Day 13 of our 30-day nutrition challenge is to make a nutritious smoothie.
Smoothies are great for:
- Part of your 5-a-day
- Source of fibre
- Healthier snack replacement
- Convenient breakfast
Smoothies are often advertised as a healthy treat but they can have more sugar than Cola[i]. Tooth decay, type-2 diabetes and obesity could be consequences of too many shop-bought smoothies. It’s suggested fruit juices and smoothies should be limited to 150mls per day as the fruit contains less fibre than whole fruit, but on a plus side they count towards one of your 5-a-day.
A Which review compared 52 smoothies sold at supermarkets and found all had more calories than equivalent amount of Coca-Cola – probably because you drink more fruit than you would eat in one go.
If you don’t usually eat breakfast, try making a smoothie either the night before (and keep in the fridge) or in the morning before work. They can also be portable in a thermos to keep them cool.
A popular smoothie we make at wellbeing events is Nutritionists Smoothie:
- 1 cup frozen berries
- ½ banana
- 2 x handfuls spinach/kale
- 1 x handful mixed nuts
- 1 x tbsp mixed seeds
- ½ cup rolled porridge oats
- Coconut water to desired smoothie thickness (alternatives include water, milk, yogurt)
Each of the ingredients are specially chosen to balance the macro nutrients.
- Frozen berries provide vitamin C and antioxidants
- Banana as a prebiotic and fibre
- Spinach/kale as one of your 5-a-day (and green!)
- Nuts and seeds combined provide the protein to fill you for longer and the good fats
- Oats for slow release of energy
- Coconut water for additional nutrients that are not in water (potassium).
This is a basic recipe and you can substitute the fruit for another preferred fruit, or switch the nuts and seeds for some flaxseed and chia perhaps. Oats give the smoothie the desired thickness so you can experiment with quantity.
You can also find out more health snack ideas in our Improving energy & concentration webinar and our Bitesize Nutrition podcasts. If you’re new to podcasts you can listen free without registration on your phone or PC by clicking on the podcast link, or you can find BItesize Nutrition on iTunes & Spotify
Don’t forget to let us know what you think using #nutritionchallenge30
A reminder:
- The information in this article is for educational purposes and should not replace medical advice.
- The information is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.
- If you have a diagnosed medical condition, you should consult a doctor before making any major changes to your diet, and;
- Some supplements may interact with medications and you should check with your GP before commencing any supplement programme.
[i] https://www.which.co.uk/news/2012/12/is-your-fruit-smoothie-as-healthy-as-you-think-305688/?cmp=w0113_p36_52smoothies
