 10 best keto smoothie recipes that are low in carbs and high in fat.
6 ).
Since fiber doesnt get broken down in your body, those who follow the keto diet often subtract the grams of fiber from the total grams of carbs to estimate how many net carbs are in a particular food .
Berries are low in net carbs and thus suitable in small portions for the keto diet.
This triple berry keto smoothie has 9 grams of net carbs and is filling enough for breakfast or a snack. To make one serving, blend the following ingredients:
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of frozen mixed berries
- half of an avocado
- 2 cups of spinach
- 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds
Nutrition Facts
Peanut butter also contributes plant-based protein and fat, which can help keep you full (
NUTRITION Facts