Smoothies
Its important to be aware that not all smoothies are low calorie and healthy. Smoothies are almost always marketed as a healthy alternative but the primary goals of food manufactures are profit related and not to help you reach your health goals. These smoothies usually contain excessive amounts of sugar, many questionable flavor additives and preservative. The best option is to prepare your own smoothies to ensure you know exactly what is in them.
There are many elaborate smoothie recipes with exotic ingredients like bee pollen or moringa. It is wonderful if you would like to seek out these unfamiliar ingredients and I encourage everyone to educate and experience new foods. However, it is certainly not required and for most people the best strategy to include smoothies in the diet on a regular basis is to keep them simple and affordable. Smoothies that contain only a few ingredients can still be very nutrient dense and disease preventative. That is not to say you should miss an opportunity to include additional health promoting ingredients that may already be on hand. Adding dried spices (cinnamon ginger, turmeric, nutmeg), vanilla or other natural extracts, fresh ginger or even fresh herbs are excellent ways to incorporate unique flavors and antioxidants.
For a protein source I recommend adding either nuts or seeds. These will also provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, plant sterols, phytochemicals, and anti-inflammatory fats. Milled flaxseed, chia seeds and hemp seeds are my favorite. They each offer a different flavor and nutrient profile. Purchase one or two of your favorites in bulk and store them in the freezer. This way the anti-inflammatory fats will not oxidize. All soy milks, Good Karma's protein plus flaxseed milk and Ripple's pea protein milk also have protein and are excellent dairy replacements. If you are concerned about meeting you protein needs on a whole foods plant based diet there are plant based protein powders. Plant based powders are a superior choice because they require significantly less resources to be made and many animal based powdered have been found to be contaminated with heavy metals. These supplements are most beneficial to people that perform intense physical exercise or have hyper-metabolic conditions that increase protein calorie needs such as cancer. My favorite is Vega Sport.
Smoothies have a high acceptability rate among people with and without food aversions. They can be a helpful culinary tool to increase nutrients and control calorie intake. Individuals that typically do not eat breakfast, have chewing or swallowing difficulties or picky eating tendencies find smoothies simple to prepare, easy drink, and very palatable. Smoothies can be helpful in weight maintenance as well. The sweetness of the fruit can make for a very desirable yet low calorie breakfast, dessert or snack option. On the other end of the scale, if individuals are looking to gain weight or prevent weight loss I recommend adding 1/2 to 1 tbsp. of coconut oil. This will provide additional calories form short chain fatty acids. These fats are absorbed in the stomach and metabolized as energy more efficiently than fats from other sources. This can aid in the prevention of muscle wasting for both athletes and individuals with hyper-metabolic conditions such as Parkinson's disease or cancer. Another option is to add 1/4 of an avocado for additional calories, creaminess and nutrients. There are many advantages to including smoothies in the diet and everyone can benefit from the endless combination of disease preventative ingredients found in them.
There are many elaborate smoothie recipes with exotic ingredients like bee pollen or moringa. It is wonderful if you would like to seek out these unfamiliar ingredients and I encourage everyone to educate and experience new foods. However, it is certainly not required and for most people the best strategy to include smoothies in the diet on a regular basis is to keep them simple and affordable. Smoothies that contain only a few ingredients can still be very nutrient dense and disease preventative. That is not to say you should miss an opportunity to include additional health promoting ingredients that may already be on hand. Adding dried spices (cinnamon ginger, turmeric, nutmeg), vanilla or other natural extracts, fresh ginger or even fresh herbs are excellent ways to incorporate unique flavors and antioxidants.
For a protein source I recommend adding either nuts or seeds. These will also provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, plant sterols, phytochemicals, and anti-inflammatory fats. Milled flaxseed, chia seeds and hemp seeds are my favorite. They each offer a different flavor and nutrient profile. Purchase one or two of your favorites in bulk and store them in the freezer. This way the anti-inflammatory fats will not oxidize. All soy milks, Good Karma's protein plus flaxseed milk and Ripple's pea protein milk also have protein and are excellent dairy replacements. If you are concerned about meeting you protein needs on a whole foods plant based diet there are plant based protein powders. Plant based powders are a superior choice because they require significantly less resources to be made and many animal based powdered have been found to be contaminated with heavy metals. These supplements are most beneficial to people that perform intense physical exercise or have hyper-metabolic conditions that increase protein calorie needs such as cancer. My favorite is Vega Sport.
Smoothies have a high acceptability rate among people with and without food aversions. They can be a helpful culinary tool to increase nutrients and control calorie intake. Individuals that typically do not eat breakfast, have chewing or swallowing difficulties or picky eating tendencies find smoothies simple to prepare, easy drink, and very palatable. Smoothies can be helpful in weight maintenance as well. The sweetness of the fruit can make for a very desirable yet low calorie breakfast, dessert or snack option. On the other end of the scale, if individuals are looking to gain weight or prevent weight loss I recommend adding 1/2 to 1 tbsp. of coconut oil. This will provide additional calories form short chain fatty acids. These fats are absorbed in the stomach and metabolized as energy more efficiently than fats from other sources. This can aid in the prevention of muscle wasting for both athletes and individuals with hyper-metabolic conditions such as Parkinson's disease or cancer. Another option is to add 1/4 of an avocado for additional calories, creaminess and nutrients. There are many advantages to including smoothies in the diet and everyone can benefit from the endless combination of disease preventative ingredients found in them.
