Packed with Nutrition
Why do I choose to start the day with a green smoothie? They are delicious, nutritious, and ready in minutes!
The first wealth is health
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Standard American Diet (SAD) is also referred to as the Western Diet. The Westernized Diet is characterized by a high content of proteins, saturated fats, refined grains, sugar, alcohol, salt and corn derived fructose syrup (1). This dietary lifestyle has led to an epidemic of chronic health conditions. According to the December 2020, 9th edition of the Dietary Guidelines published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- More than 80% of Americans have diets that are low in vegetables, fruits and dairy
- Almost 90% of the US population does not meet the recommendation for vegetables
- About 80% of the US population does not meet the fruit recommendations
And, most people would benefit from increasing their intake of fruit, mostly as whole fruit in nutrient dense form
Three principles to consider are to meet nutritional needs primarily from foods and beverages, choose a variety of options from each food group and pay attention to portion size.
So what’s a busy girl to do? Make a smoothie!! Small consistent changes can reap major rewards. A simple formula can help add a variety of fruit and vegetable servings to your nutritional intake while keeping the calorie count in check.
- 1 cup of liquid – think almond milk or coconut water
- Handful of greens of choice – I like to alternate my greens even though baby spinach is my fave!
- 1/2 of a banana or avocado
- 1 cup of chopped fruit or vegetables – frozen fruits and vegetables can be a great option as they stay fresh and add a nice chill
- 1 TBSP of add in (almond butter, flax or chia seeds, plain greek yogurt
I do not recommend frozen greens!
My favorite Smoothie
Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie
Blend one cup of almond milk with a handful of baby spinach. Add half of a banana and one cup of red grapes. Add 1 TBSP of peanut butter and blend until smooth.
I really like to add my vitamins to my morning smoothie! I use Genopalate for my supplementation
Experiment and Have fun
Each delicious smoothie will help bring you one step closer to meeting the produce guidelines