By Laura Coffee, Marketing & Owner Services Manager, Co-op Owner
You can see the video on this topic here.
Smoothies are one of those foods that tend to straddle the line between meal/snack/dessert. It’s easy to add too much sugar and veer off into dessert territory, or not enough fiber and protein so it becomes a snack. I’d like to offer some suggestions to make your smoothies more filling so they can step up and park themselves firmly in the meal category. Here are some of my go-to smoothie boosters:
Smoothie Add-ins:
- Oatmeal—thickens and adds fiber
- Carrots—fiber and antioxidants
- Spinach—fiber and nutrients
- Hemp seeds—protein and Omega 3/6
- Pumpkin seeds—protein and Omega 3
- Chia seeds—thickens and adds protein and fiber
- Flax seeds—thickens and adds protein and fiber
- Probiotics—I sometimes add one dose worth of capsules per serving
- Coconut milk or coconut water instead of juice—less sugar – really any unsweetened non-dairy milk will work
- Spices (Cinnamon and Ginger work great!)
- Fresh herbs (Try basil with strawberry or mint with chocolate!)
- Try sweetening with dates, frozen bananas, or stevia instead of adding extra sugar or juice.
These two recipes are examples of a typical smoothie that I would make. They have lots of add-ins to help them be both filling and energizing. Neither recipe has any added sweeteners. If you prefer a sweeter smoothie try using vanilla milk or yogurt instead of unsweetened, and/or increasing the number of bananas/dates to three.
Fruit Smoothie
- 2 cups frozen fruit
- 2 cups milk or yogurt
- 2 frozen bananas or pitted dates
- 1 carrot
- 3 Tbsp seeds
- 1 tsp ground ginger/cinnamon/cardamom or 2 tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Start on pulse to break up the frozen fruit. Makes two 16oz servings.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
- 2 cups milk or yogurt
- 2 frozen bananas or pitted dates
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup oats
- 2-3 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp seeds
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Add peanut butter in globs AFTER the liquid to avoid it sticking to the sides. Makes two 16oz servings.