The Skinny on Smoothies

     Smoothies can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Loaded with ENERGY dense produce, smoothies can be an amazing asset to your diet. But fill it up with chocolate, sweeteners and smoothie mixes and your 12 oz. smoothie could rack up 800 plus calories. I aim to keep my smoothies under 350 calories and I count them as one of my meals throughout the day. (Keep in mind I eat 6 small meals!!)
     Commercially sold smoothies AKA Smoothie King, Smoothie Factory, etc. all use an additive called "turbinado" in the majority of their smoothie products. One of the most useful things I ever learned about these smoothie places is that turbinado is actually just cane sugar. They're tricky like that. You think you're getting this healthy smoothie that's amazingly sweet, but you're not, it's just sugar! Next time you hit up one of those stores just ask for them to hold the turbinado... Watch, they won't pump sugar water into your smoothie.
     Green smoothies, though gross looking, are my favorite kind of smoothie. I can literally feel the energy I receive from them. They're loaded with chlorophyll, tons of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and all of the clean nutrients you need to be energized. Though the color and the ingredients may throw you off, give it a try, it may really surprise you.

Here's a guide to making your own green smoothie:
SERVES ONE

1 Cup of leafy greens of your choice:
-spinach **my favorite because it's sweet**
-kale **more bitter**
-romaine
-"spring mix" **arugula is pretty bitter**
*bare in mind that the bitterness of greens will be masked with the sweetness of fruit!!!*

1 1/2 Cup of fruit:
-banana
-pineapple *my fave cause it's super sweet*
-mango
-kiwi
-apple
-citrus
-berries 
-peaches
-avocado **extra creamy**

1 Cup of liquid:
-100% juice
-almond milk
-coconut water
-water

MAGICAL INGREDIENT: ROASTED BEETS
*I include roasted beets in all of my smoothies, just a couple tablespoons or so. They give it a seriously purple color (a phytochemical with TONS of nutritive benefits that doesn't occur much in nature). 
To roast beets:
**BEWARE!! THEY STAIN LIKE CRAZY!!!**
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2) Beets usually come in packs of 3 roots, cut off stalks and rinse well
3) Wrap in foil
4) Bake/Roast for 30 minutes or until soft when punctured with knife
5) Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes
6) By rubbing a dry paper towel over the outside of the beets, remove and discard the skin
7) Chop into 1' cubes
8) Store in fridge for up to 10 days or freeze 

Optional additives:
-protein (whey is best!)
-chia seed  **awesome source of antioxidants, fiber, and OMEGA 3's!**
-flax seed   **great for digestion!**
-honey  **honey contains antibacterial properties and can actually heal you from the inside out!!**
-NATURAL zero calorie sweeteners **ex: Truvia, my fave**

OR 
Instead of using leafy greens at all, you can purchase a product like this one:

Which is available online for about $20 for 30 portions, which is a pretty good deal. This stuff can get really expensive!! Some different varieties are available in the health food aisle at HEB, as well as local health food stores Cornucopia and The Little Shoppe of Health.
    Greens powder is like the coolest thing ever created. It's basically all of the nutrients in leafy greens (antioxidants, chlorophyll, fiber, vitamins, minerals, proteins, etc.), just condensed into powder form. One serving of this stuff is SEVEN servings of fruit and veggies! Most of us don't eat enough fresh produce and this could help you meet your daily quota!

TIPS:
-always use RIPE fruits, unripened fruits will just add bitterness and gritty texture to your smoothie
-always use a half a banana per serving of smoothie. They're full of the GOOD kind of fat and energy! They also make smoothies creamy!!
-try rinsing, cutting up, and freezing your fruits for storage at their ripest point. This preserves them at their perfect state and the frozen fruit replaces ice!
-avoiding added sugars is ALWAYS your best bet :)
-when choosing tropical fruits at the grocery store, always SMELL them, if they're super fragrant then they're ready!
-coconut water is actually more hydrating than water! They sell all kinds of naturally flavored coconut waters at HEB, they're amazing!
-watch out when you're adding protein, you may think you're doing yourself good, but unless you're very active, you could just be adding a ton of unnecessary calories to your smoothie
-when buying honey, though it's a little more pricey, check out the LOCAL honey. Bees use the flowers from our local area to make this honey, meaning you may gain a some immunity to some of the different types pollen in the air that you may have had allergies with before... Awesome, huh?
-I buy my protein powder in the bulk health food section at HEB, it's cheaper and I get the unflavored kind

    EVERYONE knows a liquid meal digests faster than a solid one, meaning you get the nutrients quicker than anything solid you may eat, making this a GREAT pre or post workout meal or breakfast.

Drink on,
Maude