The other day someone emailed me asking about the caloric content in my smoothies. I had to politely explain that I truly don’t have that information available, nor do I want to pursue that route. Not because I don’t want to enter the ingredients into an app that will calculate it for me… But because I stopped obsessing and counting calories 2 years ago and have since dropped 50 pounds.
My focus has shifted entirely from how many calories are in my food, towards what nutrients are in my food. My smoothie commitment is simple yet effective: I promise I’ll make a smoothie taste great while adhering to my dairy-free, gluten-free and refined-sugar free lifestyle. What’s the point of keeping everything low calorie one may ask? What truly matters are the ingredients (isolating each of the individual components) and assessing what each will do for your body. You could easily be consuming “empty calories” i.e. processed juices, bleached white toast and jam etc. But a smoothie that’s higher in calories, but far more nutrition dense will take you further, I guarantee it.
You’ll often find my smoothie recipes are loaded with essential fatty acids and anti-inflammatory Omega 3’s like avocados, bananas, nut butters, and flaxseed oil. In fact, almost every smoothie recipe has a banana for creaminess and texture. I can’t stress how necessary it is to consume healthy fats in order to help your body burn undesirable fat. It’s something you’ll be hearing more of in health and fitness circles, as an increasing number of studies are published in this area. I don’t let a day go by without eating an avocado with my breakfast, lunch or dinner. I consume large amounts of coconut and coconut products. I now cook with butter, preferably grass-fed. I have slowly changed my entire psyche to accept and welcome healthy fats into my life and ditch their low calorie, processed, chemically charged counterparts. If you’re still eating margarine thinking it’s healthier, I whole heartedly hope you’ll reconsider your food choices after reading this entry.
Makes 1 large glass or 2 smaller ones:
- 2-3 ripe kiwis sliced
- 1 avocado, preferably Hass for a creamier texture
- 1 frozen banana cut into slices
- 1 tablespoon of raw almond butter OR coconut butter OR coconut manna
- 1 cup of tightly packed spinach
- 1 cup of coconut milk OR almond milk * carrageenan free
Optional
- 1/3 cup of dry of fashioned rolled oats ( I ensure they’re gluten free when I purchase mine)
- 1 tablespoon of raw agave or honey for added sweetness
Blend on high until smooth or desired consistency is obtained. If you add oats, you need to blend a little longer. Enjoy!!
*Carrageenan has been linked to cancer by some preliminary studies. I always ensure my non-dairy milk choice is carrageenan free.
