Shakes are very convenient since you can easily make them at home and keep them in the fridge. They are a good drink to start the day with, especially when you do not have time to prepare breakfast or lunch.
However, if your health goal is to lose some weight, get clearer skin or be more energetic, a healthy shake is also the perfect choice for you.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Smoothies
Nowadays, shakes (and smoothies, too) are not just for cooling yourself on a hot day – celebrities have popularized them to be “green and healthy drinks”, wherein there are benefits in consuming them such as weight loss and better fiber intake.
- Advantage: You can choose the type of fruit that you can place in the blender, like all time-favorites such as apples and strawberries. Through the yummy taste of smoothies, you get your much-needed daily dose of vitamins, minerals as well as fibers.
- Disadvantage: If you’re not making your own shake or purchasing one from the store, you may not be sure of the ingredients or the number of calories it contains. It may have too much sugar or too much milk or any other ingredient that may make it less than healthy.
Tips for Making Healthy Shakes
- Slice the ingredients ahead. Do you find it tiring to make shakes or blended drinks in the morning because of the tedious slicing? Why not slice the ingredients ahead in the morning. That way, you can easily place the ingredients in the blender even if you are pressed with time.
- Switch up ingredients so that you do not get bored. Also, trying different ingredients everyday ensures that you get your share of vitamins and nutrients that you might miss if just sticking to one fruit alone. Green smoothies are also a good way to get your veggie fix if you are not a fan of vegetables. Do your research in order to find out the best type of fruits and veggies that’s perfect for your health goal.
- Use fresh ingredients. Try visiting your local organic store to purchase fruits and vegetables. The fresher your ingredients are, the better they will taste, and the higher number of nutrients you are bound to get. Try to use the fruits and vegetables that are in season at that time.
- There are different types of bases when it comes to smoothies. You may choose water, juice, milk and tea. However, for the best way to consume more nutrients, try the juices of fruits and vegetables or even medicinal tea as the base for your shake.
- Not all fats are bad. Try out healthy fats such as low fat milk, hemp oil, avocado, cream or coconut, which will help you stay fuller for a longer time and give you the much-needed energy boost that you need to go through the day. Also, if you use these ingredients, it will make the shake creamer and yummier.
- Add more nutrition! You can use seeds of chia, hemp or flax to increase the nutritional content of your drink.
- Add more flavor. There are perfect spices such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and even cayenne pepper that gives that added zing!
- Serve drinks to the kids. Kids are persnickety when it comes to anything that involves vegetables and fruits, unless you have an angel on your hands. Introduce your kids to a healthy lifestyle by creating yummy shakes for them. Try something sweet and familiar, such as a strawberry smoothie at their first try, and work your way up to the green drinks over time.
Some Shake Recipes
Think that making shakes is difficult? Check out these few recipes and find out how easy “shaking” actually is!
Papaya Shake
Going through excruciating tummy exercises to get rid of the stomach bulge won’t help if you are constantly constipated. Papaya is one of the perfect fruits to get rid of constipation. It contains potassium and papain, an enzyme that helps your digestive system does its job better.
If you do not like eating raw papaya, what better way to consume it than through a cold, icy drink!
Ingredients:
- A cup of cubed papaya, peeled and seeded
- A cup of sliced peaches
- One medium pear, cubed
- A tablespoon of flax seed, ground
- A teaspoon of ginger, finely sliced
- A bunch of mint leaves
- Half a cup of low-fat yogurt, frozen to form six ice cubes
What to do:
Place all of the ingredients inside your blender aside from the mint leaves and blend. This makes three servings, with 109 calories per drink.
Immunity Booster Shake
Are you always coming down with coughs and colds? Prepare a preventive shake that’s packed with immunity boosters.
Ingredients:
- A cup of cubed mango, peeled and pitted
- Half a cup of cubed pineapple
- A cup of cantaloupe, chopped
- 1/3 cup of almonds, ground
- Half a cup of unsweetened almond milk
- A cup of ice
What to do:
Place the ingredients inside the blender, and mix together. Serve with sliced almonds on top, and enjoy! This makes three servings, with 150 calories in each glass.
Strawberry-Mango-And-More Shake
For those who are always hungry yet want to lose weight, this drink is perfect for you. It helps you stay fuller for a longer period of time. Protein satiates the appetite without the need to consume too much, and if paired with fiber, it becomes the perfect mix to curb the appetite.
Ingredients:
- A cup of strawberries
- A cup of mango, cubed
- One whole lime, seeded and peeled,
- Four teaspoons of flax seed oil
- Half a cup of tofu
- One and a half cup of ice
What to do:
Mix all the ingredients together in a blender. This makes three servings, with 165 calories per serving.
Veggie Fruit Shake for Kids
Kids are picky eaters, and if you want your kid to eat (or drink, in this case) more veggies or fruits, smoothies are the best choice for you. Try to create smoothies that are colorful and creamy.
Ingredients:
- One banana
- Four tablespoons of orange juice or other unsweetened fruit juice
- Half a cup of berries or one ripe peach
- A cup of ice cube
- A cup of vanilla yogurt
What to do:
Let the kids help in cutting up the banana or the other fruits. Place them in the blender and mix the ingredients together. Your kids will surely enjoy the sweet taste of this juice!
Cover photo: hellocoton.fr
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