Smoothies are a great way to add fruit and vegetables to your diet. They're delicious, and if you make them with healthy ingredients, they can be a very nutritious food.
The basic rules for a healthy smoothie are:
1- Don't overdo it with sugar: even if it's in the form of fruit, it's still sugar, make smoothies that contain vegetables and protein.
2- Use a good blender: To be able to give the creamy consistency of a good smoothie.
3- Don't overdo it: Even if the ingredients are healthy, you have to be careful not to exceed the amount of food you are eating - not because it will make you fat, but so that it doesn't make you feel bad.
4- Fresh and at room temperature: but not frozen, as they can make you feel unwell, and it's quite uncomfortable to eat them.
5- Get creative: seasonal fruits and vegetables, superfoods, proteins, and nuts. Keep experimenting until you find the combinations you like best.
Smoothie Ideas:
- Banana, Almond, and Rice: This delicious smoothie can be enjoyed for breakfast or as a snack. It uses rice milk and a tablespoon of almond butter; both ingredients provide protein, while the banana provides potassium and enough sweetness that nothing else is needed.
- Spinach, strawberries and blueberries: Best if they are in season, but frozen ones can also be used.
If you prefer to drink juice, remember the first rule of smoothies - don't overdo it with the fruit, since it's still sugar, and in juice you're not consuming the fiber, which helps digest sugar.
Juices are easily digested and are a good way to break a fast. Making them fresh with a mechanical juicer that doesn't use heat to extract the juice is ideal.
Juice Ideas:
- Spinach, Apple, Orange, and Mint: The mint and orange give this green juice very refreshing properties. Ideal after a hot yoga session.
- Broccoli, Apple, Lemon, and Ginger: Using the broccoli stalks, either before or after eating the florets, will give you more of the vegetable. With two or three large stalks, half an apple, a small piece of ginger root, and a slice of lemon, you'll have an energizing juice.