Newbie to Smoothie?

Wishing_4_Wings

So I've never tried smoothies before, but I've been trying to find ways that I can sneak in and trick myself into getting in fruits and veggies. So I wanted to try some smoothies but I'm not sure where to start. My local Kroger has a selection of fruit and veggies but not always everything in lists on recipes.

What are some tips, tricks, and recipes that you all like to use? Is there anything I need to know before I go buy up a bunch of fruit and yogurt and start blind?

L1zardQueen

For me, smoothies are calorie bombs. I would rather eat the vegetables and fruit and not drink my calories. Unless, of course, if gaining weight is your goal. If so, you could add some powdered protein.

sardelsa

I would say just make sure you weigh and track everything you put in there. It adds up and typically many don't feel the fullness as easily as eating the food itself. For example I used to make 1K cal smoothies when I was trying to gain. But depending on what you put in you can make it lower calorie.

pinuplove

L1zardQueen wrote: »

For me, smoothies are calorie bombs. I would rather eat the vegetables and fruit and not drink my calories. Unless, of course, if gaining weight is your goal. If so, you could add some powdered protein.

This. I'd rather find vegetables and preparation methods I like than try to hide them in a smoothie and drink my calories.

If you really want to give it a go, my suggestion would be to use frozen fruit. Cheaper, nutritious, and gives smoothies a nicer texture. I hear raw spinach hides well in smoothies, but have never tried it. Love a big spinach salad though!

JohnnytotheB

When I first started making smoothies I just experimented with stuff that works together. Citrus, IMO, is neve a good thing to put in the smoothie. Everything else is ok. Now, I will buy stuff on sale, wash, cut & freeze it in freezer bags - especially stuff like pineapple or banana's when on sale. I also freeze the strawberries and raspberries from my garden. My basic shake includes banana, cherries, apples, blueberries, chickpeas (yes, for protein!!), pineapple (all these normally frozen) and fresh spinach or kale - normally kale because it will last a while. Sometimes I put other things in like raspberries & strawberries when I have them from the garden or mostly anything. I also like buying mangos when on sale to cut & freeze them which are great in a shake. Avacado is also really good in a shake but pricey (IMO) to use all the time. I throw it all in a Ninja brand blender with some water and blend. I make enough for my wife & I but my wife likes yogurt in hers (and I don't) so I will pour mine out into a cup and add yogurt and continue to blend in for her. Some people add sugar, protein powder, etc but the fruit has enough natural sweetness (IMO). I think you just have to do what makes sense and tastes good for you. I do believe though that you will need a protein source in the shake otherwise (I or you) will get hungry very shortly which is why I do the chickpeas which is a neutral tasting bean.

lorrpb

Bananas and berries are good fruits to start with.
A lot people like spinach or kale for veggies based smoothies.
Start with a few ingredients. Don't just randomly start throwing stuff together. Until you know your flavors, you risk ending up with yuk.

laurenq1991

You can't go wrong with banana, frozen mixed berries, spinach, flaxseeds or chia seeds, and unsweetened cocoa powder as a base. Then add in unflavored milk, yogurt, or plant milk; unflavored protein powder; and/or even oat flour (which is just rolled oats blended into a powder).

kshama2001

L1zardQueen wrote: »

For me, smoothies are calorie bombs. I would rather eat the vegetables and fruit and not drink my calories. Unless, of course, if gaining weight is your goal. If so, you could add some powdered protein.

My peanut butter and banana smoothies were definitely calorie bombs. I stopped eating them regularly not long after I got a food scale.

My fruit and veggie smoothie, however, is under 400 calories and very filling. I don't make it this time of year however - I don't like cold foods in the winter.

I've since added an additional half scoop of protein powder to the breakfast smoothie.

L1zardQueen

Yep @kshama2001 . Unless the op is south of the equator, hot vegetable soup with some protein sounds so much better and filling.

kellie5218

Wishing_4_Wings wrote: »

So I've never tried smoothies before, but I've been trying to find ways that I can sneak in and trick myself into getting in fruits and veggies. So I wanted to try some smoothies but I'm not sure where to start. My local Kroger has a selection of fruit and veggies but not always everything in lists on recipes.

What are some tips, tricks, and recipes that you all like to use? Is there anything I need to know before I go buy up a bunch of fruit and yogurt and start blind?

I'm in the same place. I'm a little concerned trying the "green smoothie " route because I'm so accustomed to eating fast food.

The idea of spending a fortune on greens and fruits, blending them together, and not being able to tolerate the smoothie is terrifying.

lemurcat2

I like them in the summer. I prefer hot breakfasts in the winter.

My preference is to make sure they have lots of veg and protein and some fat. One I like is half an avocado, strawberries, spinach, fennel, greek yogurt, protein powder.

I have as many veg in a non smoothie breakfast -- omelet with mushrooms, broccoli, and spinach, for example.

I am pro smoothie if you (like me) find them satisfying and filling, but would recommend learning to enjoy fruits and veg in other forms too.

rheddmobile

I don’t care for vegetables in smoothies - roasted vegetables are easy and delicious. Try different preparations if you think of yourself as not liking vegetables. No need to choke down an odd colored concoction.

On the other hand, fruit and yogurt makes a great low calorie frozen dessert. Add shaved dark chocolate or cacao powder to be fancy. You don’t need to spend a fortune on fresh fruit - buy a bag of mixed frozen fruit to start with, then experiment with what you like.

kami3006

rheddmobile wrote: »

I don’t care for vegetables in smoothies - roasted vegetables are easy and delicious. Try different preparations if you think of yourself as not liking vegetables. No need to choke down an odd colored concoction.

On the other hand, fruit and yogurt makes a great low calorie frozen dessert. Add shaved dark chocolate or cacao powder to be fancy. You don’t need to spend a fortune on fresh fruit - buy a bag of mixed frozen fruit to start with, then experiment with what you like.

My husband never liked vegetables until I started roasting them. Now they're a regular part of his diet. I highly suggest trying different cooking styles, starting with roasted.

Strongfitmama100412

I never was a fan before but have been having them for a few years now. I have them 4 days a week on the days I work. I make it while I am making lunches, gettings kids breakfast etc. My youngest who is 2 has been having them since he was 9 months old. He sees me making them and i give him some in a sippy cup.

So at the end of the week I take the fruit that is ready to go bad. Bananas, blueberries, strawberries. I peel the banana put it in a small freezer bag with the washed berries, and a handful of spinach.
I pop them in the freezer.
In the morning i put unsweetened almond milk, frozen fruit and spinach, some yogurt, flax seed and protein powder.
I figure this to be 450 calories. But this is my breakfast. I have it on the way to work and drink it slowly through the morning.

JeromeBarry1

For many months I have used a smoothie recipe that consisted of 30g powdered peanut , 60 g kale, 1 oz blackberries, 1 oz hulled hemp, 1 banana and 4 oz kefir. Later, I added 12 g of some powdered vegetable 'superfood' and 3 g of creatine. That, along with 2 cups of ice made a quart of nice tasting smoothie with about 400 calories. It had 31 g protein, 17 g fat, and 37 net g carbs. It tasted nice. Not sweet, not bitter, not sour, just nice.
I've done very few experiments varying the banana, and so far, avocado instead of banana fails to taste good.

GeauxL

I was never a smoothie person but decided one day to give it a go & I love them, have them for breakfast or snack just about every morning/evening. Mine is pretty simple but I like it. I use:
1 cup of frozen triple berries (strawberry, raspberry, blueberries)
1 cup of kale (I put it in the freezer)
1 cup of 1% milk
1 single serve of non fat Greek vanilla yogurt
Comes out to 268 calories & is very filling. I just had one tonight as a snack; makes me think I’m having an ice cream shake/malt

Safari_Gal

I luv green smoothies! ☺️
I started making green smoothies as a way to get more greens in my diet. I can pulverize 3 cups of spinach or kale in my Vitamix but I cant eat that many! I keep the calories down by just using a scoop of low sugar protein powder or collagen powder and some almond milk. Depends on my mood and concoction of the day!
I keep them as low calorie and low sugar as possible for my diet plan. I experiment with different add ins - spirulina, chia, wheatgrass or flax for omega 3. I’ve found açaí powder works great with spinach too! (Macadamia milk is also my new fav since it’s so creamy!)

AnnPT77

kellie5218 wrote: »

Wishing_4_Wings wrote: »

So I've never tried smoothies before, but I've been trying to find ways that I can sneak in and trick myself into getting in fruits and veggies. So I wanted to try some smoothies but I'm not sure where to start. My local Kroger has a selection of fruit and veggies but not always everything in lists on recipes.

What are some tips, tricks, and recipes that you all like to use? Is there anything I need to know before I go buy up a bunch of fruit and yogurt and start blind?

I'm in the same place. I'm a little concerned trying the "green smoothie " route because I'm so accustomed to eating fast food.

The idea of spending a fortune on greens and fruits, blending them together, and not being able to tolerate the smoothie is terrifying.

If smoothies don't sound good to you, you know they're completely optional, right? (No matter what the fitness Instragrammers say ).

Balanced nutrition is a wonderful thing, but there are lots of different ways to achieve balanced nutrition. Even some fast food can fit in there.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-ernot-spam-or-mlm

A slow remodel of one's eating is a fine thing, and often more successful. Sometimes people get the idea that they need to eat all kinds of unfamiliar, allegedly "healthy" things right off the bat, and that's just not the case.

Proper calories for weight management + sound, balanced eating for nutrition + exercise for fitness = best odds of long term good health.

Figure out what you can most easily and happily plug into the terms of that equation, and you've got it made. If that's smoothies, great. If it's Taco Bell power bowls or fresco options (or whatever) equally swell.

AT0M1CR00ST3R

Wishing_4_Wings wrote: »

So I've never tried smoothies before, but I've been trying to find ways that I can sneak in and trick myself into getting in fruits and veggies. So I wanted to try some smoothies but I'm not sure where to start. My local Kroger has a selection of fruit and veggies but not always everything in lists on recipes.

What are some tips, tricks, and recipes that you all like to use? Is there anything I need to know before I go buy up a bunch of fruit and yogurt and start blind?

IMO, the simplest, easiest way to make a healthy, delicious, smoothie is to go to Costco, and pick up a bag of these frozen berries. Blend say, a cup, of these with 8 oz of apple juice, plus a few ice cubes and a little water to increase the volume a bit. It has tons of antioxidants but also some sugar and calories to so take that into consideration. Also the 6 lb bag of frozen strawberries is a good choice. Blend them with a bannana. Easy.

kshama2001

AT0M1CR00ST3R wrote: »

Wishing_4_Wings wrote: »

So I've never tried smoothies before, but I've been trying to find ways that I can sneak in and trick myself into getting in fruits and veggies. So I wanted to try some smoothies but I'm not sure where to start. My local Kroger has a selection of fruit and veggies but not always everything in lists on recipes.

What are some tips, tricks, and recipes that you all like to use? Is there anything I need to know before I go buy up a bunch of fruit and yogurt and start blind?

IMO, the simplest, easiest way to make a healthy, delicious, smoothie is to go to Costco, and pick up a bag of these frozen berries. Blend say, a cup, of these with 8 oz of apple juice, plus a few ice cubes and a little water to increase the volume a bit. It has tons of antioxidants but also some sugar and calories to so take that into consideration. Also the 6 lb bag of frozen strawberries is a good choice. Blend them with a bannana. Easy.

Sounds yummy but not balanced at all. I'd add protein powder and a fat source, and use a liquid with a lot less sugar than apple juice, like a Celestial Seasoning fruity tea.

kimny72

kshama2001 wrote: »

AT0M1CR00ST3R wrote: »

Wishing_4_Wings wrote: »

So I've never tried smoothies before, but I've been trying to find ways that I can sneak in and trick myself into getting in fruits and veggies. So I wanted to try some smoothies but I'm not sure where to start. My local Kroger has a selection of fruit and veggies but not always everything in lists on recipes.

What are some tips, tricks, and recipes that you all like to use? Is there anything I need to know before I go buy up a bunch of fruit and yogurt and start blind?

IMO, the simplest, easiest way to make a healthy, delicious, smoothie is to go to Costco, and pick up a bag of these frozen berries. Blend say, a cup, of these with 8 oz of apple juice, plus a few ice cubes and a little water to increase the volume a bit. It has tons of antioxidants but also some sugar and calories to so take that into consideration. Also the 6 lb bag of frozen strawberries is a good choice. Blend them with a bannana. Easy.

Sounds yummy but not balanced at all. I'd add protein powder and a fat source, and use a liquid with a lot less sugar than apple juice, like a Celestial Seasoning fruity tea.

Agreed, berries in fruit juice would keep me full for 27 seconds and then I'd need to eat something!

OP, I like to do smoothies for breakfast in the warmer month. There's nothing magical about them, but I try to get fruits and veggies that I don't normally eat much of in them along with some protein and fat. So like frozen berries with a giant handful of whatever greens are cheap at the time, plus a half serving of vanilla protein powder and a half serving of nut butter. Yogurt would work well too if you like that little bit of sourness. Then just enough water to get the right consistency.

The key IMHO is getting enough fruit in to make it taste good, and enough fat and protein to make it a little filling, without making it a calorie bomb. Because for some of us (like me), a beverage just isn't going to keep us full for as long as solid food of the same calories.