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Smoothies as Meal Replacements
Smoothies are phenomenal meal replacements that can be prepared in advance and they supply tons of micro nutrients and macro nutrients in one convenient glass. I am a firm believer in reaching your daily needs through eating wholesome, natural foods. I do use supplements- which I will do a post on later, but they should never replace whole foods.
A quick note before I get to the recipes: use organic whenever possible. There's no sense in supplementing with a green smoothie that is full of chemicals. Sorry, there's not way around it- skip the take away coffees and save that money to upgrade to organics. (It's really not that much more expensive, blog post to come).
My tropical green smoothie with mint in gorgeous 1950's glassware I found at an estate sale. Recipe in article below.
Tropical Green Smoothie w/ Mint:
1 large handful greens (spinach, kale, collards, chard, arugula, carrot tops (yup!), the sky is the limit)
3-5 sprigs mint (including the stem- that's where all the flavor is hiding)
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/2 frozen over-ripe banana (I keep a bag in the freezer, I never waste bananas anymore)
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/4 cup coconut cream
1 scoop of your favorite protein powder (post coming on my favorites)
water/coconut water/almond milk/cows milk/etc. to desired consistency (I add 1 1/2 cups to start and add from there)
(optional: 1-2 dates for sweetness- I skip this to limit sugars but if you like a sweeter smoothie give it a try)
Add the ingredients to your blender in the order listed. Start on low and increase speed to highest level quickly. Blend until desired consistency is reached adding more liquid through the whole in the lid as necessary.
Beet Root, Berry and Blood Orange Smoothie
Beet Root, Berry and Blood Orange Smoothie (that doesn't taste like dirt):
(This one is a two step process and it's time consuming. If you don't have half an hour you can streamline the process by buying high quality, cold pressed juice with beetroot as a main ingredient.)
For the Beetroot Juice:
1 large or 2 small red beetroots
4-5 medium to large purple carrots
1 fennel bulb
Juice all of the above per your juicer instructions. Spend the next 15 minutes cleaning your juicer and the inevitable mess.
Beetroot, Purple Carrot & Fennel Juice (this is a double batch)
For the Beet Root, Berry and Blood Orange Smoothie:
(This is a great smoothie for energy and hydration pre-workout. Some studies show beets and beetroot juice can improve athletic performance, lower blood pressure and increase blood flow. Coconut water is packed with simple sugars, electrolytes, and minerals to replenish dehydration conditions inside the human body.)
1.5 cups frozen mixed berries (or any one type you like, lets not get picky here...)
1/2-1 frozen over ripe banana
2 peeled blood oranges (remove as much bitter, white pith as possible)
1/4 cup coconut cream or plain greek yogurt
1/2-3/4 beetroot juice (depending on how much your juicer yields)
coconut or maple water (or liquid of choice) to desired consistency (I start with 1/2 cup)
liquid stevia if more sweetness is desired
Add the ingredients to your blender in the order listed. Start on low and increase speed to highest level quickly. Blend until desired consistency is reached adding more liquid through the whole in the lid as necessary.
Chlorophyll Injection Smoothie
Chlorophyll Injection Smoothie:
(Chlorophyll helps to rebuild and replenish our red blood cells, boosting our energy and increasing our wellbeing almost instantly.)
For the Citrus Green Juice:
1/2 bunch parsley
1 large handful greens (spinach, kale, collards, chard, arugula, carrot tops (yup!), the sky is the limit)
1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs
3-4 white carrots
flesh from 2 lemons
flesh from 1 lime
flesh from 3 clementines
1 granny smith apple
Juice all of the above per your juicer instructions. I juice the ingredients in the order listed and it works quite well for my Breville Juice Fountain (this is not an advertisement, it's just what I use). Spend the next 15 minutes cleaning your juicer and the inevitable mess, grumbling to yourself about the true cost of healthy living.
For the Chlorophyll Injection Smoothie:
1 large handful greens (spinach, kale, collards, chard, arugula, carrot tops (yup!), the sky is the limit)
1/2-1 frozen over ripe banana
1/2-1 cup frozen granny smith apple (I use frozen because it cuts down on the grittiness of fresh apples)
1 cup Citrus Green Juice
1/2 - 1 cup liquid of choice (I like maple water in this of the electolytes and phytonutrients)
10-30 drops of liquid chlorophyll (I use ChlorOxygen brand, use whatever you like best)
1 scoop protein powder of your choice (Vital Protein Collagen Peptides is my favorite for smoothies, NOT VEGETARIAN)
Add the ingredients to your blender in the order listed. Start on low and increase speed to highest level quickly. Blend until desired consistency is reached adding more liquid through the whole in the lid as necessary.
Spicy-Sweet Turmeric, Ginger, Carrot & Apple Smoothie
If you haven't noticed yet, most of my smoothies start with juice. It's a real pain, but I drink smoothies for their nutritional value and using fresh juice as a base is an excellent way to increase their nutritional value.
For the Turmeric, Ginger & Carrot Juice:
4-5 yellow carrots
1 inch chunk of ginger (add more if you like it spicier)
1 inch chunk of turmeric (add more if you like it spicier)
1 orange carrot
Juice all of the above per your juicer instructions. I juice the ingredients in the order listed here because that final carrot helps to push through all of the precious ginger and turmeric juice. Spend the next 15 minutes cleaning your juicer and the inevitable mess, grumbling to yourself about the true cost of healthy living and wondering... is this really worth it?
For the Spicy-Sweet Turmeric, Ginger, Carrot & Apple Smoothie:
(Ginger and Turmeric are both anti-inflammatories which help can help with conditions ranging from upset stomach to headaches to menstrual cramps. Raw, local honey is a good source of antioxidants and local honey is known to help with allergies. Coconut oil has been proven to help prevent heart disease, strengthen the immune system, and it also aids in digestion and weight loss- for a whole host of reasons which I'll get into in a later post.)
1 1/2 cups frozen apple (I use a sweeter apple like golden delicious here, but any apple will do. I explain why I use frozen apples in the recipe above.)
1/2-1 cup frozen pineapple
1 Tbsp raw, local honey (plus more to taste- the sweetness of the fruit will vary so you may need more. You can also use liquid stevia to increase sweetness without adding more calories.)
3-4 tbsp hemp seed hearts
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 pinch powdered turmeric (gives it the vibrant yellow color)
1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides (optional if you want a protein boost. I would stick to a similar style protein here. Traditional powders make this particular smoothie too gritty)
1/2-1 cup Turmeric, Ginger & Carrot Juice (whatever recipe above yields)
Coconut water (start with less and add more as needed to achieve desired consistency)
Add the ingredients to your blender in the order listed. Start on low and increase speed to highest level quickly. Blend until desired consistency is reached adding more liquid through the whole in the lid as necessary.