JoAnn’s Healthy Smoothie
A freshly blended smoothie is a quick, easy, delicious, and energizing breakfast IF made with healthy and nutritionally balanced organic ingredients.
I love smoothies for breakfast because they are quick and simple to make (without a lot of cleanup), taste yummy, are easy to digest, and it feels great to know that I'm starting my day with balanced, power-packed nutrition. Let's take a look at what should be included:
COMPONENTS FOR A HEALTHY AND BALANCED SMOOTHIE
BASE ( 1-2 cups): Water, coconut water (great source of electrolytes), or fresh juice are all acceptable options. Personally, I prefer almond milk or coconut milk - which are “healthy fats” that are satisfying and a great source of energy.
FRUIT (1-2 cups ): Choose a variety of fruits combining low glycemic index (like berries, cherries, and peaches) with small amounts of higher GI fruits (such as banana, mango, pineapple).
VEGGIES ( 1-2 cups): It's a good idea to start with easy, neutral tasting greens such as romaine and spinach if you are new to smoothies. As you’re feeling more adventurous, try adding more bitter greens like kale, collard greens, lettuces, and herbs like cilantro, mint, and parsley.
SWEETENER: Pure organic stevia (read the labels — many brands of “stevia” have additional ingredients included), medjool dates, or raw honey.
HEALTHY FATS (no more than 10-15 grams): Healthy fats include coconut, avocados, and nuts and seeds. Not only do seeds such as flax and chia seeds contribute an abundance of healthy fats, but their gelatinous fibers bind with toxins and remove them from the body - an added plus! Please note if you use nut or coconut milk as your base or a protein source of nuts or seeds, be sure to count them in your fat gram total!
PROTEIN (15-20 grams): Acceptable sources can be a variety of nuts and seeds (or their butters), or protein powders made from only pure, organic, whole food sources (such as brown rice, pea, hemp, chia, flax, pumpkin, or sunflower) with no unnecessary additives.
PROTEIN POWDERS
"There should be only one ingredient in your protein powder - the source of protein. There should be no additional sweeteners or flavorings. This is easier said than done." ~ Dr. Mark Hyman
Like most refined/processed foods, MANY protein powders contain numerous “extras” like sweeteners, flavorings, and other ingredients that are not “real food”. Just start reading labels and you’ll see that the above quote is all too true. Here are some examples that I have found to be acceptable:
Nutribiotic Organic Rice Protein, Plain - Ingredients: Enzymatically processed rice protein from certified organic, whole grain, sprouted brown rice.
Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein - Ingredients: Organic hemp protein.
Navitas Naturals Organic Hemp Protein Powder - Ingredients: Certified organic hemp powder.
Sprout Living Pumpkin Seed Pure Plant Protein Powder, Original - Ingredients: Organic pumpkin seed protein powder.
Swanson Organic 100% Certified Organic Pea Protein Powder - Ingredients: 100% certified organic pea protein powder.
One last note about creating healthy and balanced smoothies is to be creative and change it up regularly so that you are consuming a variety of foods –which always makes for the best nutrition!
Here’s is a basic recipe for a healthy, balanced smoothie to get you started:
JOANN'S HEALTHY SMOOTHIE
1 cup almond milk or coconut milk (I use 1/4 cup Trader Joe's canned coconut milk - which is more concentrated and has no additives - and the rest water.)1 cup frozen berries1 banana (approx. 1 cup) OR 1 cup frozen mango1-2 cups of spinach, lettuce, or power greensStevia or 1-2 Medjool dates to taste1 Tbsp nuts, seeds, coconut, ground flax seeds or soaked chia seeds1-2 servings protein powderWater and/or ice as needed
Blend and enjoy!