When you order a smoothie at a restaurant or buy a pre-made smoothie in the grocery store, you're running the risk of not knowing exactly what's being put in it. Is there added sugar? What are they using as a thickener? If yogurt is the thickener, is it fat-free yogurt? What does it mean when they add "fat burners" and "muscle builders"? To avoid accidentally eating something you know you should be avoiding, like excess fructose, make your own fruit smoothies by following these simple steps.
Use a Blender, Not a Juicer
First things first: you should always use a blender instead of a juicer. When you juice fruits and vegetables, you're getting rid of virtually all the wholesome fiber and nutrition, leaving you with little more than sugary juice. When you use a blender, however, you put the whole fruit in and you get the whole fruit and all of its nutrition out.
Start with Ice
Nothing fancy here. A few ice cubes will affect the texture and the temperature of your smoothie. Feel free to experiment, but try 3 or 4 ice cubes as a starting point.
Add a Base
Your base also has a substantial impact on the texture of your smoothie and if you're doing it right, the base can add some essential nutrition. Try plain, non-fat Greek yogurt (the fruit will sweeten this so don't worry if you don't like what plain yogurt tastes like) to get a heavy dose of protein and healthy probiotics. Since we'll be adding a liquid later, the base isn't essential, but it will thicken your smoothie and add protein. Peanut butter will have a similar effect and will add some healthy fats (Peanut butter is especially good if you're going to add bananas to your smoothie).
Add No Sugar Added Fruit
If you're going to buy those pre-frozen packages of fruit that are designed for smoothie making, always check the ingredients list before you buy. It should have only one ingredient: the fruit. If there is anything else listed, pick a different brand. Although it's not a requirement, using frozen fruit will thicken the texture of your smoothie which will hopefully keep you full longer. The fruit combination is really up to you - just be cognizant of what else you're putting in the smoothie and be aware that darker colored fruits are generally more nutritious.
Add Protein
A meal or a snack without protein isn't worth eating. The easiest way to add high quality protein to a smoothie is with a protein powder, but these obviously aren't for everyone. You could try adding chopped pecans (or any nuts), flax seeds, ricotta cheese, Greek yogurt, peanut or almond butter or low-fat milk.
Add a Liquid
Your lowest calorie option is water, though I like to use low-fat milk for some more protein (chocolate milk especially will add some flavor). You can also try coconut water or 100% fruit juice if you prefer. Put as much liquid in as necessary to fill in the gaps made by the ice, fruit, etc.
Add Chocolate (optional)
A little bit of chocolate, especially dark chocolate, every day can be very beneficial to your health. It also makes your smoothie a little sweeter if you think your fruit combination might be too sour.
Fruit smoothies are a great snack option because they'll keep you feeling satisfied, they're full of nutrition, and every calorie from a smoothie can be used productively by your body. You can learn more about healthy snacking habits at my website.
For more easy to understand information about nutrition, fitness, well-being and simple every day substitutions, visit http://www.delveintohealth.com/
Thanks for reading!
Nathaniel
View the original article here
No comments:
Post a Comment