Every morning I start my day with a nutritious green smoothie! I’m not really a breakfast person but I know it is important that I eat something every morning and smoothies are a very quick and easy way to do so.
The reaction I receive daily from others at the office goes a little something like this……
“What in the world are you drinking!?
“Ewww, that looks disgusting!”
My response goes a little something like this……
“It looks a lot better than it taste, you want to try some?”
Although green smoothies look like they taste terrible, they really don’t (depending on what ingredients you put into them). Every person I have given a little sample to has actually liked it!
Don’t let the look of the smoothies stop you from giving them a try. The benefits you can receive from smoothies are definitely worth it!
Benefits of Green Smoothies:
There is no one recipe so you have the benefit of making them exactly how you like!
- You can try different combinations of fruits and veggies so there are tons of different ways to make a green smoothie.
- Tip: Add more fruit in the beginning and slowly decrease the amount overtime. This will help your taste buds to adjust.
Great way to fill you up with less calories.
- Fruits and veggies have a large amount of water and fiber which help fill you up. Adding a scoop of protein will also help in keeping you satisfied and fuller longer.
Provides your body with the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants needed to function properly.
- The majority of children and adults don’t get all the nutrients they need on a daily basis due to the large amount of processed foods we consume. As a result, we develop conditions that could have been prevented by consuming the proper nutrients needed. Smoothies are a quick and easy way to get in your nutrients.
Helps to get in your daily water intake.
- As I stated previously, fruits and veggies are full of water. Plus using water as your smoothie base can help to increase your water intake. If you don’t like the way that plain water taste smoothies can help you intake more water on a regular basis. The goal is to drink half your body weight in ounces per day.
Promotes healthy hair, skin and nails.
- Smoothies are packed with fruits and veggies that have vitamins A, B, C and E. Vitamins A, C and E can help prevent skin aging and give your skin a natural glow. While B vitamins can help strengthen your nails and hair.
Helps with weight loss!
- If you have a goal to shed some weight smoothies are a great option. When smoothies are used as a meal replacement they can help you to lose weight. They are low in calories but high in nutrition which is a win-win! They are packed full of fiber as well which will help keep you regular and promote weight loss.
I use the recipe below for my smoothies but you can use whatever fruit/veggie combination you like.
Green Smoothie recipe:
- 1 cup of fresh baby spinach (sometimes I also use kale)
- ½ cup of Light and Fit Vanilla Greek Yogurt (if you don’t do dairy then you can use almond milk as a substitute)
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
- ½ a banana
- 8 -10 ounces of water
- 1 scoop of protein powder
TIP: If you use yogurt be sure to check how much sugar it has. Flavored yogurt can sometimes have a high sugar content depending on the brand.
So with all of these benefits, how can you not give Green Smoothies a try! Pick out your favorite fruits and veggies, mix them up and enjoy!!
Find Health in Every Day!
Dr. Lindsay