Smoothies are a great way to increase your daily intake of vegetables and fruits and can be a healthy addition to your diet. Here are a couple of things to remember when adding smoothies to your daily routine:
- Use 2 vegetables to every fruit.
- Use whole fruits and vegetables instead of fruit or vegetable juices.
- Use unsweetened liquids to control sugar content in your smoothies.
- Use unsweetened almond or coconut milk as an alternative to milk.
- Add pitted dates or honey for sweetness but taste before using specified amounts. Many recipes call for too much sweetness.
- Serving size should be 6 - 8 oz if accompanying a meal.
- Smoothies can be a meal replacement if adding a good source of protein .....
- Serving size should be 12 - 16 oz if substituting for a meal.
- Lime is a great addition to green smoothies. It softens the green aftertaste when using spinach or kale.
- Add nuts or avocado, chia or flax seed as a fat source because some vitamins require fats for maximum nutrient absorption.
- Avocado adds a nice velvety texture
- Adding a banana can soften a heavy vegetable flavor.
- Instead of adding extra water, try adding fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, or celery
- Plan your smoothies around seasonal availability but if you have an out of season craving, frozen vegetables and fruits are a great substitute.
- Freeze ingredients such as kale, ginger root, spinach, bananas, etc. to extend life and use directly from frozen.
There are many ingredients that can be added to enhance your smoothie and pack it with super nutrients. Try adding one or more of these ingredients to your basic smoothie recipe. Remember, if you make something less than tasty, freeze it and use small amounts in future blends.
Matcha Green Tea *Ground cinnamon *Fresh Ginger *Powdered Cayenne *Powdered Tumeric*
Enjoy your power packed smoothies!
Sponsored by Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreats and Cheryl Lecroy of Creative Juices Consulting
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