The lowdown on creating a balanced, nutritious and delicious smoothie
An extensive guide to making the best smoothies which are nutritious, wholesome and satiating, plus hints and tips on achieving the perfect texture and how to sneak in the veggies without it tasting like soup!
Given the virus that is affecting the whole world right now right now, it is of no surprise that many of my clients are asking how they can get the most amount of nutrients into their diet. A smoothie is great option for loading in the good stuff and sharing with the whole family.
To achieve the perfectly balanced smoothie isnt as easy as it might seem though. You want it to be delicious, satiating, nourishing and of course with a drinkable texture!
I see many smoothie recipes jam packed with added sugar lacking in the blood sugar balancing properties of protein and fibre.
Protein:
Protein is essential for optimal health, with benefits including immune function, healthy skin and hair, muscle retention and recovery. With recent research indicating an intake of between 1.2 - 1.6g/per kg of bodyweight adding it to a smoothie is a great way to boost your intake.
As well that the health benefits, protein increases satiety and decreases the release of Ghrelin (the ‘hunger’ hormone) after eating, meaning that it helps with feeling full after meals, helping to avoid snacking later on.
Smoothie options:
Protein Powder: either vegan or whey, they can help to add flavour and creaminess
Silken Tofu: a great vegan alternative, mild on taste
Cooked lentils: softened when cooked, high in protein and mild in taste
Green peas: dont knock it, peas are sweet and packed with protein
Greek Yogurt: low in calories and high in protein
Fruit & Carbohydrates:
This is normally where the wheels fall off the smoothie wagon with handfuls of exotic fruit getting thrown into the blender. Fruit is incredibly nutritious and beneficial to a healthy diet but like anything too much can be detrimental. The fibre we consume when eating the whole fruit is lost in the blending process, and fibre is a key elements to optimal gut health. Some fruits are high in natural sugar then others, and for my smoothies I like to focus on lower sugar alternatives to keep this in check.
I’ll also note here that using frozen fruit is a great and often more cost effective option when making smoothies. It helps to add great texture to the drink as well as limiting food waste.
Carbohydrates often get a bad rap but they are the bodies preferred fuel source and they are great at replenishing lost glycogen from exercise as well as adding in fibre.
Smoothie options:
Blueberries and raspberries
Strawberries
Cherries
Bananas
Mango
Blackberries
Oats
Cooked quinoa
Cooked wholegrain rice
Steamed sweet potatoes
Cooked buckwheat
Eat your veggies:
Not every smoothie needs to contain a vegetable but it is a great way of sneaking all those vitamins into children’s diets as well as boosting our own nutrients each day!
With the right balance, they are undetectable and again, if you use frozen versions, really help to create that perfect smoothie texture.
Smoothie options:
Spinach
Kale
Steamed sweet potato
Cauliflower (great alternative to bananas)
Salad greens
Courgette/Zucchini
Healthy fats:
Much like protein, fats are essential to our health. With them being the macronutrient with the highest calories per gram, its prudent to pay attention to serving sizes to avoid going over board with the peanut butter jar!
Friendly reminder, fat doesn’t make you fat!
Smoothie options:
Nuts and nut butters; peanut, almond, cashew, mixed
Seeds; chia, flax, pumpkin, sunflower
Avocado
Full fat milk; also a protein and carbohydrate
Added extras:
From spirulina or Maca root, the ‘superfood’ market is a plethora of wonders in todays world. Each promising wild claims of health and longevity.
Although I always recommend getting all your nutrients from whole food sources. There is no real harm in adding in a little sprinkling of fairy dust to boost a smoothie and support health where and when needed.
Note: they do tend to have a more funky taste profile though so bare this in mind when adding them in - the more bitter the powder the more fruit may be needed to balance out the flavours.
A couple of my favourite recipes:
Low carb, Low Sugar Green Goddess Smoothie
**A perfect nutrient rich start to the day, balanced in protein and healthy fats**
1 Scoop vanilla vegan protein powder
1 tsp adaptogen powder *optional*
1 tsp chia seeds
1 tsp flaxseeds
8 almonds
1/3 avocado
1/2 frozen banana
1 large handful frozen spinach
Almond milk
Peanut butter and Jelly replenish and nourish Smoothie
**An ideal post exercise smoothie, protein to repair muscles with high quality carbohydrates to restore lost glycogen**
1 scoop chocolate and peanut protein powder
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup frozen raspberries/or Strawberries
1/2 cup frozen sweet potato
Almond milk or full fat dairy milk
Finally, here is a handy chart to use for making your next smoothie! Try a different combination every day and experiment with flavours!
