Vegetable smoothies! If you just squinched up your nose, you’re not alone. While most people would agree that fruit smoothies are the bomb – it’s like healthy dessert!- many are intimidated by veggie smoothies. With a little time and these nutritionist-approved tips, you will find that your taste buds adapt and you’ll enjoy not only the health benefits, but also the flavors.
Here are some tips to help you begin your smoothie journey.
For beginners:
- 1 cup of romaine lettuce
- ¼ cup of blueberries
- 4 strawberries
- 1-2 tablespoons of almond butter
- 1 scoop of chocolate or vanilla protein powder (hemp, whey or bone broth)
- 6 ounces of coconut or almond milk
- 4 ice cubes
Intermediate:
- 1 cup of romaine lettuce, spinach and or kale
- 1 carrot
- ¼ cup of blueberries
- ½ green banana
- ½ avocado
- 1 scoop of chocolate or vanilla protein powder (hemp, whey or bone broth)
- 6 ounces of coconut or almond milk
- 4 ice cubes
Advanced:
- 1 cup of romaine lettuce, spinach or kale (steam spinach or kale and place in freezer)
- ½ cup of jicama cubed
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 carrot
- ½ avocado
- 6 ounces of coconut or almond milk
- 4 ice cubes
- Can add vanilla or chocolate protein (hemp, whey or bone broth)
- Take 1 digestive enzyme with smoothie to help digest
Smoothie Notes:
It’s no surprise that you can drink fruit and vegetable smoothies a lot faster than you can eat them in their solid forms, but it’s important to monitor your speed.
Here’s why: Liquid calories can be consumed quickly and therefore can undermine the body’s capacity to regulate food intake. Sipping smoothies slowly rather than quickly gulping them assists your brain and body in staying in sync regarding your actual fullness.
Tooth enamel alert: If you add lemon or other acidic fruits or veggies to your smoothie, the enamel on your teeth may soften temporarily. To avoid this, sip your sour smoothie through a straw, avoid swishing the smoothie in your mouth, and rinse your mouth with water after drinking it. These habits are your defense against your sour smoothie causing tooth enamel erosion.
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