Thoughts on the "Green Monsta" smoothie?

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WhatAnAwesomeGirl
WhatAnAwesomeGirl Posts: 13
in Food and Nutrition
Hello! For the last several months, I have been having a vegan, "Green Monsta" smoothie for breakfast. I felt this was a healthy & tasty way get my fruits & veggies. The problem is that the smoothie is very high in calories & doesn't keep me full for long, even though it has about 14g of protein & 9g of fiber & is "good calories". I'm hungry about an hour or two after having it. I was just wondering what everyone's opinion was on this smoothie & if I should continue having this for breakfast or opt for something with less calories that will keep me fuller for longer, like oatmeal. Below is the recipe & approximate calorie content:

1c spinach - 20 calories
1c kale - 20 calories
1 banana - 110 calories
1c mixed, tropical fruit - 70 calories
1 container almond yogurt - 140 calories
1c unsweetened soy milk - 80 calories
2 scoops wheat germ - 45 calories
1Tbsp flax oil - 120 calories

Total - 605 calories

Thanks! :)

Replies

  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    More protein, less sugar.

    Rigger
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    in....to learn more about the good calories in this magical elixir...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    OP - my suggestion- ditch the shake and eat real food, it will satiate you for longer...
  • bohemian124
    bohemian124 Posts: 153 Member
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    Here are my specific thoughts after reading your recipe:

    Almond yogurt has very little protein, so it is so doing much for you in your smoothie. Swap for greek yogurt. If you are vegan, leave out yogurt and add in protein powder. I really like SunWarrior Vanilla - it is vegan, not too sweet, and delicious!

    Swap almond milk for your soy milk. It has 50 less calories.

    Swap ground flax seed/meal for flax oil - 30-60 less calories and more of a whole food, so it is better for you.

    These swaps are more nutritious and should help you feel more full from your smoothie.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    OP - my suggestion- ditch the shake and eat real food, it will satiate you for longer...

    This would be the best way to go.

    Rigger
  • WhatAnAwesomeGirl
    WhatAnAwesomeGirl Posts: 13
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    I was leaning towards putting it on retirement so, this helps. Thanks everyone!
  • WhatAnAwesomeGirl
    WhatAnAwesomeGirl Posts: 13
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    Okay... I've been thinking about it & the green smoothie is a great way to sneak greens into my breakfast. So, what is everyone's thoughts on re-vamping it like this:

    1/2 cup kale
    1/2 cup spinach
    1/2 cup swiss chard
    1/2 banana
    1/2 cup mixed fruit
    1/2 cup silken tofu (10g protein per serving vs 7 in almond yogurt)
    1 cup soy or almond milk (whichever has more protein)
    1Tbsp wheat germ
    1Tbsp milled flax

    Not sure of the calorie content yet but, this would increase the protein from 14 grams to somewhere around 20 grams. Even though I'll lose 6 grams of fiber from substituting silken tofu for almond yogurt, it's less sugar & more protein.

    Thoughts??

    Thanks!! :)
  • runnergrlfl
    runnergrlfl Posts: 82 Member
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    When I made this I used a giant handful of spinach, a banana, a cup of milk and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. It was about 35-40g of protein, and got me through to lunch.

    If you've never used kale in a smoothie, you will taste it, unlike spinach.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,695 Member
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    Hello! For the last several months, I have been having a vegan, "Green Monsta" smoothie for breakfast. I felt this was a healthy & tasty way get my fruits & veggies. The problem is that the smoothie is very high in calories & doesn't keep me full for long, even though it has about 14g of protein & 9g of fiber & is "good calories". I'm hungry about an hour or two after having it. I was just wondering what everyone's opinion was on this smoothie & if I should continue having this for breakfast or opt for something with less calories that will keep me fuller for longer, like oatmeal. Below is the recipe & approximate calorie content:

    1c spinach - 20 calories
    1c kale - 20 calories
    1 banana - 110 calories
    1c mixed, tropical fruit - 70 calories
    1 container almond yogurt - 140 calories
    1c unsweetened soy milk - 80 calories
    2 scoops wheat germ - 45 calories
    1Tbsp flax oil - 120 calories

    Total - 605 calories

    Thanks! :)
    Add some fiber to it and that should do the trick.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • WhatAnAwesomeGirl
    WhatAnAwesomeGirl Posts: 13
    Options
    Hello! For the last several months, I have been having a vegan, "Green Monsta" smoothie for breakfast. I felt this was a healthy & tasty way get my fruits & veggies. The problem is that the smoothie is very high in calories & doesn't keep me full for long, even though it has about 14g of protein & 9g of fiber & is "good calories". I'm hungry about an hour or two after having it. I was just wondering what everyone's opinion was on this smoothie & if I should continue having this for breakfast or opt for something with less calories that will keep me fuller for longer, like oatmeal. Below is the recipe & approximate calorie content:

    1c spinach - 20 calories
    1c kale - 20 calories
    1 banana - 110 calories
    1c mixed, tropical fruit - 70 calories
    1 container almond yogurt - 140 calories
    1c unsweetened soy milk - 80 calories
    2 scoops wheat germ - 45 calories
    1Tbsp flax oil - 120 calories

    Total - 605 calories

    Thanks! :)
    Add some fiber to it and that should do the trick.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition


    Any recommendations? The almond yogurt has 7g, soy milk 2g... not sure about the veggies... so, minimum is 9g of fiber where is smoothie is now.
  • Stacy_Merrell
    Stacy_Merrell Posts: 35 Member
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    I am curious if anyone that has been drinking these green smoothies has had a terrible gut reaction. My smoothie consists pretty closely to the one posted; however, I use coconut water and will add almonds to mine with flax and chia. Within a couple of hours of drinking the smoothie my gut is killing me. I made one without the greens in it, and did not have the issue, and then a few days in it continued. I haven't had one in over a week and I am super bummed because it was a great way for me to get in the full servings of fruits and vegetables.

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