We have been drilled into believing that the healthy (and heavy) American breakfast is the best way to start a day. Well, times have changed and given the obesity levels in the US, I think it is time we changed for something better; a wholesome, lovely, nutritious smoothie for breakfast meal.
Smoothies make a great healthy breakfast meal because
They transfer the goodness of fruit and vegetables into an easy-to-consume health drink that can be quickly made (typically takes 10 minutes or less), is light on the belly, provides loads of instant energy, and powers you for hours.
Most websites out there talk about using only fruits for a breakfast smoothie – I would advise using fruits and vegetables in the ratio of 6:4 (you can try the only fruit version and fruit and veggie version over a period of two days and see the difference yourself). Using fruits and vegetables gives you the goodness of vitamins, proteins, minerals, anti-oxidants and plenty of fiber in an easy-to-digest package that releases energy in 1/4th the time a traditional American breakfast takes.
Also, a traditional American breakfast makes you feel ‘heavy’ and full for hours. This is because the protein from animal sources and fats take a long time to digest. It takes quite a while before the energy is released and until then, despite eating what has been labeled as a “healthy breakfast”, you end up feeling dull and lethargic instead of bouncy and full of energy.
Some basics on making a smoothie
- Always use fresh fruit and vegetables for your smoothies. Avoid tinned stuff. The goodness of anti-oxidants is only present in whole fruit. Anti-oxidants begin to leak within seconds of cutting the fruit or vegetable. So any fruit or vegetable that has been cut and kept for more than one hour has zero anti-oxidants.
- Make your smoothie fresh and consume it immediately. Again, this has to do with the anti-oxidants in the fruits and veggies. The anti-oxidants need to release inside your stomach and the best way to achieve this is by cutting the fruits and veggies, blending them and consuming it all in 30 minutes or less.
- Wash the fruits and vegetables. ‘Hygienically packaged’ products sold in a mall does not mean the fruits and veggies were washed before packaging.
- Select fruits and vegetable in a manner that would blend the flavors and tastes. E.g. don’t mix a bitter vegetable with fruits that are not sweet. Similarly avoid mixing two ingredients of opposing flavors. Also, avoid fruits that are mildly diarrhetic, e.g. Papaya because when mixed with high fiber vegetables, the diarrhetic effect will be enhanced.
Here’s my favorite recipe for a smoothie as a healthy breakfast meal:
The Violet Broccoli Breakfast Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Broccoli (steamed)
- 1/2 cup strawberries
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup blackberries
- 1 medium carrot (diced)
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 1 cup cranberry
- 2 cups ice
Blend well.
Browse more breakfast smoothies’ recipes on our site – and stay healthy 😉