I would like to start today’s article with a quick question – what do think about smoothies and shakes? You’ll find out my thoughts on the subject in the following lines, but I would also like to know your personal opinion.
The concept of a smoothie is a healthy one, but depending on the way you prepare it and the ingredients you add, you might end up with a food combination that doesn’t have a smart nutrients/ calories ratio.
Here are the three biggest mistakes that turn a healthy smoothie in an inefficient snack:
1. It contains fruits only
Unless you are preparing for heavy physical effort, don’t make a smoothie only with fruits. They are loaded with lots of sugar, and little fiber and carbs. Moreover, to obtain 8 oz. of smoothie requires two or three fruits, which would be too much to eat in one take.
2. You only use the juice, not the pulp
This also applies to the previous bullet. By eliminating the pulp and only using the juice as base liquid, you virtually take out all the fiber. What remains is a flavored sugary substance, which has little to no nutritious elements.
3. You mix too many ingredients
Don’t overload the smoothie with both nuts and seeds. Moreover, stick to only one type of what you’ve chosen – don’t add chia, quinoa, sesame and sunflower seeds to the same shake. As healthy as they are, they also come with lots of calories and fats. Bear in mind that even if something is healthy, consuming it excessively can harm you.
However, shakes are a great alternative for a quick snack (or even a meal), because foods in the liquid or semi-liquid state are readily digested, absorbed, and used by the body. Your stomach and digestive system can spare some effort if you choose to drink one smoothie a day.
For me, it is a habit I picked up many years ago. In the first part of the day, I always prepare a shake that contains leafy or watery vegetables, a fruit (another one every day), and a handful of seeds, nuts or oatmeal that has been let to soak in water the day before, and some soy milk. This way, I get protein, good quality carbs and fats, and fiber.