Super Green Smoothie

I tried using avocado in my smoothie for the first time.  What a wonderful addition!  It adds a smooth creamy texture, while imparting just a hint of flavor.  It does add quite a bit of fat to the total nutrition, but it's the "good" fat... almost 2/3 of the fats avocados contain are the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil. 

This smoothie also has flax seeds, which add a nice nutty flavor, a bit of fiber, and lots of those wonderful antioxidants including a high concentration of Omega 3.  I bought natural whole flax seeds from my local health flood store and ground them in a coffee grinder. 

There are also oats added for fiber and extra protein.  The oats were also ground fine in the coffee grinder along with the flax seeds.

Recently, I discovered cashew milk.  If you know me very well, you know that I am a skim milk girl. I love my milk!  I have tried soy milk, but really didn't like it.  But, if you know me, you also know how much I love nuts!


So, I had to try cashew milk, and it is so delicious.  As a smoothie ingredient, it provides a great nutty flavor and is actually lower in calories than skim milk.


Add in some spinach, tropical fruits and protein powder, and voila you have a Super Green Smoothie, beautiful in color, tasty and very filling.

Super Green Smoothie

½ Avocado

1 Banana

1 c. Pineapple (chunks, frozen)

1 c. Spinach (chopped, frozen)

1 T. Flax Seeds (ground fine)

½ c. Oats (ground fine)

2 T. Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla flavor

1 c. Cashew Milk

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.

(45 g Protein, 16 g Fat, 15 g Fiber)

Summer Garden Smoothie

This one is chock full of summer veggies and fruit.  For something a little different, cottage cheese replaces the usual yogurt or milk.  You might notice that this is really a yellow smoothie, but that little bit of spinach definitely overpowers any other colors.  Either way, yellow or green, it was delicious and energizing, and very filling.

Summer Garden Smoothie

½ c. yellow summer squash, sliced

½ c. cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 c. carrots, shredded

½ c. yellow bell pepper, chunks

½ c. spinach, chopped (frozen)

½ c. mango, chunks (frozen)

½ c. peaches, sliced (frozen)

½ c. cottage cheese

¼ c. orange juice

1 ½ T. Whey protein powder, vanilla flavor

1 t. honey

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(42 g Protein, 4 g Fat, 4 g Fiber)

Good Morning Sunshine!

Since much of the country is dealing with the color white today, I thought I would try and brighten things up with a bright and sunny smoothie.  The color of the day today is sunshine.  Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are chock full of antioxidants like carotenoids and bioflavonoids. Along with antioxidants, sunny-colored foods also have an abundance of vitamin C. These bountiful nutrients can help your heart, vision, digestion and immune system. Other benefits of naturally yellow and orange foods include maintenance of healthy skin, wound healing, and stronger bones and teeth.  And they are delicious!

Good Morning Sunshine

½ c. cucumber, peeled and chunks

1 c. carrots, shredded

1 banana, chunks (frozen)

1 c. peaches, slices (frozen)

¼ c. orange juice

¼ c. skim milk

2 T. Whey protein powder, vanilla flavor

1 T. honey

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(38 g Protein, 1 g Fat, 6 g Fiber)

It's All About The Beet

I had heard all the hype about the health benefits of beets, and even heard of people putting them in smoothies.  While I had nothing against beets, I can't say they were the first smoothie ingredient to come to mind when thinking about tasty concoctions.  But, for me, smoothies are about finding that fine line between tasty and super healthy.  So, I decided to give it a try.  

I admit that I cheated just a bit.  Every thing that I read about beet smoothies suggested cooking the roots first so they were soft enough to blend smoothly...then I heard a tip from someone who said if they were going to be cooked anyway, you might as well use canned beets.  Normally, I do try and use all fresh ingredients in my smoothies, but being a beet newbie, I decided to go the easy way and bought a can of beets.  It worked well for me because I also used the juice from the can as the liquid in the smoothie.  Who knows, I might get adventurous next time and actually try stewing fresh beet root, but for now, I think the canned stuff worked just fine.  

The flavor was absolutely delicious, the color rich and lovely, and I could just feel all those wonderful antioxidants flooding through my body.  So, today, it's all about the beet!

Beet-Berry Blast

1 c. Greek yogurt, plain

¼ c. red bell pepper chunks

½ c. shredded carrots

½ c. cooked beets

1 frozen banana

½ c. frozen raspberries

4 frozen strawberries

1/8 c. beet juice

1/8 c. pomegranate juice

1 T. lemon juice

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(21 g Protein, 0 g Fat, 8 g Fiber)

Have A Cup o' Salad!

Today's smoothie is like a salad in a cup.  It was beautiful before and after, and the taste was wonderful...a bit like a V8, but creamy and thick.  The mango and peach added a nice sweet note to the flavor of the vegetables.  I must admit, I was proud of this one.  So, go drink some salad!

Cup o’ Salad Smoothie

1 c. shredded kale

1 c. shredded carrots

1 celery stalk, cut into chunks

1 tomato, cut into chunks

1 peach, peeled and cut into chunks

1 c. frozen mango chunks

1 c. apple juice

1 ½ T. whey protein powder, vanilla flavor

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.
(30 g Protein, 0 g Fat, 8 g Fiber)

Show Me The Green

Just recently, I discovered the joy of green smoothies.  I had a big bag of kale left over from New Year's Day and decided to throw a handful into my banana/berry smoothie one morning, and the results were amazing.  I am now hooked on green smoothies!

Kale-Banana-Berry Smoothie

1 c. Blueberry Yogurt

1 frozen Banana

1 c. Frozen Berries

2 c. shredded Kale

¼ c. Orange Juice

1 T. Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla Flavor

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.
My first attempt at green smoothies, and I was making due with what I found in the 'fridge...Not the prettiest, but surprisingly yummy.

(32 g Protein, 0 g Fat, 12 g Fiber)

Green Goddess Smoothie

2 c. shredded kale

½ c. chopped peeled and seeded cucumber

1 c. honeydew melon chunks

½ c. honeydew melon juice

½ c. frozen mango chunks

6 oz. vanilla Greek yogurt

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.
This one was beautiful and delish!
(21 g Protein, 0 Fat, 7 g Fiber)

For The Love Of Smoothies

I love smoothies.  They are a delicious way to get vitamins and anti-oxidants from fruits and vegetables and a great source of easily digestible protein.  I especially like smoothies immediately following a workout.  I'm a big believer in consuming protein as soon after working out as possible. Muscles are hungry and when they are stressed, they want to consume. Whey protein especially promotes muscle growth and aids in muscle recovery.

Normally, I use whatever I can find in the fridge, freezer and cabinet to concoct different and interesting smoothie flavors.  I do prefer to use frozen fruit and avoid ice that will water down the flavor.  Store bought frozen fruit works fine, but fresh fruit like bananas, grapes, etc., can also be frozen for later use.

 I often use powdered whey protein for added protein and a yummy vanilla flavor.  It can be purchased at most health supply stores.

I've gotten it from wholesale retailers, but my favorite comes from my local health foods store, Remedy's in Key Largo.  It's all natural and quite delicious.                                                                                                                                  

Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and flavor, as is peanut butter.


Sometimes, I also like to add oats for fiber, and they add a nice creamy texture.
                                             

Bottom line, is there is no exact recipe.  Experiment, have fun.

Here are a few of my favorite concoctions:

PB&J Smoothie

1 c. Skim Milk

1 c. Quaker Oats, finely ground

¼ c. Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla Flavor

1 T. Peanut Butter

6 Frozen Strawberries

½ c. Frozen Blueberries

¼ c. Apple Juice

¼ c. Pomegranate Juice

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.

(55 g Protein, 11 g Fat, 15 g Fiber)

Tangy Peach-Berry Smoothie

6 oz. Plain Lowfat Greek Yogurt

1 c. Quaker Oats, finely ground

2 c. (approx.) Frozen Mixed Fruit – Peach, Strawberry, Pineapple, Grapes

¼ c. Frozen Blueberries

½ Banana

½ c. Orange Juice

¼ c. Pomegranate Juice

Splash skim milk if too thick

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.

(25 g Protein, 5 g Fat, 18 g Fiber)