What is an easy, nutritious, on-the- go meal or snack? A smoothie of course! One of the easiest things to do if you find yourself skipping breakfast or other meals is to take your favorite ingredients and blend it up. With minimal equipment, anyone can make a smoothie, you just need a blender on hand! When creating a healthy smoothie, it is important to have a varied and balanced amount of vegetables, fruit, protein and fat. In other words, if your smoothie is a meal replacer, you still must have a complete meal and hit your calorie needs. You do not want a smoothie solely made of fruit as that would not keep you satisfied until your next meal. EvolveYou offers multiple smoothie recipes to try out. One simple but delicious one is the Green Protein Smoothie.

Green Protein Smoothie Recipe

- Ingredients
- Medium Banana
- Milk (2%)
- Avocado
- Strawberries
- Kale
- Protein Powder, Whey


Method

Cut stems off strawberries
Combine all ingredients in a blender, pour into a glass and enjoy!

A recipe does not get simpler than this! A great way to decrease prep time is to put fruits and vegetables already chopped in a sealable bag and place in the freezer. When you are ready to make your smoothie, take the ingredients out of the bag and place in the blender. Then add your liquid and protein powder. The ingredients in the green protein smoothie provides nutrients, antioxidants, fiber, protein, fat and calories. It is the perfect equation for a smoothie, especially one you may use for a meal. Smoothies can be made with your prefered fruits or vegetables. For example, instead of a banana you can also use mango pieces or berries. Any nut butters or seeds can also be used. Adding fat to your smoothie helps slow your digestion and keep you fuller longer.

If you prefer not to use a protein powder, other options are to add yogurt, other nuts, nut butters or seeds and even silken tofu. Silken tofu provides protein and also a smoothness similar to an avocado which can improve texture.

Smoothies are a great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Hitting that recommended serving of fruits and vegetables can be difficult but a smoothie makes it easier! Smoothies also keep the fiber in the drink rather than juicing which removes the fiber. Fiber helps keep you fuller longer and regulates your bowels. Smoothies can also help you include more fluid in your diet. Most smoothies need a liquid to help blend the ingredients and the addition of fluid with fiber is an added benefit to your digestion. Due to their abundance in antioxidants and nutrients, smoothies can help boost your immunity. Making a smoothie with a vegetable or fruit high in vitamin C, such as kale, has been shown to help fight any colds coming our way!

While smoothies have been presented as a means for detoxing and weight loss, they are not necessary for either of these processes nor are they necessary to be healthy. What smoothies do provide is an easy, simple way to get all your nutrients in, if a meal is not what you prefer at the time or you are short in time. Try different variations of smoothies, there are so many combinations out there. It is important to choose a variety of foods due to their different nutrient composition. Smoothies are a very easy way to get your nutrients in so get blending!