We love our smoothies during this hot summer weather! They make a tasty AND nutritious treat!
But did you know that not all smoothies are health-boosting?
Read on for some simple tips on the “do’s and don’ts” of smoothie making!
When making smoothies, its easy to load up on many colourful fruit. While they’re loaded with vitamins and taste amazing, fruit also packs a lot of natural sugar…which means your fruit-filled smoothie could actually have just as much sugar as juice or candy!
Don’t worry…you don’t have to cut fruit out altogether! Just follow these simple guidelines for a healthful, tasty, and balanced smoothie.
DO:
- Add healthy fats to keep you satisfied
- think avocado, coconut milk, a scoop of nut butter (like almond or sunflower)
- Choose a clean protein powder without colouring, additives, or sugar
- plant-based protein is often a good choice, especially if you’re dairy-sensitive
- you can also add a scoop of hemp seeds for a protein-packed (and powder-free) alternative
- read the nutritional info and avoid it if there are more than 4g of sugar per serving
- Load up on veggies! Aim for veggies to make up at least 1/2 of the smoothie volume
- great choices include leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula), cucumber, celery, beets, zucchini, pumpkin… this may take some experimenting 😉
- fresh herbs such as peppermint leaves count!
DON’T:
- Add too much fruit to avoid energy ups and downs
- aim for less than 1/3 of the smoothie worth of fruit
- Use sweetened nut milks — let the sweetness come from fruit. Opt for unsweetened milk alternatives as a rule of thumb (coconut, almond, cashew, hemp milks are all good choices)
Lets keep smoothies delicious and fun, while building towards a healthful practice. If you find smoothies don’t keep you fuelled and satisfied until the next meal, make sure you are getting enough protein, fibre, and healthy fats!
We want to hear from you! What is your favourite non-fruit smoothie ingredient?
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