Smoothie

cloghscregg

Is a smoothie OK to have for lunch instead of a sandwich
With greek yougart and fruit oats and peanut butter

cwolfman13

Why wouldn't it be?

tomcustombuilder

Just don’t drink a roughie. It will counteract the smoothie.

AnnPT77

Sure, as long as it is tasty and filling to you, helps you hit your calorie goal, and contributes to good overall nutrition (as viewed on average over a few days to a week).

cathrynhonschar

I usually have a smoothie as my mid-day meal. Usually one serving of plant-based protein powder, half a banana or half an avocado, full-fat Greek yogurt, nut butter, matcha or cacao, and sometimes berries.
Since I’m using a smoothie as a meal, I try to make sure it has protein, fat, and fiber, and preferably some produce too. It’s also a good place to throw in healthy additions like cinnamon.

paperpudding

Smoothies are OK for lunch
Sandwiches are Ok for lunch
Having both for lunch is Ok
Having neither for lunch is Ok
Variations of above on different days is Ok.

What matters is that your overall diet, on average, is about the appropriate calorie level for your goals and is reasonably nutritious.

MacLowCarbing

If it fits in your plan you can have it at any time of the day you want it. No foods are really restricted to certain meals-- eggs can be for breakfast, chicken can be for dinner, smoothies can be for lunch, etc...

springlering62

cloghscregg wrote: »

Is a smoothie OK to have for lunch instead of a sandwich
With greek yougart and fruit oats and peanut butter

Sure!

What’s “not OK” is not weighing the ingredients, or not being aware of the calories in smoothies.

A single smoothie like that would be almost a quarter of my daily allowance+exercise, and I get alotta calories due to activity level.

Whole fat Greek yogurt:150 cal/170gr serving
1 serving blueberries: 80/140gr
Peanut butter: 180/ 32gr serving
Rolled oats 170/45 grams

That’s 580 calories. I could get a lot of chewable food out of that, generally a filling meal and a good sized snack.

Calories are like cash. Spend them wisely. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. No more til the next “pay period”.

Consider subbing low or fat free yogurt. Peanut butter powder is a fraction the calories of peanut butter and tastes great in smoothies. I used to use half a serving oats in my smoothies for the added creaminess- until I discovered a serving of cottage cheese is even better calorie and nutrition wise for my plan that suits me (I’m a protein girl, don’t tend to eat high carbs).

If a laden smoothie works for you, great!!!! I lost most my weight with a 350 calorie smoothie I loved, and had for breakfast for months. But there’s no magic inherent in smoothies or protein drinks, etc.

springlering62

PS: if you’re thinking a smoothie is less calories than a sandwich, I can make a killer wrap for well under 300 calories with 6 ounces of grilled, chopped chicken, some BBQ or other seasoning salt, and a low carb tortilla. Adding a small handful of greens and a bit of diced cherry tomatoes adds a whopping 15 calories.

I change it up by smoking pork tenderloin every other week. 130-140 calories per 4 ounces. Stubbs and Hughes both make fantastic sugar free, low cal BBQ sauces. The Hughes spicy is a particular favorite amongst my MFP friends group. I spread about half a serving directly on the tortilla before wrapping.

chadsmitheast

Are you going to be making your own smoothies or going to a smoothie chain? If you go to a chain, like Jamba Juice, you should make sure to look at the nutrition of their smoothies. Some of the smoothies chains offer have a surprisingly large amount of calories. Other smoothies are pretty low in calories, you just have to take the time to look at the labels.

I have used a smoothie nutrition information website to decide if a chain store smoothie is worth drinking.

For homemade smoothies it all depends on what ingredients you put in, but the nice thing is you know exactly what's going in your smoothie.

SafariGalNYC

Sure. I have smoothies for a meal all the time. I get most of my daily greens that way.

Todays smoothie - 296 cals and 26 grams protein.
Also had 2 types of fruit, 4 veggies in it. 12oz shake.

I prefer personally to sandwich. It’s up to your personal preference and what nutritional markers you are trying to meet.

kshama2001

springlering62 wrote: »

cloghscregg wrote: »

Is a smoothie OK to have for lunch instead of a sandwich
With greek yougart and fruit oats and peanut butter

Sure!

What’s “not OK” is not weighing the ingredients, or not being aware of the calories in smoothies.

A single smoothie like that would be almost a quarter of my daily allowance+exercise, and I get alotta calories due to activity level.

Whole fat Greek yogurt:150 cal/170gr serving
1 serving blueberries: 80/140gr
Peanut butter: 180/ 32gr serving
Rolled oats 170/45 grams

That’s 580 calories. I could get a lot of chewable food out of that, generally a filling meal and a good sized snack.

Calories are like cash. Spend them wisely. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. No more til the next “pay period”.

Consider subbing low or fat free yogurt. Peanut butter powder is a fraction the calories of peanut butter and tastes great in smoothies. I used to use half a serving oats in my smoothies for the added creaminess- until I discovered a serving of cottage cheese is even better calorie and nutrition wise for my plan that suits me (I’m a protein girl, don’t tend to eat high carbs).

If a laden smoothie works for you, great!!!! I lost most my weight with a 350 calorie smoothie I loved, and had for breakfast for months. But there’s no magic inherent in smoothies or protein drinks, etc.

Yep, I'd been having a peanut butter/banana/protein powder smoothie for breakfast until I got a food scale and realized just how small 2 T PB really was.



Now I save that smoothie for when I'm having a tough time getting calories, like when I had anaplasmosis and lost interest in eating.