Happy Friday!
We made it! I make it sound like I’ve had a tough week, but in all honesty it wasn’t that bad. I just had a lot going on and have been working like a mad woman.
One thing I always try to do is break away from work on the weekend. Of course I’ll still do my blog posts and be somewhat active on social media, but it is cut way back. I still want to enjoy the weekend and be able to spend lots of quality time with my husband.
I’ve gotten some great workouts in this week, especially Wednesday.
I started with 4 miles on the treadmill followed by 60 minutes of spinning.
I am really happy with how my leg is progressing and so far it has been responding great to the workouts. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Another thing I am loving today is my new Nike Track and Field shirt my husband got me. It is a little big but so comfortable, and for me comfortable is what I go for when working out!
As you all know Friday is here which means it is time for another installment of Five Things Friday.
Today I decided to continue with smoothie focus and bring you Five Go To Healthy Smoothie Ingredients.
I love smoothies year round, but since we are on a tight budget recently I try to pull from what we have in house when I get in the mood for a smoothie. To me there are several ingredients (besides fruit of course) that I always like to try to have around the house in case I get a craving for a smoothie.
1. Almond Milk
I love almond milk. Several years ago the husband and I switched from regular skim milk to almond milk because his stomach wasn’t reacting well to drinking skim milk anymore.
The thing I love most about almond milk is that it lasts longer than skim milk. I can store in my refrigerator for weeks and it doesn’t go bad! This is really important because it saves us a lot of money.
Some other great benefits of almond milk:
-High nutrient content
-Lower calories
-Keeps your heart and bones healthy
-Low impact to blood sugar
-Lactose-free (if you need that)
I usually will buy the unsweetened almond milk, but you can also buy regular, vanilla and even coconut almond milk. These will all add slightly different flavors to your smoothie.
2. Xathan Gum
I don’t think I have to talk too much about Xanthan Gum as I have been discussing it off and on all week. Even though this is a relatively new addition to smoothies, it is a great one!
I love smoothies to be thick and almost have that frozen yogurt like texture. Xanthan gum helps to keep that consistency!
The great thing about it as well is that a little goes a LONG way. In the smoothie recipe I shared with you yesterday I only used 1/2 a teaspoon. This barely made a dent in the bag. This will last you a long time even if you make a smoothie a day!
3. Spinach
I love spinach. I love it in smoothies, salads, omelets and even by itself.
Spinach has so many health benefits and is a great additive to smoothies. Don’t worry if you have never tried spinach in a smoothie I promise you – you don’t taste it!
A few of the benefits of spinach:
-Loaded with vitamins: A, K, D, and E
-Good source of iron and Omega 3s
-Strengths bones
-Nourishes eyes
-Readily available and relatively inexpensive
This is an easy and simple addition to your smoothies that can add a lot of nutritional value!
4. Chia Seeds
Chia Seeds are a relatively new addition to many of my smoothies. They are small tiny seeds and while you don’t taste them, I just had never thought to add them in until recently.
A few benefits of chia seeds:
-Good source of fibre and Omega 3s
-Strengthens teeth and bones
-High in phosphorus
-Great source of protein
-Gluten free (if that is important to you)
-Helps regulate blood sugar
They aren’t the greatest thing to just snack on plain, but when you throw them in the smoothie much like with spinach you don’t taste them.
5. Protein Powder
My final ingredient that I use a lot in smoothies is protein powder.
I wouldn’t have enough room in one picture to show you all of the types of protein we have, but these are a few of my favorites.
I love adding different flavors into my smoothies: chocolate, vanilla, vanilla latter, cookies and creme etc.
They each give your smoothie and unique flavor and add some extra protein to keep your body strong. If I am drinking my smoothie in the morning a lot of times I will add in some of my CLICK protein to add some caffeine as well.
There you have it. Those are my go-to smoothie ingredients that I always try to have on hand in the house. Of course, I usually have a pile of frozen fruit in my refrigerator on a regular basis.
What are you favorite smoothie ingredients?
I love using spinach is smoothies! I have also been using kale. I keep both frozen so they last a longer time, along with a variety of fruits. Then I just throw whatever I can find into the blender each morning. I also like using greek yogurt in smoothies to make them thicker.
I used to use almond milk (and I agree that its nice that it lasts longer!) but I’ve switched back to skim milk because it has higher calcium and protein.
Glad your leg has been doing well:)
That is a great idea to keep them frozen! I usually go through the spinach pretty quick but there have been some times when I had to throw it away.
Yes, the calcium is higher in skim but for some reason doesn’t sit well with the husband so we have to stick with the almond milk. I do take a calcium supplement as well to make sure I am getting enough!
That is a great list. I haven’t tried spinach or xanthan gum yet. Thanks for the tips.
If you give them a try let me know how you like them!
YAY for more smoothies! All of them are also staples for me (except xanthan gum, need to catch up there!). I’d say 80% of my smoothies have berries in them – I buy frozen because fresh berries are so expensive and I hate to “waste” them in the blender :).
I buy frozen berries as well and they last so long! I also buy a bunch of bananas at one time and freeze half of them to use in smoothies. This seems to work pretty well and then I don’t waste so many of them like you said!
It is funny – I love all of that stuff, but can’t make smoothies with it in our house for a few reasons. (Megan knows this because my canned response to any recipe she posts is to note what ingredient my wife is allergic to or tolerates poorly).
I’ll list them because you talk about the stomach issues Wes has with milk, and I think it is important to know what potential ‘low level intolerances’ people can have for certain foods:
– Almond milk – it goes without saying that people with nut allergies or intolerance can’t touch this stuff.
– Spinach – I could eat this all day, but my family likes it better when I mix it in with other things. For people with sensitive systems spinach can cause abdominal discomfort. The rest of us just pass gas more 🙂
– Chia seeds – LOVE THEM! First tried them this summer, and they are super. The texture bothered my family, so they are a ‘me thing’.
– Protein powder … still haven’t used it, perhaps should try, but it is another one of those things where I subscribe to the ‘eat REAL food instead of a supplement’. Also, because they are generally whey or soy derived, you need to be careful with allergies and intolerance.
The big one is Xanthan gum.
– Xantham gum acts as a laxative, and may cause issues depending on how much you use.
– It is ALWAYS derived in a medium containing GMO products, meaning that while it can be used in orgnic food it is not organic … if that matters.
– Also, it can be made in a medium of wheat, soy or dairy without having to declare. This could mean real problems for some folks! Guess who DOES declare their method? Yep, Bob’s Red Mill!
– Xanthan gum is pretty much a filler of indigestible material … but depending on how it is made, if can have up to 7g of soluble fiber per tbsp – which is awesome.
Another great Friday post 🙂
Good to know about xanthan gum! I had never heard of that. I haven’t noticed any problems as of yet, but it is definitely something to keep an eye out for!
I guess those allergies and such do cause a bit of a problem when it comes to making smoothies. Wes isn’t a huge smoothie fan of how I make them (he refuses to try them if they have spinach in it) so I am usually only making them for me 🙂
When it comes to protein powder I try and uses the ones that are more natural and plan based. I have found these are much better nutritionally and they sit better with my stomach. I have been known to have a few stomach issues myself from time to time!
I always put some plant-based or raw protein powder in my smoothies/shakes. I’ve used Plant Fusion, Sunwarrior, and Garden of Life Raw Protein.
Love plant-based protein!
Love using chia and spinach in my smoothies! I also use almond milk (always unsweetened but I go with regular, vanilla or almond coconut). How long do you keep yours? It says 7-10 days after opening on carton (I think) so I always dump what I have left 🙁
I usually have in finished within 10 days of opening….but next time maybe I should pay a little bit closer attention to that!
I always have to have atleast half a banana in my smoothies to get the consistency I want! I also love to put squash it, pumpkin or butternut! oats are also great, and then always a green.
I would have never though of squash! I will have to try that sometime! I do love oats as well 🙂
I like avocado in smoothies as well if I need some more healthy fats that day 🙂 love that tank by the way!
Thank you! 🙂