Smoothies can be a great refreshing addition to your diet during the summer. Not only are they tasty, but you can pack them full of nutrients to make sure you are getting the nutrition you need. Below are my tips for making both meal-replacement smoothies and snack smoothies.
Meal Replacement Smoothies:
- Choose a protein powder you love. You don’t need to choke down a chalky powder just because you want to get in your protein. Whole Foods carries individual servings of almost all protein powders that they sell. Pick up a few samples to find one that you like before committing to an entire tub. Whether it is whey protein or a plant based option, they all taste different, so take time to do a little tasting prior to making a costly mistake of purchasing one you hate. If you prefer not to use a protein powder, use plain greek yogurt.
- Add a healthy fat. Healthy fats will help sustain your hunger until the next meal. When replacing a meal with a smoothie, this component often gets missed. Avocados, nut butters or coconut oil can be tasty additions.
- Switch up the flavor of your smoothie with different fruit combinations. Grabbing for the frozen berries is easy, so a lot of people get stuck in this routine. Trying different colorful fruits in different combinations will also help you to ensure you are getting a variety of phytonutrients.
- Always add greens. You won’t be able to taste them, and it is an easy way to increase your vegetable intake. You can even try other vegetables such as zucchini, cauliflower and cucumber!
- Add a fiber booster. Adding flax meal, chia seeds or hemps seeds to your smoothie will help ensure you are getting the fiber you need to prevent cardiovascular disease and improve your gastrointestinal health. Fiber also helps to sustain hunger to help you eat less during the entire day.
- Be choosy with your liquid. In order to get the smoothie to your desired texture, using a liquid base is essential. Try an unsweetened nut milk instead of water. This will give your smoothie a better consistency and a bit more flavor.
Snack Smoothies:
Follow the steps above, but you can leave out a macronutrient or two. If you just need an extra boost, try frozen fruit, coconut milk and almond butter. Or to ensure your protein, you can even just use protein powder and a liquid.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]