Many people turn to smoothies because they want to opt for a healthier meal replacement throughout their day. The very concept of smoothies is a great one in theory because you get in a good serving of fruits and vegetables to keep you going throughout your day.
Smoothies are Often Not Really That Healthy
They are easy to make, you can take them with you on the go, and they offer a really healthy serving of some delicious and nutritious foods that you need. The problem is that not all smoothies are created equal and if you aren’t careful, you’ll find some smoothies that are not really that healthy. It can be staggering just how bad for you they really are when you dig into them!
Sure, you start out with the best of intentions because at the heart of nearly every smoothie recipe out there you will find fruit. More and more recipes are also calling for vegetables and even some kind of seed or nut in them. You usually have a base of either water, milk, or ice to bind it together—so what can go wrong with this equation? The problem comes about when you don’t feature these healthy ingredients or when you add something so totally wrong to them.
The smoothie recipes that are not really that healthy involve extra fat and calories that you really don’t need. They aren’t really smoothies at all, so much as they are more like dessert. If you’re still not sure then these sample recipes can help point out what you don’t want in a smoothie, and why you need to stick with the healthy and classic recipes out there.
Chocolate Banana Smoothie
Sure, if you were to use cocoa powder and bananas and even almond milk, this would be a great recipe. Where it goes totally wrong is where you use bananas, but then you add in actual chocolate in any form. You don’t want chocolate chips, actual chocolate bars, or even chocolate syrup—for then you go from smoothie to dessert very quickly. If you crave that chocolate flavor then opt for a chocolate flavored protein powder or even use a cocoa powder for a healthier smoothie option.
“Fruit” Milkshake Smoothie
Oh yes if you start out with fruit then it’s healthy, right? Wrong! The problem is that just having fruit in them isn’t enough, for you need to have a healthy base and additions as well. In these smoothies that are not really that healthy, you may add half and half or even a whole fat type of milk. You might even add in ice cream or frozen yogurt, which then makes it more of a milkshake than a smoothie. Opt for a low fat milk or even almond milk, and try using non-fat vanilla yogurt if you really want a creamy smoothie.
Peanut Butter Surprise Smoothie
If you are adding too much peanut butter or even excessive nuts, then the surprise is on you! Many smoothie recipes start out well, but then tell you to add an absorbent amount of peanut butter or nuts—and yes you can have too much of a good thing! Be careful of this and when you are first starting out stay away from these potentially fatty sabotages to your healthy smoothies.
The Adult Smoothie
Just because you call it a smoothie doesn’t mean it is one! When you look at smoothies that aren’t as healthy as you thought, one main element is when they ask you to add alcohol. A truly healthy and classic smoothie will never ask for a liqueur or alcohol of any kind—that’s an adult milkshake! Stay away from these and feature fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds in the right amounts, and a good healthy base like almond milk or low-fat milk and you simply can’t go wrong!
Are They All Not Really That Healthy?
Since there are so many kinds of smoothies that are not really all that healthy, it’s easy to believe that you should write them all off. Smoothies can be a great way to make a nutritious meal to go. The key is to make sure you’re choosing the right ingredients, that you’re opting for the right portion size, and that you pay attention to the way you feel after you have it to make sure it is the type of meal that will satisfy your hunger. It is, after all, a meal. If you have to follow it with the same breakfast you’d otherwise have, then the smoothie hasn’t done its job.
Remember to pay attention to the calorie density of your smoothies as well as the macronutrient ratio comprising those calories. A nutrition tracker can easily provide those answers for you in a matter of seconds.
It’s also important to remember that your smoothie should be much smaller than what you’d likely expect. If you’re serving yourself something that would be labeled large or even jumbo-sized as a soft drink at a fast-food restaurant, then you’re having too much. This is another area where a nutrition tracker will be helpful to you. Have a look at what your portion should be for the calorie content you were expecting for that meal and serve yourself that much.