Top 5 Healthy and Nutritious Smoothies

People who lead a healthy lifestyle have most likely already tried smoothies. But which ones are truly healthy and nutritious, and which ones aren’t worth your attention? Let’s try to figure it out together.

Are Smoothies Good for You?

First of all, let’s try to figure out why smoothies are actually healthy. To cut a long story short, yes, they are healthy, but there are some things to consider before you start drinking those. In fact, many people think that all smoothies are healthy, which is obviously not true. You see, if you add sugar (or any of its substitutes) to your smoothie, it’s no longer healthy, so a lot depends on the recipe. In addition to that, since a lot of recipes include sour fruits, it’s not the best idea to drink those first thing in the morning or while you are hungry since the acid in them can cause heartburn and potentially damage your gastrointestinal system.

However, the main thing that concerns many dietitians is the lack of fiber in smoothies. As a matter of fact, fiber is super important when it comes to our digestion, which is why pretty much all the doctors suggest eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. But when we make a smoothie, we grind the fiber of the fruits and vegetables we use, making those less healthy. Apart from that, lack of fiber makes us feel hungry sooner than usual, which is why having a smoothie for breakfast or instead of any other meal can cause you to gain weight. In other words, sometimes it’s better to eat fresh fruits and vegetables than make smoothies out of those.

Smoothies Pros and Cons

Certainly, drinking smoothies has both pros and cons, so let us take a brief look at those.

Pros

They are delicious
Smoothies contain a lot of nutrients and vitamins
They are easy to make
Smoothies help you stay hydrated

Cons

Smoothies do not contain as much fiber as whole fruits and vegetables
You quickly feel hungry again after drinking a smoothie

As you can see, there are both pros and cons of drinking smoothies, so it’s up to you to decide whether to drink those or not.

5 Best Smoothies You Need to Try

So now as you have decided whether to drink smoothies or not, let’s take a look at the five best smoothie recipes.

Berry, Chia, and Mint Smoothie.
Green Pineapple Coconut Smoothie. Blend 2 cup baby spinach, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 frozen banana (sliced), 1 cup frozen chopped pineapple, 1 tbsp. lime juice, and 1 tsp. lime zest. The recipe serves two.
Peach Blueberry Smoothie. In a blender, mix together 1 cup chilled almond milk, 1/4 cup blueberries, 4 slices of fresh or frozen peaches, a handful of kale, and 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon.
Peaches and Cream Oatmeal Smoothie. For two servings, put in your blender 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 cup frozen peaches, and 1/2 cup ice. Blend until smooth.
Green Ginger Smoothie. For two servings, blend 1 chopped green apple, 2 cups packed baby spinach, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 cup coconut water, 2 tbsp. hemp seeds, 1 tsp. raw honey, 3 tsp. minced ginger, and 1 ½ cup ice.

These simple recipes will definitely impress you, so make sure to give them a try.

Conclusion

Smoothies have both pros and cons, and they do not work for everyone, yet still, they are delicious as well as a great alternative to sugary desserts. So if you feel like a smoothie is your thing, go ahead and try the recipes we talked about above.