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- Smoothies = Candy for Breakfast
Smoothies = Candy for Breakfast
...Unless they're balanced right
Jenny Champion MS RD
April 22, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
Just because smoothies are made with fruit does NOT automatically make them healthy. Some options at places like Smoothie King or Playa Bowls have over 100 grams of sugar in them (!!). That’s the same as drinking 2.5 cans of soda for breakfast.
If you’re trying to lose weight, lower blood sugar or just have more energy throughout the day, you need to fix your smoothies.
What NOT to do:
Don’t use almond milk, two or three fruits, some spinach and ice and think that’s going to satisfy you all morning.
Don’t think coconut milk in a box counts as a fat (it doesn’t).
Don’t get a smoothie bowl topped with more fruit and granola; that’s not breakfast, it’s candy.
What TO do:
Like I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, that same carb + fat pairing for mental health is just as critical in smoothie-making. Follow these rules using the ingredient list below and you’re guaranteed to be energized and sugar-crash-free until lunch.
Ingredients:
Liquids- water, almond milk (I like Malk or Califia Farms), full fat canned coconut milk (I like Native Forest or 365), cold brew.
Fruits + Greens- anything and everything
Fats- avocado, nuts, seeds, nut butters, seed butters, dried coconut, chia, ground flax, hemp seeds
Proteins- Orgain, Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth powder, Tera’s Whey, egg white powder
Tools + Resources
LOVE smoothies, but dread the time involved in making one for breakfast? Yeah, same. Luckily there’s a zero-prep option that’s also incredibly delicious and low inflammation: Daily Harvest. Free up your morning and get up to $65 off using code: DH65
My top DH picks ranked:
Banana + Almond
Cacao + Avocado
Avocado + Greens
Strawberry + Cashew
Cold Brew + Almond
Mint + Cacao
Blueberry + Hemp
Q+A
Q: Why not suggest using milk to cook oatmeal instead of water (for carb + fat balance) rather than eliminate oats?
A: Because a little bit of even full-fat milk is just more sugar (lactose) and protein (also raises blood sugar) and a negligible amount of fat to balance with the rest of the carbs.
What would you like more of? |
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Disclosures:
This is not medical advice. Speak to your doctor before taking supplements or making any major dietary and / or lifestyle changes.
We’re affiliates for some of the brands and / or products we recommend which means we’ll make a small commission if you click and buy. Thanks for the support!
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