I know a lot of people are in vacation rebound mode so I thought this might be a good week to share this. I’ll go ahead and say I was NOT on the smoothie train until a couple of months ago. I knew they were good for you, but I’ll just go ahead and admit that my excuse was that I did not want to clean the blender every dayβpathetic but true. But when I started this blog, I started getting up really early to write before I headed into work, and I would be so hungry that I would eat like 2-3 snacks each morning between breakfast and lunch! I knew I could not keep up that eating pattern long-term, but didn’t really have a solution.
Several weeks later, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts and wellness it girl and coach Kelly Laveque was on there. I did not know her but I was fascinated by everything she was saying. She said if you are going to make one change in your diet, she encourages everyone to try what she calls a βFab Fourβ smoothie β the βFab Fourβ referencing protein, fat, fiber and greens.
She explained that for people hungry all the time, eating as many times a day as I was is aging because youβre constantly digesting and never giving your body a break. When you give yourself four to six hours between meals, you have a surge of human growth hormone and testosterone, which helps you hold on to lean muscle mass and keeps your metabolism high. To fill yourself up at a meal so that your blood sugar stays stable and you can get away with not eating for another four to six hours, that’s where the Fab Four comes in. She recommends including fat, fiber, protein, and greens at each meal. When you apply that formula to a smoothie, it looks like this: a scoop of protein (grass-fed whey, pea protein, collagenβall are fine, as long as they come from a high-quality source βI do plant protein), 2 tablespoons of fat (avocado, coconut butter, peanut or almond butter), 2 tablespoons of fiber (chia seeds or flaxseeds), and a handful of greens. She also recommends limiting fruit to a quarter of a cup, trying, again, to mitigate that blood sugar spike.
Well, as promised, I got to lunchtime without getting hungry which for some people probably isn’t a huge feat but is definitely a feat for me.
Although Kelly recommends playing around with the smoothie (there are infinite combinations using the ratios she gives as a guideline)βbelow is an easy one to start with. It has a combo of refreshing fruity flavor with a creamy nutty desert taste!
Peanut Butter & Raspberry Jam Smoothie
- 2 scoops vanilla Protein Powder (I use this one from Amazon, which is plant-based)
- 2 tbsp Peanut Butter (I like the natural kind, like this one)
- 1 tbsp Fiber (Chia or Flax Seeds to thicken) (I use these Chias)
- 1/4 c. Raspberries (or Strawberries)
- Unsweetened Almond Milk (this is the brand I like)
- Ice, to taste
Blend all ingredients in the blender, and enjoy!
About Blenders
I am no blender expert as I am currently using a pretty crappy blender that we have had for years. But I’m hoping that certain people reading this article (ahem, Mom!) will get me one of these for my birthday which is coming up here in a couple of weeks π
I read a bunch of reviews on the best blenders for smoothies and these were the best reviewed ones under the $500 level of blenders:
1) NutriBullet 12-Piece High-Speed Blender/Mixer System
The thing about this one that everyone likes is you can take the cups that you blend in and drink out of themβgreat if you’re in a hurry which I always am…OR you can just always have one in the dishwasher and then an extra to blend inβperfect for a lazy hand-dishwasher like me! This model, which comes with a couple of different containers and lids so you can take your smoothie to go, has a four-star rating with over 7,400 reviews on Amazon. I’m sold.
2) Breville BBL910XL Boss Easy to Use SuperblenderThe Breville Boss is also super highly reviewed although a newer model from Breville. People compare this one to the Vitamix 750 and the Waring MX1200xtx, which are powerhouse blenders. They rave about the texture of their smoothies β”silky smooth” and it’s ability to crush ice!
If you try this recipe, I’m curious to see how it works for you so please let me know!
Bon AppΓ©tit!
xxβBB
I have always been intimidated by smoothies, but this is great information and looks like a good, easy one to try!
I was, too! I hope you like it!