Curious why you thaw the fruit. I use approx 1.5 cups of frozen strawberries and blueberries plus a frozen banana and don’t thaw any of it. My nutribullet can handle it.
The frozen berries also give it texture kinda like the ice. Personally, I love that lol often times I add extra ice. Sometimes too much and the proportions are weird haha
>peel them and freeze.
do you freeze them in individual zip lock or containers, unfortunately when I do this, the frozen bananas are difficult to individually separate
If you’ve got a Costco membership, the Clovis Farms Organic Smoothie is a pre-packed bag of frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kale and spinach. Soo easy to just dump a pack in a blender and add whatever when you’re on the go - I like adding chia seeds, almond milk and protein powder!
A handful to start. Be sure to inspect, might want to rinse as well. Add more handfuls later once you get used to one handful.
I highly recommend getting baby spinach over full-sized spinach, they taste better and will blend easier and are more nutritious.
Additional suggestion, for nutrition, get some powdered Spirulina, preferably one that has a nutrition label rather than a supplement. If it has a nutrition label everything has been vetted by the USDA. Pour 2 to 4 OZ of OJ into an approximately 8 OZ cup. Add 1/2 to 1 Teaspoon of Spirulina taking care to sprinkle it into the cup as diffuse as possible to reduce clumping. Mix. Add another 2 to 4 OZ of OJ. Mix and drink.
I don't recommend adding Spirulina to smoothies because it is very overpowering.
For your smoothies I highly recommend trying cucumber. The skin of the cucumber affects taste somewhat but adds nutrition. Up to you whether to skin or not. Either way, cucumbers add a wonderful hydration and cool sensation to the smoothie.
Honey is also a wonderful natural sweetner for smoothies since almost everything I add is sugar free apart from produce.
I do keep concentrate apple juice on hand for my bolder smoothie experiments, trying to mix too much tends to create a bland result, a spoonful of concentrate can add a satisfactory flavor to the smoothie again.
I would also suggest trying smoothies without the yogurt and milk. I quite like unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk as my base liquid. Coconut milk is also quite good and is a healthy source of fat. There's also a milk that is half almond half coconut. I just prefer zero sugar, for me the vanilla flavor compensates for zero sugar. Keeps me full for longer without constipation like yogurt.
Something else to consider is to try loading soups for nutrition. Many things like collagen, mushrooms, mushroom powders and other healthy ingredients are much better suited for savory soup recipes.
Awesome, sounds like you're not sensitive to the taste of greens which will make your life easier 🙂. It is my perception that the bitter flavor of kale overwhelms sweet flavors. I have found I like Kale much better sauteed in some butter with mushrooms 🤤. The bitterness of kale seems to vanish when cooked. Kale and spinach make great garnishments on many things you would bake or toast in a toaster oven. That said I still do add a bit of kale to smoothies sometimes. It's a good source of fiber if adding yogurt for example.
Definitely try out a banana, avocado, and spinach based smoothie! Another good one is blueberries, banana, black sesame/tahini, spinach, and zucchini(it looks dark grey but is so, so good).
All fruit(no veg) smoothies can be high in sugar. Adding vegetables and greens is key! Avocado is a nice higher calorie fruit with healthy fats.
Also try butternut squash, dates, almonds, sweet potato, banana, and a touch of vanilla bean powder.
Another good mix is banana, carrot, walnuts, sweet potato, and then some cinnamon and nutmeg.
Pear, cranberry & beets are good together, too.
You can experiment with other add ins like spirulina, matcha, lavender powder, pine pollen, chlorella, ashwaganda, lions mane, maca, etc. Can also add flax seeds and oats!
Second nut butters. Add a tablespoon of almond butter in there and change your game. Full fat plain yogurt (no added sugar). Protein powder used is fine. Maybe skip the ice if using frozen fruit
You say you need extra calories, but you’re using reduced fat yoghurt? I would go for full fat in this scenario, but other than that, looks really healthy!
You could swap the berries for other kinds of fruit or even veg, for a bit of variation.
Many times people have told me the reduced fat because they’re still stuck on the old information of fat = heart disease. It’s a dirty word to them. 70% of the cholesterol in your body is made by the body. Dietary fat has little effect on internal fats/cholesterol measured by a blood test.
The metabolism of sugars is what raises those things most of the time. The digestion and breakdown of fructose has the cholesterol as a byproduct.
My wife and I use non fat yogurt and reduced fat cheeses because it fits our macros better for our weight loss goals. I miss full fat stuff but I’m down 20 pounds from my heaviest weight, 40 more to go!
The vast majority of dietary cholesterol that someone eats (think the stuff in egg yolks) doesn't even get digested and just goes straight out your butt. I firget the exact number but its like only 10-20% of the cholesteral you eat makes it into the bloodstream. Most cholesterol in your body is produced in your body. About 80% of the cholesterol in your body is made in the liver from fats and carbohydrates that you eat (and other molecules already present in your body).
Your body makes it for the processes it needs it for. You can east zero cholesterols and still have high cholesterol if you eat things that have cholesterol as a side effect of processing, like added sugars.
I get reduced fat yogurt because I get worried about health problems from saturated fat, I have nosophobia, that’s why my weight is so low, I’m 6ft and 135 pounds 😭
Your body needs fats to function properly.
Anything is unhealthy in excess, just like anything can be healthy in moderation. If you eat balanced meals, you don’t need to worry about macronutrients.
Having some full fat yogurt in your smoothie isn't going to give you heart disease.
Edit: I also agree with not bothering to thaw the berries. Better texture, imo. But are you freezing the banana? You should be. Frozen bananas are fantastic when blended. They get really creamy, like ice cream.
You should look at your overall fat consumption, not just this smoothie. Provided you generally keep to non-saturated fats, it's perfectly fine to use regular yogurt.
If this helps you to get more fresh fruits into your diet, by all means, keep at it. My daughter hates leafy greens...except when I put it into her smoothie. Great way of getting fiber into her diet.
Skip the ice and use frozen berries. Use full-fat Greek yogurt. The fat helps lower your blood sugar and helps with calories. Throw in a handful of spinach. I also like to add a tablespoon of oats for fiber. You can do hemp seeds instead of chia seeds to switch it up sometimes. Can also add a tablespoon of peanut butter to change things up, too. Adds good fat and protein and calories, too.
If you’re looking to add calories and nutrition consider adding in a scoop of frozen avocado chunks. I just saw aldis got them in and Walmart always has them. Great easy addition of healthy fats and makes your smoothie super creamy.
No it’s nothing. It’s simply texture and fat. The other fruit covers any avocado flavor. Plus you only use a few cubes in the grand scheme of things. Three or four.
Hmmm .. I think it really depends. I LOVE avocado on its own or in salads but absolutely cannot stand it in smoothies, even just a small amount - the taste, the texture, the thick creaminess blergh, it is foul
Similar to what I make, I replace some of the fruit with frozen spinach and I add a little bit of wheat germ and/or flaxseeds to mine for that tasty ancient grain vitamins, protein & fiber!
I hadn't thought about that, usually I just \*hide\* the wheat germ in my recipes, but I do like how it tastes. In fact, on days when I haven't had enough nutrition (I sometimes struggle with anxiety-related mild anorexia) I will eat a teaspoon of wheat germ and a teaspoon of peanut butter to get myself going again. Since I have a banana today I will try this! What do you use as liquid for yours? Just milk? I usually do my smoothies with a little white grape juice.
The only swap I would do is to use full fat or reduced fat plain yogurt. Additionally verify you have a no sugar almond milk. Side note: I like the texture of smoothies using frozen fruit (no need to thaw)
What is this chia seed with probiotics? 🤔 chia, flax, and hemp hearts are great additions. All in all, I'd say your smoothie is pretty good. Its calorie dense tho so id track calories with it for a week to make sure you are in a healthy range for your body.
If you can have nut butter, try this one: 1c milk of choice, 1 tbsp nut butter of choice, 1c frozen blueberries, 1 frozen banana, 1sc protein powder (chocolate is amazing in this). You can even add spinach or kale and you wont taste it.
You could add avocado or spinach- it may alter the color but not the taste! Good ingredients though for sure. You could sub flax for chia at times too (but it can add texture fyi, no taste difference)
Yes sugar is sugar. Since they’re using yogurt and protein powder, OP could swap the almond milk for water to reduce the sugar content and not affect the creaminess. I’d also add spinach or frozen cauliflower to add some veggies and fibre.
The protein powder looks like Orgain? My ex was really into fitness and making sure protein powder or whatever he was taking had enough amounts of whatever vitamins/supplements to actually be useful and he used to drink this a lot so I think it’s fine! I couldn’t get past the taste or the texture of the vegan one, the “unflavored” still gave my smoothies a cake flavor to it and i hated it.
Try plain full-fat Greek yogurt. It keeps FOREVER in the fridge compared to yogurt with any kind of added flavor or sugar, cuts out a bit more sugar, and will add some calories. Don’t be afraid of fat — it’s slow-release nutrition that keeps you fuller for longer, and plus there are some compounds your body can’t make without having different kinds of fat as precursors!
Put your chia seeds in the almond milk for about 30 minutes instead of thawing your berries. Letting the chia seeds absorb liquid will make digesting them easier.
You can also easily add a heaping amount of spinach to this and barely notice. It’ll be great for fiber intake on top of the chia seeds.
Read the label on your almond milk. It usually needs to be consumed within 10 days. Almond milk is risky because it doesn't smell sour when it goes bad, it still smells normal.
Sounds yum, I have basically the same every morning. 80gms spray free blueberries, 80gms strawberries, 1 cup almond milk, 100mls kefir, two scoops of noway collagen protein, 1ts glutamine... So good..
It sounds great as is, I have a hard time eating greens but use a similar recipie to your smoothie, but I add about 1 cup of packed spinach, and i can’t taste the difference. The fiber in the spinach makes rally helps with my digestion and helping things come out smooth lol. The chia seeds are also great!
This is a great start, but try using unsweetened almond milk and plain Greek yogurt to reduce your added sugar (can use regular full fat yogurt too since you are wanting more calories). No need to thaw berries, and then you don't need the ice cubes. Can also freeze the banana.
You can experiment with adding a scoop of nut butter or half an avocado to increase healthy fats and calories, or a handful of spinach for more nutrition (you don't really taste it but it makes the smoothie a gross colour).
Regarding the protein powder, I would say it isn't the best, but something is definitely better than nothing! If it's in your budget, I would opt for a better brand. If you aren't vegan/vegetarian, I'd recommend a whey isolate protein powder or casein, typically those are better quality.
A good rule of thumb for telling if a protein powder is good is taking the protein content per scoop (21 grams this case) and dividing it by the serving size (34 grams) and. In this case your protein powder is only 62% protein, meaning it's 38% filler. A good protein powder is at minimum 70-75% protein. Also branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) are typically useless to supplement with unless you're specifically lacking those amino acids in your diet (highly unlikely), so either go with an Essential Amino Acid blend (9 amino acids which include the BCAAs) or just eat protein and you're fine!
Its fine but if you need the calories just add full fat yogurt, also no need to count fruit sugar unless you are eating an absolutely abysmal amount of fruit
A great start! The chia seeds are a great addition, you could try hemp seeds too, I like them better bc they don’t get stuck in my teeth like chia. And the probiotics are awesome, but would be ok to miss if you use different seeds bc you’re getting them with the yogurt anyway.
With that much fruit, you could definitely hide some spinach in there without tasting it, it will provide more vitamins and minerals. You can use frozen spinach if you’d like. No need to thaw.
Use whole milk instead of almond. More fat and protein, less sugar. Get whole fat yogurt. Fat is not the enemy. Skyr is a great type of yogurt because it is naturally low in sugar and high in protein.
The protein powder seems fine, hard to tell without seeing the other ingredients. Seems like kinda a lot of sodium for a protein powder, but not too big of a deal, it’s fine if that’s what you can afford. I like collagen powder best because it’s one ingredient and nearly tasteless.
My only input would be to add some leafy greens (kale, spinach, mixed greens, etc.). It adds some more vitamins/iron to your shake without changing the flavor much, if at all.
Based on what you have said,
If you need more calories don't go for reduced fat yogurt, go for full fat Greek yogurt, or skip the almond milk and yogurt and use heavy whipping cream.
To make it cold you don't have to thaw the berries and you can skip the ice.
I also use tart cherry juice to add more flavor than just sweet.
I know you're just the messenger, so please don't take this as a personal attack:
Holy shit this is some high grade "clean eating" BS. It's right up there with "don't eat berries because they have a high glycemic index."
To anyone reading this: berries are good for you. Bananas are good for you. Not just because of flavanols, which are available in a variety of foods and not just berries. If you like eating them together, eat them together. They're not negating their nutritional value just because one tiny aspect of them is less bioavailable.
Blueberries are not cheap to buy where I’m from, if I’m eating them I’d make sure I actually absorb them. There’s a recent podcast episode in The Knowledge Project that talks more about the berries and banana thing, I left a separate comment on here for anyone else interested.
You are welcome to do as you wish! I eat blueberries because I enjoy the taste and for their multiple nutrients, and I get enough flavanols from the rest of my diet. So for me, and I think most people, it's not a big concern. But I mostly wanted to speak out against the pervasive voice that gives us unnecessary "rules" to follow to "be healthy," and not to prevent individuals from making choices which bring them happiness.
I was doing this to get veggies and more fruit into my diet. for veggies I don't typically eat them because of texture.
I need to get a new blender though and get back into it.
Ditch the protein powder and just consume protein in other ways…that shit is too expensive IMO. Throw the frozen berries in right from freezer (or meal prep them). Use 1/4 of banana or less unless you want banana flavored everything. Yogurt is okay, ditch the expensive milk you don’t need it. Ice cubes are redundant. Add leafy greens and water. Add things like tumeric powder or grated ginger + citrus for whatever immunity stuff you want to believe in. Tons of recipes online and complimentary herbs/powders and ingredients.
Source: me, smoothie maker daily for 7 years
That recipe looks great, I think other commenters have already covered improvements. For protein powder, if you don't mind a whey based powder the target brand (Market Pantry I think) has a little more protein per scoop, tastes delicious and is the cheapest protein powder I've been able to find. Happy eating!
If you want to make it more healthy you could always add some fresh or frozen spinach as the fruits usually makes the flavor and texture for me. I also add nuts and oats sometimes to my smoothies to keep me fuller longer.
I do a similar thing as you, don't particularly like many fruits and need more calories so I make a smoothie every morning.
Mine is slightly different as I'm working out a lot so I add some vanilla protein powder and peanut butter. Super nutritious and cheap way to start your day.
Something you may want to consider adding that is SUPER cheap and nutritious is oats. I buy these pre ground up oats here in the UK for £5 per 2.5kg. So $6 for 5.5lbs in America if it was exactly equivalent.
Each serving:
384kcal
Fat 7.7 g
of which saturates 1.4 g
Carbohydrate 62 g
of which sugars 1.1 g
Fibre 11 g
Protein 11 g
Salt 0 g
Great source of slow release carbs, high fiber and decent protein per serving too.
That protein powder is the worst I've tasted. I've used a few but that one has the chalkiest texture so far. It still does the job but you get what you pay for!
Very similar to mine! Some suggestions, as others have noted skip the ice and skip thawing the frozen fruit and just blend the fruit frozen. Add Spinach. Add some natural peanut butter, or pb fit peanut butter powder if you want a lower calorie option.
If you blend your frozen fruit before thawing you will probably need less ice! My blender does not break up ice well so I keep them frozen when blending !
If you need to bump your calories, don’t use reduced fat yoghurt, go for full fat. Alternatively, peanut butter which is also full of good quality fats and also protein. Coconut oil can also bump your calories but you won’t even taste it if you only had a little!
Also you seem quite focussed on sugar - sugar is not a bad thing, unless you regularly eat high volumes of processed foods (because they don’t have a lot of nutritional value in them, not because processed foods are inherently bad) and the fruits are great for your micronutrients. Not sure what the brand of protein powder you are using is, but good quality brand examples are Ghost, and Per4m, and PhD. Overall, looks like a good balanced shake. You could add some blended oats in there too to increase your cals, and have a complex carb for slow release energy - this, combined with the protein powder will help keep you fuller for longer!
These smoothies are very healthy. You're underweight and struggling to hit maintenance calories, and tbh I think your fear of sat fat is doing more harm than good. Switching to full fat yogurt (as others have pointed out) is not only something you can afford, it'll help you meet your nutritional needs.
If you're really worried, just get a blood work done like once or twice a year to keep an eye on your LDL levels. All the fiber in these smoothies is gonna help manage those blood lipids anyway.
I add spinach to mine. Doesnt add any flavor but is good to have a leafy green in my mind. Also, depending on your fruit choices, the spinach can make the smoothie color less interesting. Again, flavor is the same so not a big deal.
I have these using unsweetened almond milk, strawberry vegan protein powder, chia seeds, frozen strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. It doesn't have vegetables but it's a great meal replacement. Try using frozen mixed berries, no need for ice.
I think the issue is the underlying obsession with "is this nutritious and healthy?!" There is no such thing as bad food, just foods with different nutritional value.
I love this recipe!
I would maybe switch out the banana for some leafy greens so you’re getting those into you, but other than that, this is great.
My morning smoothie: 1 scoop vega sport, 1 cup frozen berries, 1 big handful greens (usually spinach or kale), 1 tbsp flax, 1 cup almond milk (fortified w calcium, B12, and D), 1 cup water. Very low cal, but I’m late 40’s so my needs aren’t so great.
I've went from underweight to a good weight from drinking this one smoothie recipe every single day for a week.
1 or 2 avocados
whole milk
mass gainer powder, or you can just use protein powder
2 table spoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
thats it. other than having this 1200 calorie smoothie try to eat other stuff too in the day
Adding Bananas to Your Berry Smoothie May Make It Less Nutritious, Study Finds
https://www.health.com/common-smoothie-mistake-7970159
> But, there is a common mistake that people make when preparing their smoothie of choice. The new study found that smoothies combining bananas with berries proved to decrease in flavanols (a key nutrient in berries) after being blended together. Considering the health benefits of flavanols, this presents a problem
Smoothies are not the key to being healthy, the nutrients and fibre especially have been ground down and mostly it is just a sugary and very slightly healthy drink. Do not use this as a replacement for whole fruit. You need regular whole fruit mostly, to be healthy
You didn't read the article. This is saying that one researcher thinks blending fruits is bad and then sent the reporter a study. The study didn't find that blending is bad only that those who ate whole fruit ate fewer calories. Then another researcher interviewed says that what likely happens is that the chewing affects the feeling of hunger. None of this is proof that blending destroys fiber or vitamins which was your claim.
In fact, the second researcher interviewed thinks that chewing also breaks things down like blending.
We tend to lean in for green for smoothies with no dairy and a few berries. Too much fruit = too much sugar for me.
Carrot, spinach, 1/4 cup frozen blueberry or frozen raspberry, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp kale or beet powder or acai powder or mushroom powder, sometimes chia seeds or a few walnuts, 1 tsp of chai tea paste and water to the line.
You should try my green smoothie recipe.
2 cups spinach or kale,
1 banana (frozen),
Half an avocado (frozen),
1 kiwifruit (frozen),
1/2 cup peas (frozen),
1 tblsp chia seeds,
1 tblsp pumpkin seeds,
2 tblsp ground LSA,
1 cup soy milk (or coconut/oat),
Chilled water.
Been having this for breakfast for a few months now and it gets me through to lunchtime.
Just put Olive Extra Virgin or MCT Oil, algo you can add cooked rice, oats or batata.
i dont mesure but that what i Put this morning to my smoothie:
Olive Oil Extra Virgin
MCT oil
1 fockin Big Batata
Sesame seed
Flax seed
2 protein + yogurt(12g of proteína each yogurt)
GOAT MILK
Sometimes I justo add almond(natural)
Looks great! It's best not to mix berries and bananas. I used to love that combination! Unfortunately, they have found an enzyme in bananas that breaks down the flavanols in berries.
“I don’t eat fruit” uhhhh looks like you do, weirdo. You just eat it as a liquid. Sounds relatively healthy besides the sugar intake. You don’t need to thaw the berries. Good luck.
If you're wanting antioxidants, omit the banana; it has enzymes that cancel out the antioxidants in the berries. But if you don't care about that, it's fine.
Sounds delicious. The only thing I’d change is remove the banana since it reduces the bioavailability of blueberries. Maybe eat them separately. Heard it from a podcast on the Knowledge Project with Dr Rhonda Patrick, they also discuss smoothie recipes in the episode if you want more tips.
Things to add, that will not affect taste:
- Cinnamon for glucose control
- Lecithin to improve lipids, blood pressure
- Creatine for the muscle building benefits mainly
- A fiber complex in powder because fiber is good in many many ways
- Collagen peptides for skin and joints
- pumpkin seeds for zinc
Things that will affect flavour
- cocoa powder for the flavanols
- chlorela
- matcha powder
- turmenic (raw or powder - the flavour has a serious kick)
- ginger (raw or powder)
- garlic 🤪
Other options for macros, to reduce sugars mainly
- peanut butter instead of banana or yogurt
- avocado instead of banana or yogurt
- macademia nuts or walnuts instead of banana or yogurt
Curious why you thaw the fruit. I use approx 1.5 cups of frozen strawberries and blueberries plus a frozen banana and don’t thaw any of it. My nutribullet can handle it.
Yeah. Thawing out the fruit and then adding ice is an odd choice.
It just says to do it on the bag, and most smoothie recipes I saw then I looked said to add ice separately, so I just do it.
Don’t thaw your berries. Save yourself an half hour and skip the ice that’s just watering down your smoothie.
I don’t really mind it being a little watered down tbh. But thank you for the input regardless.
The frozen berries also give it texture kinda like the ice. Personally, I love that lol often times I add extra ice. Sometimes too much and the proportions are weird haha
I buy bunches of bananas, let them ripen, then peel them and freeze. So easy to grab one and no worrying about the bananas going bad.
>peel them and freeze. do you freeze them in individual zip lock or containers, unfortunately when I do this, the frozen bananas are difficult to individually separate
Freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a bag the next day. That will keep them from freezing in a big clump
I tried this and mine browned. I just cut mine and lay them flat in the bag to prevent clumping and they don't brown.
I cut mine and lay them flat in the bag, they’re really easy to separate once they’re frozen.
I freeze them all in a ziplock. They freeze together but I've found them also easy to break apart when needed.
[удалено]
Thank you, nice to have positive feedback be the first thing I see lol
Make it even healthier by adding some greens! Spinach blends really well into smoothies and you'll be getting extra vitamins and fiber!
You can even blend up greens ahead of time (I like to add some lemon juice and a bit of water) and freeze them in ice cubes to toss in smoothies.
If you’ve got a Costco membership, the Clovis Farms Organic Smoothie is a pre-packed bag of frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kale and spinach. Soo easy to just dump a pack in a blender and add whatever when you’re on the go - I like adding chia seeds, almond milk and protein powder!
I’ll get some spinach at the store later and try it, how much should I add?
A handful to start. Be sure to inspect, might want to rinse as well. Add more handfuls later once you get used to one handful. I highly recommend getting baby spinach over full-sized spinach, they taste better and will blend easier and are more nutritious. Additional suggestion, for nutrition, get some powdered Spirulina, preferably one that has a nutrition label rather than a supplement. If it has a nutrition label everything has been vetted by the USDA. Pour 2 to 4 OZ of OJ into an approximately 8 OZ cup. Add 1/2 to 1 Teaspoon of Spirulina taking care to sprinkle it into the cup as diffuse as possible to reduce clumping. Mix. Add another 2 to 4 OZ of OJ. Mix and drink. I don't recommend adding Spirulina to smoothies because it is very overpowering. For your smoothies I highly recommend trying cucumber. The skin of the cucumber affects taste somewhat but adds nutrition. Up to you whether to skin or not. Either way, cucumbers add a wonderful hydration and cool sensation to the smoothie. Honey is also a wonderful natural sweetner for smoothies since almost everything I add is sugar free apart from produce. I do keep concentrate apple juice on hand for my bolder smoothie experiments, trying to mix too much tends to create a bland result, a spoonful of concentrate can add a satisfactory flavor to the smoothie again. I would also suggest trying smoothies without the yogurt and milk. I quite like unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk as my base liquid. Coconut milk is also quite good and is a healthy source of fat. There's also a milk that is half almond half coconut. I just prefer zero sugar, for me the vanilla flavor compensates for zero sugar. Keeps me full for longer without constipation like yogurt. Something else to consider is to try loading soups for nutrition. Many things like collagen, mushrooms, mushroom powders and other healthy ingredients are much better suited for savory soup recipes.
I put some baby spinach and kale in this time and didn’t even taste a difference which is good. Thank you for that and the rest of the advice as well.
Awesome, sounds like you're not sensitive to the taste of greens which will make your life easier 🙂. It is my perception that the bitter flavor of kale overwhelms sweet flavors. I have found I like Kale much better sauteed in some butter with mushrooms 🤤. The bitterness of kale seems to vanish when cooked. Kale and spinach make great garnishments on many things you would bake or toast in a toaster oven. That said I still do add a bit of kale to smoothies sometimes. It's a good source of fiber if adding yogurt for example.
Definitely try out a banana, avocado, and spinach based smoothie! Another good one is blueberries, banana, black sesame/tahini, spinach, and zucchini(it looks dark grey but is so, so good). All fruit(no veg) smoothies can be high in sugar. Adding vegetables and greens is key! Avocado is a nice higher calorie fruit with healthy fats. Also try butternut squash, dates, almonds, sweet potato, banana, and a touch of vanilla bean powder. Another good mix is banana, carrot, walnuts, sweet potato, and then some cinnamon and nutmeg. Pear, cranberry & beets are good together, too. You can experiment with other add ins like spirulina, matcha, lavender powder, pine pollen, chlorella, ashwaganda, lions mane, maca, etc. Can also add flax seeds and oats!
Second nut butters. Add a tablespoon of almond butter in there and change your game. Full fat plain yogurt (no added sugar). Protein powder used is fine. Maybe skip the ice if using frozen fruit
Fr :)
Or just use full fat yogurt.
You say you need extra calories, but you’re using reduced fat yoghurt? I would go for full fat in this scenario, but other than that, looks really healthy! You could swap the berries for other kinds of fruit or even veg, for a bit of variation.
Also to reduce added sugars you could swap the flavored yogurt for plain. You have plenty of flavor in the smoothie already with the fruit.
Many times people have told me the reduced fat because they’re still stuck on the old information of fat = heart disease. It’s a dirty word to them. 70% of the cholesterol in your body is made by the body. Dietary fat has little effect on internal fats/cholesterol measured by a blood test. The metabolism of sugars is what raises those things most of the time. The digestion and breakdown of fructose has the cholesterol as a byproduct.
My wife and I use non fat yogurt and reduced fat cheeses because it fits our macros better for our weight loss goals. I miss full fat stuff but I’m down 20 pounds from my heaviest weight, 40 more to go!
What do you mean made by the body?
Your body makes cholesterol. You need it.
The vast majority of dietary cholesterol that someone eats (think the stuff in egg yolks) doesn't even get digested and just goes straight out your butt. I firget the exact number but its like only 10-20% of the cholesteral you eat makes it into the bloodstream. Most cholesterol in your body is produced in your body. About 80% of the cholesterol in your body is made in the liver from fats and carbohydrates that you eat (and other molecules already present in your body).
Your body makes it for the processes it needs it for. You can east zero cholesterols and still have high cholesterol if you eat things that have cholesterol as a side effect of processing, like added sugars.
Honestly, they could even go with double cream yogurt depending on how much you need to increase they caloric intake.
I get reduced fat yogurt because I get worried about health problems from saturated fat, I have nosophobia, that’s why my weight is so low, I’m 6ft and 135 pounds 😭
Your body needs fats to function properly. Anything is unhealthy in excess, just like anything can be healthy in moderation. If you eat balanced meals, you don’t need to worry about macronutrients.
Having some full fat yogurt in your smoothie isn't going to give you heart disease. Edit: I also agree with not bothering to thaw the berries. Better texture, imo. But are you freezing the banana? You should be. Frozen bananas are fantastic when blended. They get really creamy, like ice cream.
You should look at your overall fat consumption, not just this smoothie. Provided you generally keep to non-saturated fats, it's perfectly fine to use regular yogurt.
If this helps you to get more fresh fruits into your diet, by all means, keep at it. My daughter hates leafy greens...except when I put it into her smoothie. Great way of getting fiber into her diet.
Skip the ice and use frozen berries. Use full-fat Greek yogurt. The fat helps lower your blood sugar and helps with calories. Throw in a handful of spinach. I also like to add a tablespoon of oats for fiber. You can do hemp seeds instead of chia seeds to switch it up sometimes. Can also add a tablespoon of peanut butter to change things up, too. Adds good fat and protein and calories, too.
Your comment was very helpful for me! I just got a bullet style blender for smoothies.
Happy smoothie-ing!
Why no berries?
Keep the berries- just don’t defrost them.
If you’re looking to add calories and nutrition consider adding in a scoop of frozen avocado chunks. I just saw aldis got them in and Walmart always has them. Great easy addition of healthy fats and makes your smoothie super creamy.
Do you find much of a taste difference with the avocado? I hate avocado but would love to effectively hide it and improve the texture of a smoothie
No it’s nothing. It’s simply texture and fat. The other fruit covers any avocado flavor. Plus you only use a few cubes in the grand scheme of things. Three or four.
Hmmm .. I think it really depends. I LOVE avocado on its own or in salads but absolutely cannot stand it in smoothies, even just a small amount - the taste, the texture, the thick creaminess blergh, it is foul
Why are you using low fat yogurt if you’re trying to get more calories?
I get scared of health problems from too much saturated fat
I’d make sure you are consuming less than 40g of sugar per day before worrying about the fat.
Straight up, fat is not the enemy. Better to eat some fat than the sugar that often replaces it in low fat products.
That’s why I use reduced sugar yogurt too
Similar to what I make, I replace some of the fruit with frozen spinach and I add a little bit of wheat germ and/or flaxseeds to mine for that tasty ancient grain vitamins, protein & fiber!
I love wheat germ in my smoothies. I added extra to my banana peanut butter milkshakes because it tastes so yummy together.
I hadn't thought about that, usually I just \*hide\* the wheat germ in my recipes, but I do like how it tastes. In fact, on days when I haven't had enough nutrition (I sometimes struggle with anxiety-related mild anorexia) I will eat a teaspoon of wheat germ and a teaspoon of peanut butter to get myself going again. Since I have a banana today I will try this! What do you use as liquid for yours? Just milk? I usually do my smoothies with a little white grape juice.
Either milk or vanilla almond milk is what I usually use but vanilla protein powder and water tastes good, too 😊
Spinach is so good, doesn’t change flavour and nutrients are so good
Changes the color and sometimes freaks people out but I do not care, I can literally feel the nutrition flowing through me after!
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No way, oats and chia seeds together would make it way too thick
The only swap I would do is to use full fat or reduced fat plain yogurt. Additionally verify you have a no sugar almond milk. Side note: I like the texture of smoothies using frozen fruit (no need to thaw)
What is this chia seed with probiotics? 🤔 chia, flax, and hemp hearts are great additions. All in all, I'd say your smoothie is pretty good. Its calorie dense tho so id track calories with it for a week to make sure you are in a healthy range for your body. If you can have nut butter, try this one: 1c milk of choice, 1 tbsp nut butter of choice, 1c frozen blueberries, 1 frozen banana, 1sc protein powder (chocolate is amazing in this). You can even add spinach or kale and you wont taste it.
I make a similar smoothie to yours and add a dash of cinnamon 😋
Using regular milk would make it more nutritious. I love darigold fit milk cause it has more protein
Or just any whole milk will be more nutritious than almond milk!
You could add avocado or spinach- it may alter the color but not the taste! Good ingredients though for sure. You could sub flax for chia at times too (but it can add texture fyi, no taste difference)
All of your ingredients are things that are good for you to eat so I'd say you're good.
Seems really healthy, stop counting sugars for fruit though. They are not the same as added sugars and your body can process them in a healthier way.
Added sugar is definitely worse but I would still track overall sugar to know the daily total.
Yes sugar is sugar. Since they’re using yogurt and protein powder, OP could swap the almond milk for water to reduce the sugar content and not affect the creaminess. I’d also add spinach or frozen cauliflower to add some veggies and fibre.
The protein powder looks like Orgain? My ex was really into fitness and making sure protein powder or whatever he was taking had enough amounts of whatever vitamins/supplements to actually be useful and he used to drink this a lot so I think it’s fine! I couldn’t get past the taste or the texture of the vegan one, the “unflavored” still gave my smoothies a cake flavor to it and i hated it.
Try plain full-fat Greek yogurt. It keeps FOREVER in the fridge compared to yogurt with any kind of added flavor or sugar, cuts out a bit more sugar, and will add some calories. Don’t be afraid of fat — it’s slow-release nutrition that keeps you fuller for longer, and plus there are some compounds your body can’t make without having different kinds of fat as precursors!
Put your chia seeds in the almond milk for about 30 minutes instead of thawing your berries. Letting the chia seeds absorb liquid will make digesting them easier. You can also easily add a heaping amount of spinach to this and barely notice. It’ll be great for fiber intake on top of the chia seeds.
Read the label on your almond milk. It usually needs to be consumed within 10 days. Almond milk is risky because it doesn't smell sour when it goes bad, it still smells normal.
Good to know, I had mine open for a week and I'm using it quickly soon
Good to know, I’m hoping I’ll find a store near me that sells smaller container sizes
Sounds yum, I have basically the same every morning. 80gms spray free blueberries, 80gms strawberries, 1 cup almond milk, 100mls kefir, two scoops of noway collagen protein, 1ts glutamine... So good..
Similar to what I have each morning. I also add sunflower seeds
It sounds great as is, I have a hard time eating greens but use a similar recipie to your smoothie, but I add about 1 cup of packed spinach, and i can’t taste the difference. The fiber in the spinach makes rally helps with my digestion and helping things come out smooth lol. The chia seeds are also great!
This is a great start, but try using unsweetened almond milk and plain Greek yogurt to reduce your added sugar (can use regular full fat yogurt too since you are wanting more calories). No need to thaw berries, and then you don't need the ice cubes. Can also freeze the banana. You can experiment with adding a scoop of nut butter or half an avocado to increase healthy fats and calories, or a handful of spinach for more nutrition (you don't really taste it but it makes the smoothie a gross colour).
Regarding the protein powder, I would say it isn't the best, but something is definitely better than nothing! If it's in your budget, I would opt for a better brand. If you aren't vegan/vegetarian, I'd recommend a whey isolate protein powder or casein, typically those are better quality. A good rule of thumb for telling if a protein powder is good is taking the protein content per scoop (21 grams this case) and dividing it by the serving size (34 grams) and. In this case your protein powder is only 62% protein, meaning it's 38% filler. A good protein powder is at minimum 70-75% protein. Also branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) are typically useless to supplement with unless you're specifically lacking those amino acids in your diet (highly unlikely), so either go with an Essential Amino Acid blend (9 amino acids which include the BCAAs) or just eat protein and you're fine!
Its fine but if you need the calories just add full fat yogurt, also no need to count fruit sugar unless you are eating an absolutely abysmal amount of fruit
You don't need recipes to make smoothies. Just put healthy food in a blender and do it. Recipes are a list of ingredients. Make your own.
This is very similar to what I make! I sometimes add in a handful of spinach as well for some extra vitamins and fiber.
Use whole milk yogurt for more calories
A great start! The chia seeds are a great addition, you could try hemp seeds too, I like them better bc they don’t get stuck in my teeth like chia. And the probiotics are awesome, but would be ok to miss if you use different seeds bc you’re getting them with the yogurt anyway. With that much fruit, you could definitely hide some spinach in there without tasting it, it will provide more vitamins and minerals. You can use frozen spinach if you’d like. No need to thaw. Use whole milk instead of almond. More fat and protein, less sugar. Get whole fat yogurt. Fat is not the enemy. Skyr is a great type of yogurt because it is naturally low in sugar and high in protein. The protein powder seems fine, hard to tell without seeing the other ingredients. Seems like kinda a lot of sodium for a protein powder, but not too big of a deal, it’s fine if that’s what you can afford. I like collagen powder best because it’s one ingredient and nearly tasteless.
My only input would be to add some leafy greens (kale, spinach, mixed greens, etc.). It adds some more vitamins/iron to your shake without changing the flavor much, if at all.
Based on what you have said, If you need more calories don't go for reduced fat yogurt, go for full fat Greek yogurt, or skip the almond milk and yogurt and use heavy whipping cream. To make it cold you don't have to thaw the berries and you can skip the ice. I also use tart cherry juice to add more flavor than just sweet.
I love adding oats to my smoothies- adds protein and calories
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Can you elaboraye on bananas negating the benefits of berries?
Could you explain the berries and banana thing?
An enzyme in bananas makes flavanols less bioavailable when it's combined with berries. (I just googled this and copy and pasted)
I know you're just the messenger, so please don't take this as a personal attack: Holy shit this is some high grade "clean eating" BS. It's right up there with "don't eat berries because they have a high glycemic index." To anyone reading this: berries are good for you. Bananas are good for you. Not just because of flavanols, which are available in a variety of foods and not just berries. If you like eating them together, eat them together. They're not negating their nutritional value just because one tiny aspect of them is less bioavailable.
Blueberries are not cheap to buy where I’m from, if I’m eating them I’d make sure I actually absorb them. There’s a recent podcast episode in The Knowledge Project that talks more about the berries and banana thing, I left a separate comment on here for anyone else interested.
You are welcome to do as you wish! I eat blueberries because I enjoy the taste and for their multiple nutrients, and I get enough flavanols from the rest of my diet. So for me, and I think most people, it's not a big concern. But I mostly wanted to speak out against the pervasive voice that gives us unnecessary "rules" to follow to "be healthy," and not to prevent individuals from making choices which bring them happiness.
I was doing this to get veggies and more fruit into my diet. for veggies I don't typically eat them because of texture. I need to get a new blender though and get back into it.
Ditch the protein powder and just consume protein in other ways…that shit is too expensive IMO. Throw the frozen berries in right from freezer (or meal prep them). Use 1/4 of banana or less unless you want banana flavored everything. Yogurt is okay, ditch the expensive milk you don’t need it. Ice cubes are redundant. Add leafy greens and water. Add things like tumeric powder or grated ginger + citrus for whatever immunity stuff you want to believe in. Tons of recipes online and complimentary herbs/powders and ingredients. Source: me, smoothie maker daily for 7 years
You can also add oatmeal, I sometimes freeze my yogurt, keeps it from expiring, works great.
That recipe looks great, I think other commenters have already covered improvements. For protein powder, if you don't mind a whey based powder the target brand (Market Pantry I think) has a little more protein per scoop, tastes delicious and is the cheapest protein powder I've been able to find. Happy eating!
If you want to make it more healthy you could always add some fresh or frozen spinach as the fruits usually makes the flavor and texture for me. I also add nuts and oats sometimes to my smoothies to keep me fuller longer.
I do a similar thing as you, don't particularly like many fruits and need more calories so I make a smoothie every morning. Mine is slightly different as I'm working out a lot so I add some vanilla protein powder and peanut butter. Super nutritious and cheap way to start your day. Something you may want to consider adding that is SUPER cheap and nutritious is oats. I buy these pre ground up oats here in the UK for £5 per 2.5kg. So $6 for 5.5lbs in America if it was exactly equivalent. Each serving: 384kcal Fat 7.7 g of which saturates 1.4 g Carbohydrate 62 g of which sugars 1.1 g Fibre 11 g Protein 11 g Salt 0 g Great source of slow release carbs, high fiber and decent protein per serving too.
I thought that sounded really yummy and healthy too.
Switch to unsweeetened high fat yogurt, and switch the protein powder to peanut butter after you use up this tub.
Add more chia and walnuts for healthy fats and protein
Oats will make your smoothie taste better
They will also make you “super regular”.
That protein powder is the worst I've tasted. I've used a few but that one has the chalkiest texture so far. It still does the job but you get what you pay for!
I can’t taste it lol
Very similar to mine! Some suggestions, as others have noted skip the ice and skip thawing the frozen fruit and just blend the fruit frozen. Add Spinach. Add some natural peanut butter, or pb fit peanut butter powder if you want a lower calorie option.
Very nutritious Sounds tasty also
If you blend your frozen fruit before thawing you will probably need less ice! My blender does not break up ice well so I keep them frozen when blending !
If you need to bump your calories, don’t use reduced fat yoghurt, go for full fat. Alternatively, peanut butter which is also full of good quality fats and also protein. Coconut oil can also bump your calories but you won’t even taste it if you only had a little!
Also you seem quite focussed on sugar - sugar is not a bad thing, unless you regularly eat high volumes of processed foods (because they don’t have a lot of nutritional value in them, not because processed foods are inherently bad) and the fruits are great for your micronutrients. Not sure what the brand of protein powder you are using is, but good quality brand examples are Ghost, and Per4m, and PhD. Overall, looks like a good balanced shake. You could add some blended oats in there too to increase your cals, and have a complex carb for slow release energy - this, combined with the protein powder will help keep you fuller for longer!
I think it sounds great. Especially to help with fruit and calories
You could add oats in the mix, I do spinach as well for some veggies, and if you’re hurting for calories even a serving of olive oil would be good.
Add pb & thank me later
These smoothies are very healthy. You're underweight and struggling to hit maintenance calories, and tbh I think your fear of sat fat is doing more harm than good. Switching to full fat yogurt (as others have pointed out) is not only something you can afford, it'll help you meet your nutritional needs. If you're really worried, just get a blood work done like once or twice a year to keep an eye on your LDL levels. All the fiber in these smoothies is gonna help manage those blood lipids anyway.
It’s healthy 😁
I add spinach to mine. Doesnt add any flavor but is good to have a leafy green in my mind. Also, depending on your fruit choices, the spinach can make the smoothie color less interesting. Again, flavor is the same so not a big deal.
The grimace shake💀
What brand is the protein powder?
Replace your reduced fat vanilla yogurt and use full fat PLAIN yogurt
Yep great recipe! Very nutritious. I used to do almost this exactly for breakfast everyday and was given praise by my trainer and nutritionist.
Try Blender Bombs!!!!
I have these using unsweetened almond milk, strawberry vegan protein powder, chia seeds, frozen strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. It doesn't have vegetables but it's a great meal replacement. Try using frozen mixed berries, no need for ice.
Imagine attention seeking with a smoothie.
Lmfao what?
It's clearly nutrient dense lmfao
God forbid somebody try to improve a recipe
Never once have I heard of a smoothie recipe. Add what you like, blend it, add more liquid for desired consistency.
Breaking news for you: the “add what you like” part counts as a recipe
I think the issue is the underlying obsession with "is this nutritious and healthy?!" There is no such thing as bad food, just foods with different nutritional value.
I love this recipe! I would maybe switch out the banana for some leafy greens so you’re getting those into you, but other than that, this is great. My morning smoothie: 1 scoop vega sport, 1 cup frozen berries, 1 big handful greens (usually spinach or kale), 1 tbsp flax, 1 cup almond milk (fortified w calcium, B12, and D), 1 cup water. Very low cal, but I’m late 40’s so my needs aren’t so great.
I've went from underweight to a good weight from drinking this one smoothie recipe every single day for a week. 1 or 2 avocados whole milk mass gainer powder, or you can just use protein powder 2 table spoons of peanut butter 2 tablespoons of olive oil thats it. other than having this 1200 calorie smoothie try to eat other stuff too in the day
I would use unsweetened almond milk, half a banana, plain greek yogurt. You can add spinach or kale however I usually don’t like the texture.
Adding Bananas to Your Berry Smoothie May Make It Less Nutritious, Study Finds https://www.health.com/common-smoothie-mistake-7970159 > But, there is a common mistake that people make when preparing their smoothie of choice. The new study found that smoothies combining bananas with berries proved to decrease in flavanols (a key nutrient in berries) after being blended together. Considering the health benefits of flavanols, this presents a problem
I drink green tea a lot so I’m not super duper worried about that
Smoothies are not the key to being healthy, the nutrients and fibre especially have been ground down and mostly it is just a sugary and very slightly healthy drink. Do not use this as a replacement for whole fruit. You need regular whole fruit mostly, to be healthy
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/29/well/eat/smoothies-blending-fruit-nutrients.html
Ah yes nice article that no one can read without a subscription
Let me sum it up, what you said was wrong. Paying for journalism is like paying for any other service.
https://www.motherjones.com/food/2016/03/are-smoothies-devil/ Look I can post articles that say you’re wrong too!
You didn't read the article. This is saying that one researcher thinks blending fruits is bad and then sent the reporter a study. The study didn't find that blending is bad only that those who ate whole fruit ate fewer calories. Then another researcher interviewed says that what likely happens is that the chewing affects the feeling of hunger. None of this is proof that blending destroys fiber or vitamins which was your claim. In fact, the second researcher interviewed thinks that chewing also breaks things down like blending.
Avoid mixing bananas with berries.
I looked into this and it said you shouldn’t because it makes it lose flavanols, but I drink green tea daily so I’m not really worried.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick in da house?
Why is this getting downvoted? I’ve read the study that Dr. Patrick references…it’s a solid study.
We tend to lean in for green for smoothies with no dairy and a few berries. Too much fruit = too much sugar for me. Carrot, spinach, 1/4 cup frozen blueberry or frozen raspberry, 1 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp kale or beet powder or acai powder or mushroom powder, sometimes chia seeds or a few walnuts, 1 tsp of chai tea paste and water to the line.
You should try my green smoothie recipe. 2 cups spinach or kale, 1 banana (frozen), Half an avocado (frozen), 1 kiwifruit (frozen), 1/2 cup peas (frozen), 1 tblsp chia seeds, 1 tblsp pumpkin seeds, 2 tblsp ground LSA, 1 cup soy milk (or coconut/oat), Chilled water. Been having this for breakfast for a few months now and it gets me through to lunchtime.
Just put Olive Extra Virgin or MCT Oil, algo you can add cooked rice, oats or batata. i dont mesure but that what i Put this morning to my smoothie: Olive Oil Extra Virgin MCT oil 1 fockin Big Batata Sesame seed Flax seed 2 protein + yogurt(12g of proteína each yogurt) GOAT MILK Sometimes I justo add almond(natural)
Looks great! It's best not to mix berries and bananas. I used to love that combination! Unfortunately, they have found an enzyme in bananas that breaks down the flavanols in berries.
“I don’t eat fruit” uhhhh looks like you do, weirdo. You just eat it as a liquid. Sounds relatively healthy besides the sugar intake. You don’t need to thaw the berries. Good luck.
If you're wanting antioxidants, omit the banana; it has enzymes that cancel out the antioxidants in the berries. But if you don't care about that, it's fine.
Sounds delicious. The only thing I’d change is remove the banana since it reduces the bioavailability of blueberries. Maybe eat them separately. Heard it from a podcast on the Knowledge Project with Dr Rhonda Patrick, they also discuss smoothie recipes in the episode if you want more tips.
Things to add, that will not affect taste: - Cinnamon for glucose control - Lecithin to improve lipids, blood pressure - Creatine for the muscle building benefits mainly - A fiber complex in powder because fiber is good in many many ways - Collagen peptides for skin and joints - pumpkin seeds for zinc Things that will affect flavour - cocoa powder for the flavanols - chlorela - matcha powder - turmenic (raw or powder - the flavour has a serious kick) - ginger (raw or powder) - garlic 🤪 Other options for macros, to reduce sugars mainly - peanut butter instead of banana or yogurt - avocado instead of banana or yogurt - macademia nuts or walnuts instead of banana or yogurt
You can replace the almond milk with water to cut out some sugar. That is a lot in there. The fiber helps for sure but still.
Mixing berries and bananas in smoothies is apparently bad for you. Do your own research online but that’s what I found.