A Smoothie a Day
A berry and chia smoothie
So what exactly goes into a healthy smoothie?
Mix your fruits and vegetables. The more veggies the better, but you have to still be able to enjoy the taste.
Avoid protein powder. Sure, you may want some protein, but my advice is to drink your protein separately an hour or two before or an hour or two after your smoothie for a continued boost of energy throughout the day.
Sweeten with one or two dates or cocoa powder instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
Add half a frozen banana for a rich creamy consistency. You won't even be able to taste the banana if you add in a few other flavors.
Plan Ahead. I use only fresh fruit in my smoothies, but I will prep the fruit when I buy it, portion it into sandwich bags, and pop those in the freezer. That way in the morning, I just grab a bag and throw it in the blender.
What am I putting in my smoothie right now?
A handful of strawberries
A handful of raspberries
A handful of blueberries
Half a small banana
A large handful of fresh spinach
Three or four walnuts
Three or four cashews
Two pitted dates
Approximately one cup of unsweetened natural coconut milk
Depending on my mood, I sometimes add a teaspoon of flax seeds or hemp hearts for fiber. I used to add my protein powder to my smoothies, but it ultimately thickens the smoothie more than I like. It also alters the taste. I prefer to just make a protein shake with filtered water and the protein powder in my blender bottle and enjoy my smoothie separately.
What about protein powders?
My current favorite protein powder is the Jay Robb brand. My favorite thing about this protein powder is that it is VERY low on sugar and the whey is an isolate and is still safe for most people avoiding dairy. Certainly, there are specific whey allergies that could make this inappropriate, so do what you know will be best for your body. They also have an egg-white version that is 100% dairy-free. The vanilla version of the egg-white actually makes me think of custard or vanilla pudding. It's yummy, but again, a flavor I would rather have separate from my smoothie.
Most protein powders that you get from GNC or from a gym are LOADED with sugar. If you aren't working out at a very high level and burning around 1,000 calories a day in the gym, you should not be consuming those protein powders! They're too calorically dense to really be healthy, and they are not geared towards weight loss.
If you have any questions about smoothies or protein powders, please don't hesitate to ask! Oh, and I'd love to hear your favorite smoothie recipes!
Yours in health,
Dr. William