The Smoothie Experiment

I’ve been drinking way too much coffee lately, so I thought I would experiment with a morning smoothie to start my day a different way. They are so easy to make and give you a convenient hit of nutrients with fantastic health benefits; a really easy way to get more fibre, micronutrients and antioxidants into your diet.

It’s definitely going to be a case of ‘giving up something good, for something better’

Each day, I’ve been throwing a new combination of nutrient dense superfoods into the mix and just seeing what happens. My only problem with smoothies is that in less than a minute they are gone. The solution? Smoothie bowls- essentially a smoothie but thicker, so I could ditch the straw and eat them with a spoon. It actually gives you the opportunity to be a bit more creative with the ingredients as you can make them as thick as you want; try avocado, frozen bananas and roughly chopped seeds and nuts-extremely satisfying and filling and more like a dessert-ice cream for breakfast anyone? So fast and easy to make and the possibilities are endless; I have also been treating myself to them post-workout to fuel my muscles with carbs and protein.

Although they contain super healthy ingredients, you have to be careful about the serving sizes. It’s way too easy to go overboard adding lots of sugary fruits and calorific nut butters and avocados. A Superfood Fruit smoothie containing 190 calories per bottle may seem harmless but with the ingredients coming from apple juice, peach, mango, strawberry and banana, it packs in a massive 37g's of sugar (that's 9 spoonfuls). Yes, the sugar comes from fruit juice and fruit but it's still sugar and from a blood sugar perspective, the sugar in this juice is identical to the sugar in confectionary and sweets. I am not suggesting you stay away from these foods- they are packed full of the good stuff-just be mindful of the combinations you are putting in your smoothie. You need to strike the balance making them moderate in calories but packed full of nutrients.

In order for my smoothies to pass the test, they have to have lots of fibre, at least 10 grams of protein and depending on when I’m eating them, the right carb-to-protein or fat-to-protein ratio.

How to make the perfect smoothie (bowl):

*Choose a liquid (add this first)

Almond milk, Coconut milk, Coconut water, Water and not technically ‘liquids’ but I also use Greek Yoghurt and Quark when I want them to resemble dessert.

Put this in your mixer first so it surrounds the blade and makes the blending process easier.

*Add Fruit and Vegetables

The more frozen your fruit/vegetables are, the thicker your smoothie will be. Bananas are a great choice as they will make your smoothie more like an ice cream. Don’t forget to think about using avocado which will add a really nice consistency and is full of healthy fats and some vitamin E. The more water your fruits contain the less liquid you need; you will need to be careful with this if you want an ‘eat with a spoon’ consistency.

*Added Extras

This is where you can get creative and where I will look to add some protein if I haven’t used Greek yoghurt or Quark. Chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp powder, protein powder (whey or plant based), almond butter are all great protein sources. Many of these contain healthy fats too.

Lots of people fall short of their daily recommended amounts of fibre. It’s really easy to boost your intake with oats and also chia and flaxseed. Leafy greens and carrots can all help too.

You can really change the flavours of your smoothies by using herbs and spices and they all offer their own unique health benefits. I use Cinnamon, Tumeric, Ginger, Mint and nutmeg. I also like to add vanilla, almond and peppermint essence for extra flavour.

Other superfoods I’m going to be experimenting with are Wheat and Barley Grass, Chlorella and Spirulina, Acai powder, Maca powder, Cacao nibs-the combinations are endless.

To help you, I've put together a really easy to use table to give you an idea of what combinations of foods to put together to balance your macronutrients (carbs/proteins/fats). I will share it with you and will be posting some of my favourite mixes soon....