Boost Your Nutrition Intake with Smoothies



Healthy Smoothie Recipes

Cool off your summer with a healthy smoothie!

What are the benefits of smoothies?

If you’re making changes to your diet for overall good health, smoothies are a great way to boost your intake of nutrient-dense foods rich in antioxidants, protein, probiotics and more. Smoothies can be quite refreshing, not to mention they boost your workout and supplement muscle development. There are lots of quick and easy smoothie recipes out there, so you can enjoy one anytime of day – even on the go.

What are the benefits of smoothies?

One of the wonderful benefits of including smoothies in your diet is that you get to choose the best ingredients possible for targeting the nutrients you desire. You simply blend them all together with the only tool you need to make a good smoothie, a good blender. Once blended, you get to enjoy the refreshing benefits right away.

What are the best ingredients for a smoothie?

The best ingredients for a smoothie depend on what you need and want. You want to start with a liquid to help blend your non-liquid ingredients. This could be fresh organic juice, kefir, milk (cow’s, soy or almond), or even some yogurt. Then, to build muscle, you might consider adding a couple scoops of a quality protein powder in your favorite flavor to get all the essential amino acids. To boost your smoothies, add some good super foods like antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables. For green smoothies, you might add some fresh kale, spinach (or the juice of such) or even your favorite dried greens product. For fruit smoothies, you could add frozen berries, mango or bananas, which is a good use for those bananas that tend to get a bit brown sitting on your counter. Whatever flavors you enjoy, try mixing them together in a smoothie as a regular part of your diet. It can be fun to come up with your own smoothie recipes.

When should you drink smoothies and who are smoothies good for?

Smoothies make good pre and post-workout snacks and can be enjoyed at any point in your day. You can enjoy smoothies for breakfast, dessert, or even lunch or dinner. The best time of day to drink a smoothie is whenever you feel the need for a refreshing, nutrient boost. Smoothies are a healthy option for people on the run, when there’s no time to cook a meal.

Adding smoothies to your diet can be a good way to increase your nutrition intake and add additional protein to aid muscle development and boost workouts. Smoothies are a healthy choice for everyone, even children, when made from wholesome healthy foods.

Here are some great smoothie combinations to try:

  • Orange juice, vanilla protein powder, frozen strawberries and mango
  • Milk, chocolate protein powder, peanut butter and bananas
  • Yogurt, cranberry juice, vanilla protein powder and dried greens
  • Frozen yogurt, vanilla protein powder, strawberries or raspberries

Jennifer M. Wood, MS, RD

Jennifer M Wood, MS, RDN is registered dietitian nutritionist and successful food and nutrition consultant in Southeastern Minnesota. As the founder of a nation-wide gourmet food company, Wood wrote Jenny’s Country Kitchen…recipes for making homemade a little easier! (2003), which is a timeless collection of make-ahead, freeze-ahead and pantry-stocking recipes and time saving tips to help busy families put nutritious food on table. Wood graduated with a pre-med bachelors degree in nutritional science in 2001, completed her dietetic internship in 2007 and went on to complete a master’s degree in food and nutrition in 2011.

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