All about smoothies
I've been having this problem where I skip lunch every day, because I don't feel like I have any good, quick lunch options. I could eat leftovers, but I usually end up having those for dinner, too, and that shortens the number of days I can stretch them to, besides getting boring fast. I also usually don't want to cook, since I cook for breakfast and dinner, and lately I feel like I'm spending most of my life either cooking or washing dishes.
On the other hand, skipping lunch is actually bad, because it eliminates a lot of nutrients from my daily intake, and then I have to try twice as hard to get enough calories. (The food I'm eating is tasty and filling, but mostly either low-carb and low-calorie, or high in both. Striking a good balance is tough.) I'm planning on baking some paleo bread this week, so that I can add sandwiches to my food roster, but until then, I've turned to smoothies to fill in the gap. On their own, they often don't provide enough fat or protein, and sometimes not enough calories, either, but if I have a smoothie and some cheese, or nuts, or carrot sticks, it's a pretty decent lunch. Then I can have dinner around 8:00 or 9:00, and maybe a small snack sometime before bed if I get hungry again or am still under 1200 calories.
I must find a way to make a post-workout smoothie that isn't so carb-heavy. Bananas are awesome, but they're also like 31g of carbs. Mango isn't quite as bad, but also has few vitamins. Hemp protein mitigates things a bit, but it tastes like dust, so I end up having to add more carbs (in the form of honey or a ton of extra fruit) to make it taste okay.
Today's experiment was good, still carby, but I forgot to measure as I was making it, so I have no idea what the nutrition stats are. I used 3/4 of a banana (but I ate the other 1/4, so it counts as a whole one I guess), a handful of frozen mango chunks thawed on the stove, 1.5 teaspoons of hemp protein, and enough raw unsweetened yogurt to make it liquidy. I was planning to include a tablespoon of coconut milk for extra fat, but it tasted so good that I didn't want to add anything else and potentially ruin it. I guess I'll eat some nuts instead.
For my own reference, here's a list of potential smoothie ingredients I have/keep on hand and what they contribute.
- Almond butter: Some calories (a 2 Tbsp serving is 190), good source of fat, okay on carbs (9g per serving), not great for protein but better than nothing (6g per serving). I usually don't use a full serving, and I think the higher carb count is because this particular jar is sweetened with maple.
- Bananas: Decent calorie count, lots of carbs. For post-workout only, at least for now.
- Blueberries: A pint of these goes a long way! Very high in fiber, and pretty low-carb for a fruit. They don't add much to a shake in terms of flavor, but I like them.
- Butter: If you're desperate to up the fat content of your smoothie, unsalted butter doesn't taste half bad. You have to add a fair amount to make it worthwhile, though, and it messes with the texture.
- Carrot: You have to grate or otherwise process it first, but it's sweet and relatively neutral in flavor. If I'm gonna eat a carrot, though, I generally just eat a carrot. I like them with nut butters.
- Coconut milk: Exact nutrition varies a bit by brand. I'm using Goya canned coconut milk right now. The serving size is 2 oz, or about 4 Tbsp, but I would only use about half of that. It adds fat, at 9g per seving, and has only 2g each of carbs and protein. It's also super sweet, and too much gives your smoothie the taste and consistency of melted marshmallow. (At least when paired with banana.)
- Coconut oil: Yep, you can put oil in a smoothie. I don't like to, because it doesn't always blend well, but if you need to add fat, it's excellent for that. Serving is 1 Tbsp, and you get 120 calories and 14g of fat. Doesn't have any taste at all, either, so it won't derail your flavor intentions like coconut milk does.
- Cocoa powder: Adds nothing but flavor, really, and maybe some antioxidants. It's good with banana, though.
- Drinkable yogurt: I use Maple Hill Creamery plain unflavored. A serving size is one 12oz bottle, but I use between 1/5 and 1/3 of that at a time, depending on what else is in the shake. Not very high in calories, but loaded with fat and protein. Rather high in carbs, but that's unavoidable and is the main reason I use smoothies as a meal replacement.
- Egg: Some primals advocate adding a raw egg to smoothies for protein and fat, but I find this idea gross, so I've never tried it. Still, the option is there.
- Honey: Understandably high-carb, but also adds a tiiiiiiny bit of protein. Like, a miniscule amount. I only use it if my smoothie is otherwise undrinkable, though.
- Hemp seed protein: High in protein if you include the full 3 Tbsp, not too bad on carbs. No fat at all. Renders every smoothie entirely gray.
- Kale: Tastes pretty bad, in my opinion, but is very good for you. High in fiber, decent protein for a veggie, low in carbs and calories, no fat. I freeze it, then pulse it in the blender before I add anything else. I usually mix it with berries, yogurt, and a little honey or syrup to mask the bitterness. It's good for adding an extra vegetable per day, at least. Also turns my smoothies black.
- Maple syrup: Like honey, this is a sweetener of last resort (though I do use it in my coffee) but is very slightly less carby.
- Mango: I use frozen mango chunks from Wegmans. They're a good fruit base, not nearly as carb-heavy or calorie-dense as bananas, but with good fiber and a mellow flavor.
- Pumpkin: A nice fall treat, if you use the canned kind. Good amount of Vitamin A, a little fiber, a little bit of protein, and relatively low-carb. Makes for a thicker, potentially spicy, dessert-like shake.
- Raspberries: Better than mango for fiber, about the same for other nutrients, though you can use fewer of them and skip some carbs that way. I buy a pint of fresh berries every week for snacking and adding to stuff.
- Spinach: I far, far prefer this to kale. It has a much less bitter flavor, blends more easily, and I like to eat it on its own too. Adds some fiber (less than kale) and iron, still low in calories, carbs, and fat. Not sure how it is on protein, but probably nothing to write home about. Masks well without the need to add lots of sugary stuff.
I will continue my mad smoothie experiments, because they're fun and easy to make. Stay tuned!
On the other hand, skipping lunch is actually bad, because it eliminates a lot of nutrients from my daily intake, and then I have to try twice as hard to get enough calories. (The food I'm eating is tasty and filling, but mostly either low-carb and low-calorie, or high in both. Striking a good balance is tough.) I'm planning on baking some paleo bread this week, so that I can add sandwiches to my food roster, but until then, I've turned to smoothies to fill in the gap. On their own, they often don't provide enough fat or protein, and sometimes not enough calories, either, but if I have a smoothie and some cheese, or nuts, or carrot sticks, it's a pretty decent lunch. Then I can have dinner around 8:00 or 9:00, and maybe a small snack sometime before bed if I get hungry again or am still under 1200 calories.
I must find a way to make a post-workout smoothie that isn't so carb-heavy. Bananas are awesome, but they're also like 31g of carbs. Mango isn't quite as bad, but also has few vitamins. Hemp protein mitigates things a bit, but it tastes like dust, so I end up having to add more carbs (in the form of honey or a ton of extra fruit) to make it taste okay.
Today's experiment was good, still carby, but I forgot to measure as I was making it, so I have no idea what the nutrition stats are. I used 3/4 of a banana (but I ate the other 1/4, so it counts as a whole one I guess), a handful of frozen mango chunks thawed on the stove, 1.5 teaspoons of hemp protein, and enough raw unsweetened yogurt to make it liquidy. I was planning to include a tablespoon of coconut milk for extra fat, but it tasted so good that I didn't want to add anything else and potentially ruin it. I guess I'll eat some nuts instead.
For my own reference, here's a list of potential smoothie ingredients I have/keep on hand and what they contribute.
- Almond butter: Some calories (a 2 Tbsp serving is 190), good source of fat, okay on carbs (9g per serving), not great for protein but better than nothing (6g per serving). I usually don't use a full serving, and I think the higher carb count is because this particular jar is sweetened with maple.
- Bananas: Decent calorie count, lots of carbs. For post-workout only, at least for now.
- Blueberries: A pint of these goes a long way! Very high in fiber, and pretty low-carb for a fruit. They don't add much to a shake in terms of flavor, but I like them.
- Butter: If you're desperate to up the fat content of your smoothie, unsalted butter doesn't taste half bad. You have to add a fair amount to make it worthwhile, though, and it messes with the texture.
- Carrot: You have to grate or otherwise process it first, but it's sweet and relatively neutral in flavor. If I'm gonna eat a carrot, though, I generally just eat a carrot. I like them with nut butters.
- Coconut milk: Exact nutrition varies a bit by brand. I'm using Goya canned coconut milk right now. The serving size is 2 oz, or about 4 Tbsp, but I would only use about half of that. It adds fat, at 9g per seving, and has only 2g each of carbs and protein. It's also super sweet, and too much gives your smoothie the taste and consistency of melted marshmallow. (At least when paired with banana.)
- Coconut oil: Yep, you can put oil in a smoothie. I don't like to, because it doesn't always blend well, but if you need to add fat, it's excellent for that. Serving is 1 Tbsp, and you get 120 calories and 14g of fat. Doesn't have any taste at all, either, so it won't derail your flavor intentions like coconut milk does.
- Cocoa powder: Adds nothing but flavor, really, and maybe some antioxidants. It's good with banana, though.
- Drinkable yogurt: I use Maple Hill Creamery plain unflavored. A serving size is one 12oz bottle, but I use between 1/5 and 1/3 of that at a time, depending on what else is in the shake. Not very high in calories, but loaded with fat and protein. Rather high in carbs, but that's unavoidable and is the main reason I use smoothies as a meal replacement.
- Egg: Some primals advocate adding a raw egg to smoothies for protein and fat, but I find this idea gross, so I've never tried it. Still, the option is there.
- Honey: Understandably high-carb, but also adds a tiiiiiiny bit of protein. Like, a miniscule amount. I only use it if my smoothie is otherwise undrinkable, though.
- Hemp seed protein: High in protein if you include the full 3 Tbsp, not too bad on carbs. No fat at all. Renders every smoothie entirely gray.
- Kale: Tastes pretty bad, in my opinion, but is very good for you. High in fiber, decent protein for a veggie, low in carbs and calories, no fat. I freeze it, then pulse it in the blender before I add anything else. I usually mix it with berries, yogurt, and a little honey or syrup to mask the bitterness. It's good for adding an extra vegetable per day, at least. Also turns my smoothies black.
- Maple syrup: Like honey, this is a sweetener of last resort (though I do use it in my coffee) but is very slightly less carby.
- Mango: I use frozen mango chunks from Wegmans. They're a good fruit base, not nearly as carb-heavy or calorie-dense as bananas, but with good fiber and a mellow flavor.
- Pumpkin: A nice fall treat, if you use the canned kind. Good amount of Vitamin A, a little fiber, a little bit of protein, and relatively low-carb. Makes for a thicker, potentially spicy, dessert-like shake.
- Raspberries: Better than mango for fiber, about the same for other nutrients, though you can use fewer of them and skip some carbs that way. I buy a pint of fresh berries every week for snacking and adding to stuff.
- Spinach: I far, far prefer this to kale. It has a much less bitter flavor, blends more easily, and I like to eat it on its own too. Adds some fiber (less than kale) and iron, still low in calories, carbs, and fat. Not sure how it is on protein, but probably nothing to write home about. Masks well without the need to add lots of sugary stuff.
I will continue my mad smoothie experiments, because they're fun and easy to make. Stay tuned!