Over the last year or so I have spent quite a bit of time considering what is healthy. I have a blossoming career as a counselor, and one of my first supervisors taught me a three-fold approach to counseling that is sound and wise: we counsel with a view to the whole person, mind, body and spirit. If you neglect any one of these areas, you begin to see disease and dysfunction creep into your life. Before my husband left for his deployment, we committed to keeping ourselves healthy, mind, body and spirit, during that year. To stay mentally healthy, we allowed for time to relax and “brain-dump” as he puts it, which means time reading for fun, watching TV or movies, or just socializing. To stay spiritually healthy, we set aside time to be with God individually and together. We read the Word, participated in group Bible studies, had a weekly devotional together, and spent much of our days in conversational prayer with the Lord. To stay physically healthy, we were dedicated to exercising regularly. He ran and did Cross Fit like a crazy person, and I danced, did yoga, biked, and went to the gym at least 4 times a week.
However, I noticed that just working out didn’t seem to be enough for me. I have a long history of dieting (read: cutting calories) to lose weight, and this year I’d set a goal to be down one size by the time my husband came home. But even though I was working out regularly, I wasn’t dropping weight or feeling much better, a reality which caused me to look more closely at my diet (read: food and drink on my daily menu). Looking honestly at my diet was both unsettling and rewarding. First, I realized I was taking in far too much sugar, in the form of alcohol and sweets. Easy enough to modify; I swore off chocolate for the year and cut back to two alcoholic drinks per week. This alone made a significant difference in my waistline. But this wasn’t just about cutting things out of my diet; I also needed to add to it. I knew I wasn’t getting the recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables (5-13 servings per day) or fiber (28g for females 19-30). This has been a constant battle for me; no matter how well-intentioned I am, I cannot seem to eat a giant spinach salad every day. So, in the name of health, I turned to an old favorite: the smoothie.
I have always loved smoothies. When I was in high school, I worked at Zuka Juice, which then became Jamba Juice, and loved all of the smoothies, both advertised and those created by employees during slow times (apple-carrot-strawberry-ginger-NFFY anyone?) The only problem I saw was that my smoothies were almost entirely fruit, which, while healthy, is high in sugar and short on some vitamins and minerals I still needed. Summoning all of my culinary creativity, I began experimenting with ingredients, aiming to create a smoothie or two that had at least as many vegetables as fruits, if not more, but still tasted sweet and fruity (because that’s what I like!). In the process, I made some truly awful smoothies. I’ve used celery, green pepper, kale, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, pecans and more… My poor family was very supportive, though, as I subjected them to each combination. The following recipes are the ones that passed the test and are worth sharing, along with a few notes to help you in your own smoothie adventures!
A few thoughts…
· These measurements are not exact, as I’m a “just eye-ball it” kind of gal. I just aimed for 1 serving of each ingredient, give or take.
· I generally tried to use organic and frozen fruits and veggies when I could. Frozen organic is far more affordable than fresh organic, and carries the same nutritional value as in-season fresh organic produce.
· Citrus covers a multitude of sins! Cover the “green” taste with a few squirts of lemon or lime juice.
· Each smoothie has fewer than 300 calories. Add a cheese stick or a few crackers with peanut butter or sunflower seed spread to make a nice little lunch.
· Each smoothie has an estimate of at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies, and the Beginner Smoothie is the only one that has more fruits than vegetables.
· Add 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal for extra fiber and about 45 extra calories.
Beginner Smoothie
½ cup Simply Orange Orange Juice (I use this brand because it’s 100% juice, and has no preservatives)
1 medium banana
4 oz Light ‘n Fit Strawberry Yogurt (or flavor of choice)1 medium banana
½ cup baby carrots (about 9)
1.5 cups fresh spinach (or about ½ cup frozen)
6 strawberries (medium/large)
Add lemon or lime juice to taste
| Nutrition Facts | ||||||
| Serving Size 1 serving (553.4 g) | ||||||
| Amount Per Serving | ||||||
| Calories 277 Calories from Fat 8 | ||||||
| % Daily Value* | ||||||
| Total Fat 0.9g 1% | ||||||
| Saturated Fat 0.2g 1% | ||||||
| Trans Fat 0.0g | ||||||
| Cholesterol 4mg 1% | ||||||
| Sodium 174mg 7% | ||||||
| Total Carbohydrates 62.2g 21% | ||||||
| Dietary Fiber 8.0g 32% | ||||||
| Sugars 37.8g | ||||||
| Protein 8.6g | ||||||
| ||||||
| * Based on a 2000 calorie diet |
The Beginner Smoothie is also: Very low in saturated fat, Very low in cholesterol, High in dietary fiber, High in manganese, High in potassium, Very high in vitamin A, High in vitamin B6, Very high in vitamin C
Berry Green Smoothie
½ cup Simply Orange Orange Juice
1 medium banana5-6 strawberries (medium to large)
1 cup frozen broccoli
½ cup frozen spinach
1 cup yellow squash (frozen or fresh)
Add squirts of lemon or lime juice to taste
| Nutrition Facts | ||||||
| Serving Size 1 serving (544.0 g) | ||||||
| Amount Per Serving | ||||||
| Calories 240 Calories from Fat 12 | ||||||
| % Daily Value* | ||||||
| Total Fat 1.3g 2% | ||||||
| Saturated Fat 0.2g 1% | ||||||
| Cholesterol 0mg 0% | ||||||
| Sodium 54mg 2% | ||||||
| Total Carbohydrates 57.0g 19% | ||||||
| Dietary Fiber 8.7g 35% | ||||||
| Sugars 33.3g | ||||||
| Protein 7.2g | ||||||
| ||||||
| * Based on a 2000 calorie diet |
The Berry Green Smoothie is also: Very low in saturated fat, No cholesterol, Low in sodium, High in dietary fiber, High in manganese, High in magnesium, High in potassium, High in vitamin A, High in vitamin B6, Very high in vitamin C
Favorite Green Smoothie
2/3 cup frozen spinach
2/3 cup frozen broccoli
¾ cup frozen zucchini
Add a squirt of lemon or lime juice to taste
| Nutrition Facts | ||||||
| Serving Size 1 serving (586.9 g) | ||||||
| Amount Per Serving | ||||||
| Calories 243 Calories from Fat 15 | ||||||
| % Daily Value* | ||||||
| Total Fat 1.7g 3% | ||||||
| Saturated Fat 0.4g 2% | ||||||
| Sodium 540mg 22% | ||||||
| Total Carbohydrates 53.7g 18% | ||||||
| Dietary Fiber 12.0g 48% | ||||||
| Sugars 30.3g | ||||||
| Protein 10.7g | ||||||
| ||||||
| * Based on a 2000 calorie diet |
The Favorite Green Smoothie is also: Low in saturated fat, High in dietary fiber, Very high in manganese, High in magnesium, High in potassium, Very high in vitamin A, High in vitamin B6, Very high in vitamin C
Favorite Green Smoothie Plus
½ cup Simply Orange Orange Juice1 medium banana
½ cup frozen spinach
½ cup frozen broccoli
1 cup frozen zucchini
½ cucumber1 cup frozen zucchini
½ lime (or squirts of lime juice to taste)
| Nutrition Facts | ||||||
| Serving Size 1 serving (663.9 g) | ||||||
| Amount Per Serving | ||||||
| Calories 229 Calories from Fat 10 | ||||||
| % Daily Value* | ||||||
| Total Fat 1.1g 2% | ||||||
| Saturated Fat 0.3g 2% | ||||||
| Cholesterol 0mg 0% | ||||||
| Sodium 561mg 23% | ||||||
| Total Carbohydrates 54.8g 18% | ||||||
| Dietary Fiber 8.2g 33% | ||||||
| Sugars 31.9g | ||||||
| Protein 7.4g | ||||||
| ||||||
| * Based on a 2000 calorie diet |
The Favorite Green Smoothie Plus is also: Very low in saturated fat, No cholesterol, High in dietary fiber, High in manganese, High in magnesium, High in potassium, High in vitamin A, High in vitamin B6, Very high in vitamin C
Tastes Better than it Looks Smoothie
½ cup Simply Orange Orange Juice1 cup baby carrots (or shredded carrots)
1 serving cherry tomatoes (maybe 6-7)
1 cup romaine lettuce (Beware! This is a strong flavor!)
2/3 cup frozen spinach
1 cup pineapple pieces (fresh or frozen)
| Nutrition Facts | ||||||
| Serving Size 1 serving (634.3 g) | ||||||
| Amount Per Serving | ||||||
| Calories 244 Calories from Fat 15 | ||||||
| % Daily Value* | ||||||
| Total Fat 1.7g 3% | ||||||
| Saturated Fat 0.2g 1% | ||||||
| Sodium 159mg 7% | ||||||
| Total Carbohydrates 54.3g 18% | ||||||
| Dietary Fiber 12.4g 50% | ||||||
| Sugars 35.7g | ||||||
| Protein 8.8g | ||||||
|
The Tastes Better than it Looks Smoothie is also: Very low in saturated fat, No cholesterol, Very high in dietary fiber, Very high in manganese, High in magnesium, High in thiamin, Very high in vitamin A, and Very high in vitamin C
Garden Smoothie
1 to 1.5 cup frozen mixed berries
1 cup carrots (baby or shredded)
¼ cup frozen spinach
¼ cup mushrooms
1/2 red pepper
| Nutrition Facts | ||||||
| Serving Size 1 serving (540.3 g) | ||||||
| Amount Per Serving | ||||||
| Calories 232 Calories from Fat 14 | ||||||
| % Daily Value* | ||||||
| Total Fat 1.6g 2% | ||||||
| Saturated Fat 0.1g 1% | ||||||
| Trans Fat 0.0g | ||||||
| Cholesterol 0mg 0% | ||||||
| Sodium 86mg 4% | ||||||
| Total Carbohydrates 54.7g 18% | ||||||
| Dietary Fiber 12.6g 50% | ||||||
| Sugars 33.3g | ||||||
| Protein 4.7g | ||||||
| ||||||
| * Based on a 2000 calorie diet |
The Garden Smoothie is also: Very low in saturated fat, No cholesterol, Low in sodium, Very high in dietary fiber, High in potassium, Very high in vitamin A, Very high in vitamin C
So, in an effort to become more healthy, I hope you enjoy these, and maybe start creating your own! Happy Blending!
