The internet is full of inspirational and delicious ideas, when it comes to healthy smoothie recipes. But why are smoothies so popular, particularly in health and wellness circles?
We all know that leading a busy lifestyle can make one of our most important priorities fall by the wayside; our commitment to eating healthy, nutritious and balanced meals every day. But when you add up the demands of work, school, parenting or recreational activities, it can be hard to do the planning and the shopping it requires to squeeze in all those servings of fruits and vegetables that we know are important to maintaining health and wellness.
The smoothie is the secret weapon of people who can make their daily dietary nutrition goals. It works because preparation is minimal (and can be done ahead of time), it is economical, and it remains one of the fastest and most delicious ways to hit your fiber, and raw fruit and vegetable goals daily.
We promise that once you get yourself organized, and find some favorite combinations, you’ll enjoy starting the day with a smoothie, or using a healthy, fiber packed serving as a snack alternative that will support your wellness goals. Find out how low glutathione levels will impact your energy levels.
Getting Started
Depending on where you live, certain types of fruits and vegetables (often the most nutrient dense and nutritionally valuable ones) can be a little expensive. However, dedicated smoothie aficionados have found several work-around’s to make a daily smoothie (or two) more convenient and affordable.
- Find a farmer’s market near you. Did you know that locally grown fruits and vegetables contain more nutrients, because they spend less time traveling from farm to grocer? Choose organic fruits and vegetables where you can, to reduce pesticides and other harmful chemicals from infiltrating your healthy diet.
- Choose vegetables and fruits that are in-season, where possible. Not only are they fresh and locally grown, they’re more affordable.
- Look for a fresh produce co-operative. Many cities have groups and suppliers that allow consumers to buy grower-direct (particularly organic growers). You can get an assorted box of seasonal fruits and vegetables for a fraction of the cost at grocery retailers.
- Check the discount section in produce for fruits and vegetables that are ripened. Did you know that ripened fruits and vegetables have (in most cases) higher levels of natural antioxidants than green or unseasoned produce? And you can save 50% to 75% off.
You are probably wondering where someone finds the time to cut the fruits and vegetables they use daily, in their smoothies. We’ll share the secret. You can do advanced preparation for 1-2 weeks in about an hour in your kitchen. Simply wash, trim and cut portions of your favorite fruits and vegetables and create combination single-portion bags for the freezer. Use a recyclable plastic zip-lock style bag, that will allow you to simply grab one in the morning, empty it into your food processor or blender, add a little water (or fruit juice, almond milk or water) and go!
At RobKellerMD® we love anything that makes eating a balanced nutritional diet easy. Our staff contributed three of their new favorite smoothie recipes, and we’d love to hear your suggestions or comments. Do you have a link to a smoothie recipe your family enjoys? Leave a comment below.
Super Fruit Smoothie
1 cup of frozen cherries
1 whole kiwi, peeled
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon chia seeds
Source: Delish.com
Pina Colada Green Smoothie
1 cup fresh pineapple
1 whole banana
1 cup baby spinach
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup of ice
2 teaspoons of raw honey
Source: CleanFoodCrush.com
Cacao Hemp
1 cup blueberries
1 cup spinach
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder (unsweetened)
1 tablespoon hulled hemp seeds
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 teaspoon spirulina
1 cup of vanilla almond milk (unsweetened)
Source: HummusSapien.com
We encourage everyone to get “back to the blender” and stay on track with your daily balanced dietary nutrition. For more information on supporting your nutritional needs with a phyto-nutrient based high-potency multivitamin, learn more about Dr. Keller’s Advanced Immune Defense™