Smoothie advice

Hey All,

I don't know if any of you use smoothies at the moment for a healthy meal like breakfast before work etc, I wanted to know if they fill you up? And what's the best one to buy that is good for us
«1

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    If you're buying pre-made ones, they're pretty expensive, so go for the ones with protein. More bang for your $$.
  • sczoo26
    sczoo26 Posts: 102 Member
    OK cmriverside thanks for your help on this, I will look around the shops tomorrow
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    My fave at the moment is vanilla protein powder, 3 cups spinach, 4 oz unsweet vanilla almond milk, ice and water to mix. I have it with and Ezekiel English muffin with almond butter on my ride in.
  • 21ttomlinson
    21ttomlinson Posts: 20 Member
    I only have veg smoothie with pineapple, I add protein powder which keeps you full for longer
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    I've been having a protein shake for breakfast for the past 6 months.

    1 banana, 150ml soya milk, 1 cube frozen spinach, 35gr flavoured protein powder (whey protein). All is 300cals and for me is very satisfying. I take greener bananas so that it gets thicker.
    I love it!
    Different flavour every several weeks. Nom!
  • Whey115
    Whey115 Posts: 73 Member
    nowine4me wrote: »
    My fave at the moment is vanilla protein powder, 3 cups spinach, 4 oz unsweet vanilla almond milk, ice and water to mix. I have it with and Ezekiel English muffin with almond butter on my ride in.

    I do the same but add 70g frozen fruit as well and no ice since the frozen fruit does the trick. I mix up the fruit - berries, peach, mango or combo.

  • Big_YEET
    Big_YEET Posts: 152 Member
    I have pretty much the same exact smoothie every day for breakfast. It consists of whatever fruit I have usually banana, a pitted date or 2, spinach, sometimes PB2, stevia drops, and greek yogurt for protein because it has basically the same amount of protein per calories as protein powder but less sugar and more bulk + creaminess. It usually makes a large smoothie for under 300 kcal.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I often make my own smoothie for breakfast . It delivers about 500 calories and 36 g protein. It even tastes good to me. This is enough for me to do my desk job without hunger or any form of food desire until lunch time.
  • sczoo26
    sczoo26 Posts: 102 Member
    Thanks all for sharing this with me. Right I think tomorrow I will head out and buy Fruit and dig out my blender ☺️
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Sometimes I do, usually I don't, since for me eating food tends to be more filling than drinking it. Sometimes in the summer I just want to drink something cold for breakfast, though, and then I have one. I would recommend including a source of protein and some vegetables (I try to make mine more vegetable than fruit, although I usually include a serving of some kind of fruit) and, ideally, some kind of fat if you want to try to make it as filling as possible and be aware that it's easy to drink a lot more calories than you might eat.

    I LOVE watermelon in a smoothie, so likely this week I will have one involving protein powder, yogurt, watermelon, cucumber, and kale, since I just got a watermelon. Maybe some fresh mint too. (That one is overly low fat compared to my usual, but I will manage.)
  • sczoo26
    sczoo26 Posts: 102 Member
    Hey Lemurcat - I used to skip breakfast completely until I became a nurse and had to get up at silly o'clock since then I have always wanted something before I dart off to work..
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    @sczoo26 The way to get lemurcat12's attention is to put the '@' symbol in front of the username as I just did to you.
  • cherbear422
    cherbear422 Posts: 1 Member
    Favorite smoothie is: Cashew milk, keifer, vanilla, splenda (if desired), chia seeds, kale mix, 1 banana, tropical fruit mix (frozen). Blend. 2 servings @ about 375 cal. each.
  • Lynzdee18
    Lynzdee18 Posts: 500 Member
    I may be weird but I found smoothies didn't fill me for long. I need to chew....

    Steel cut oats are much more filling for me.

    I NEVER skip breakfast. Even if it is just a banana or yogurt. But I try to do the oats most days. I prepare a large batch and prefer them cold.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    @sczoo26 you can order a lot of trial sizes of different protein powders on Amazon, or the have lots of single serving sizes at Whole Foods and nutrition stores. May want to sample a few before you commit to a big tub.
  • sczoo26
    sczoo26 Posts: 102 Member
    @JeromeBarry1 thanks for the tip
  • sczoo26
    sczoo26 Posts: 102 Member
    @cherbear422 now that does sound nice, I would have to remove the cashews mind ☺️
  • sczoo26
    sczoo26 Posts: 102 Member
    @Lynzdee18 your right breakfast is most important meal of the day, I am going to try the smoothie idea if not will find Something else that will do the trick like oats, porridge, toast something light and filing
  • sczoo26
    sczoo26 Posts: 102 Member
    @nowine4me your so right, I will just trial first before I commit to anything
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    edited July 2017
    Lynzdee18 wrote: »
    I may be weird but I found smoothies didn't fill me for long. I need to chew....

    Steel cut oats are much more filling for me.

    I NEVER skip breakfast. Even if it is just a banana or yogurt. But I try to do the oats most days. I prepare a large batch and prefer them cold.

    If you're weird then I'm weird with you! Drinking my calories does nothing to satisfy or satiate me either. I would rather have a breakfast prepared that I could physically eat - like a piece of frittata or egg muffins. I don't do oats - they do nothing for me either
  • sczoo26
    sczoo26 Posts: 102 Member
    Update: I had a toasted bagel with philadelphia light on with my usual morning cupper so 300 cals for breakfast which tasted lovely - that's a win win for me
  • philyflyazz
    philyflyazz Posts: 26 Member
    Juicing is better with like kale beers ginger lemon wheat grass $6 bucks at your local health food store smoothies are packed with too much sugar
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    sczoo26 wrote: »
    Hey All,

    I don't know if any of you use smoothies at the moment for a healthy meal like breakfast before work etc, I wanted to know if they fill you up? And what's the best one to buy that is good for us

    There are a lot of different smoothies, so it's hard to answer this question. But in order to feel satiated you will want to go with fiber, protein, and a little fat. Smoothies that use fruit and vegetables are typically better than ones using a lot of chocolate and peanut butter.

    The other warning I'll give is that it's easy to get carried away, thinking you are drinking healthy smoothies but portion sizes and ingredients can easily get out of control. Just because it's "healthy" does not mean one can drink as much as one wants. Getting a smoothie at a mall can easily end up 500+ calories, likewise if you are making a pitcherful of high protein smoothies and drink it all.
  • sczoo26
    sczoo26 Posts: 102 Member
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    sczoo26 wrote: »
    Hey All,

    I don't know if any of you use smoothies at the moment for a healthy meal like breakfast before work etc, I wanted to know if they fill you up? And what's the best one to buy that is good for us

    There are a lot of different smoothies, so it's hard to answer this question. But in order to feel satiated you will want to go with fiber, protein, and a little fat. Smoothies that use fruit and vegetables are typically better than ones using a lot of chocolate and peanut butter.

    The other warning I'll give is that it's easy to get carried away, thinking you are drinking healthy smoothies but portion sizes and ingredients can easily get out of control. Just because it's "healthy" does not mean one can drink as much as one wants. Getting a smoothie at a mall can easily end up 500+ calories, likewise if you are making a pitcherful of high protein smoothies and drink it all.

    That makes complete sense, yeah I think make my own is the way to go I was thinking about being a juice maker and doing it all fresh least that way I can calorie count and control what I'm drinking and still stay within my goal ☺️
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Smoothies don't fill me up at all and I'd rather eat food, so I usually skip them. You have to add too many calories from fruit to make them tasty enough anyway IMO (nothing against fruit, but more than 2 servings a day and I'm hungry).
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Juicing is better with like kale beers ginger lemon wheat grass $6 bucks at your local health food store smoothies are packed with too much sugar

    Depends what is in your smoothie. You could make a smoothie with the same ingredients you've described, but have the added benefit of retaining the fibre. I'd also suggest adding protein and fat....
  • Cruxthemystic
    Cruxthemystic Posts: 149 Member
    I have a smoothie most mornings. I use spinach, frozen fruit, a bulk fiber (helps keep you full and regular :), almond milk and either a raw egg or spoon full of nut butter. I quit using protein powders, they were expensive.

    I raise my own chickens so my eggs are super healthy.
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    edited July 2017
    sczoo26 wrote: »
    @Lynzdee18 your right breakfast is most important meal of the day, I am going to try the smoothie idea if not will find Something else that will do the trick like oats, porridge, toast something light and filing

    It's not-that whole idea was (brilliant) marketing from a cereal company, from years ago. Meal timing/meal frequency is a preference thing and will vary between individuals. Lots of people here do IF and don't break their daily fasts till later in the day-noon, on.
  • ezekielsherrard205735
    ezekielsherrard205735 Posts: 42 Member
    I love Banana "cocktail" <3t62ttd72y2gd23.jpg
  • alcomer
    alcomer Posts: 101 Member
    I have a protein shake every morning. Either vanilla protein powder with unsweet almond milk, mixed berries, banana and spinach OR Chocolate protein powder with unsweet almond milk and cold brewed coffee. They both keep me very full all morning. Sometimes I add flax seed or chia seeds also.