There are no rules about when is the ideal time to consume a smoothie. From my experience with clients, they are ideal and practical when you don’t have time to prepare a more complex meal because the smoothie is ready in 20-30 seconds. It is the earliest in the morning because people are in a rush. In addition, most people do not feel excessively hungry in the morning, so they do not need a strong, solid meal. The smoothie can be drunk several hours after preparation, so many people in the city take it to work. Some people also like it after evening training because it is light, and before going to bed it is not a good idea to eat a heavy meal, says nutritionist Roko Marovi. He adds that the smoothie is also ideal as a snack during the day as an additional source of quality calories. It is recommended for athletes who have two to three training sessions a day, and it is not very easy to digest 6 to 8 solid meals in one day.
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Healthy detox juices and smoothies from Smoothiekaša in Zagreb
– A smoothie should not contain ten ingredients. It can also be a simple drink prepared from protein powder, banana and milk, which is an excellent choice for muscle recovery after training – advises the nutritionist.
However, such drinks should not be a constant substitute for meals.
– Although they are a good substitute for dinner and breakfast, I think it is not the greatest happiness to drink them every day. We should stick to the ‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’, which means that we need to exercise the intestines, as well as other organs, and in this case we do it by consuming solid food. This does not mean that we cannot drink juices and smoothies, but we should not overdo it – Marovi believes.
Roko Marović |
When the wordč about groceries, the best is fresh and seasonal. If the smoothie is a meal replacement, don’t forget that it must contain all the nutrients necessary for the normal functioning of the body.
– People often make the mistake of loading their smoothies with fruit and milk for breakfast. It should contain all three macronutrients (quality source of protein, fat and complex carbohydrates). Enrich it with fruit and spices. Most often, in this case, the base of the smoothie is oats as a whole grain. As for the water component, the banana gives it an excellent texture. It is not bad to combine it with forest fruit. Protein powder or quark cheese (fresh cheese with a high protein content) and skyr yogurt can also be added. Then you can add milk (cow’s or soy). Excellent sources of fat are peanut butter or cashew nuts. Thus, we get a complete meal with a lot of energy, which gives a feeling of satiety and stable blood glucose for the next few hours.
If you put only 300-400 grams of vodka in a smoothie, you will quickly feel hungry, which is not the point if it is a meal replacement. That’s why many make the mistake of not having a fat and protein component in the smoothie – says the nutritionist.
It is the same that you can add vegetables. Spinach is an excellent choice, and avocado is a good fatty fruit. Don’t forget seasonal fruits like strawberries. Chia and flax seeds and almonds are good seeds and nuts. As for the quantity, everything depends on the energy needs of the person who consumes it and on the goals in the diet. In this respect, they are ideal for those who want to increase their caloric intake and gain weight, but are unable to do so. A smoothie can help here because it is easier to drink liquid than to force yourself to eat solid food. They are also an option for those who are recovering from surgery and need to consume liquid food. Those whose goal is to lose weight should be in a caloric deficit, so they should not exaggerate the amount and foods such as peanut butter, bananas and oats.
– If you buy almonds and it says on them that there are 576 calories in 100 grams, the intake of those calories will differ if we eat almonds in a solid state or in smoothies. When we eat hard almonds, the body will not extract all the calories from them, because in such a form, several percentages of these calories are always not absorbed. If we grind them and blend them into a smoothie, the fibers from the nuts and seeds are broken down and become more available to the body. In that case, we will absorb 5-10 percent more calories from the smoothie – warns the nutritionist.
A blender is indispensable for smoothies, and there is a proper order of adding ingredients. Liquid and softer foods are put in first, and the larger ones later so that the blades of the blender can reach full speed before the hard ingredients reach them. That way, all the ingredients will be properly distributed and chopped. The liquid ingredient is the base. It can also be cow’s milk, but in recent years, a drink made from almond or soy or similar vegetable milk has been preferred. You can also add a little water. After that go the fruits and vegetables so that the blender can chop them up better. Leafy vegetables, such as spinach, go before other solid foods. In the same way, a soft berry-like fruit will go before a hard banana, which will direct the softer ingredients towards the blade with its weight. If you want the smoothie to be creamy, you can also add Greek yogurt. Frozen fruit and vegetables go at the end.
Green wheat smoothie
Ingredients: banana, leaf of green wheat, 5-6 almonds, stevia if desired, 2-3 dl water
PREPARATION: This smoothie is great after training. Bananas contain starch, which, when broken down in the digestive system, leads to the release of glucose, which the muscles need as a source of energy for recovery after training or to replace spent glycogen.
Sports smoothie
ingredients: banana, a handful of pumpkin seeds, a few pieces of dried figs or raisins, a slice of sausage, carrot
PREPARATION: Mix all the ingredients in a blender. Dried figs contain group B vitamins, such as niacin, pyridoxine, pantothenic and folic acid, which participate in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Dried figs are an excellent source of minerals calcium, zinc, potassium, selenium, iron and copper.
Green in čash
ingredients: a slice of korabica, fresh parsley leaves (amount as desired), a cup of broccoli, a handful of flax seeds, 2 dl of water
PREPARATION: Chop the broccoli, remove the stem from the broccoli and tear it into florets and steam it briefly. Mix all the ingredients in a blender.
Chia with blueberries
Ingredients: 1 banana, 100 g of blueberries, 60 ml of milk as desired, 1 teaspoon of freshly ground flax seeds, 1 teaspoon of peeled hemp seeds, 1 teaspoon of chia seeds, half a teaspoon of cinnamon
PREPARATION: First, put the milk in the blender, then the blueberries and banana, then the seeds. Add cinnamon at the end.
Almond milk and oats for energy
ingredients: 200 ml of almond milk, 40 g of oatmeal, 1 banana, 2 cups of finely chopped almonds, 1 cup of honey, a little cinnamon
PREPARATION: Blend milk and banana, then add oats and chopped almonds. Then add honey and cinnamon.
Skyr with fruit and spinach
ingredients: 1 skyr yogurt, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, 1/2 cup frozen berries, half a cup fresh pineapple, banana, handful of spinach
PREPARATION: Be sure to put the ingredients in the blender in this order: skyr, coconut oil, frozen fruit, banana and ice. Blend until smooth. Then add the spinach and mix again. Pour into the glass and enjoy.
Strawberries with chia seeds
Ingredients: 400 g of fresh strawberries, 200 ml of Greek yogurt, 1 cup of chia seeds
PREPARATION: Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix until you get a smooth mixture. If the strawberries lack sweetness, you can add a dash of agave or maple syrup.
Banana and avocado smoothie
Ingredients: 1 cup of low-fat Greek yogurt, 1 avocado, 1 banana, 2 cups of water (if necessary)
PREPARATION: Place yogurt, avocado and banana in a blender and BLEND until smooth. Add water to thin the smoothie.
Tropical mix
Ingredients: 1 banana, a cup of chopped mango, a cup of chopped fresh pineapple, a cup of almond milk
PREPARATION: Blend the banana, mango and pineapple with the almond milk in a blender until the mixture is smooth but still thick. This mixture is enough for two servings. You can put some sliced kiwi and blueberries on top.
Vitamin C to strengthen immunity
ingredients: 1 carrot cut into pieces, juice of half a lemon, half an orange, half a cup of pineapple, half a cup of fresh strawberries, half a cup of almond milk, ice as desired
PREPARATION: Finely chop all the ingredients. Put in the blender one ingredient at a time, serve and enjoy.
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