Health Foods Recipes

We know smoothies made at home are crazy healthy. Some experts recommend drinking one every day. However, life can get in the way, and before you know it, you have run out of time and skip your smoothie for breakfast.

But there are some “hacks” you can do to make the smoothie-making process well… smoother.

Batch-make the ingredients
Once a week cut up a big batch of fruits and vegetables that you use in your smoothies. Then bag them up in serving-size portions in zip-lock bags and freeze. If using a mixture of fruits and green vegetables, put the vegetables in last. It makes getting them out easier. You can store these portions up to six months frozen.

Use frozen ingredients
Then when you need to make a smoothie, take a bag out of the freezer, dump it in your blender, add protein powder, a liquid like almond or coconut milk, a few ice cubes and blend to the thickness you like. You now have a smoothie you can eat on the run or sit down and enjoy.

If your blender...

Smoothies make great snacks and can even replace a meal in your day, but they can take a lot of time to make. But with some creativity and the tips below, you can cut the time and still have your smoothie.

Save time (and money) going to and from the grocery store several times a week by buying in bulk in one trip. And when in season, getting fruits and vegetables from a farmer’s market or roadside stand means you are getting it as fresh as you can – picked just hours earlier right out of the field.

As long as you are going to make the mess of preparing fruits and vegetables for your smoothie, clean up enough for a week’s worth. It takes a little more time, but you’ll only have to clean up the mess once, and you are done.

After your vegetables are cleaned, divide into portions that are enough to make one smoothie and store in zip-lock bags in the refrigerator. Then when you need to make a smoothie, grab one bag.

You can do the same thing with fresh fruit...

Smoothies and fresh juices provide a great way to add a variety of vitamins, essential minerals, and beneficial phytonutrients into your diet. They are also easy to make and provide a convenient source of nutrition on the go. However, enjoying your daily dose of smoothies or fresh juice can be a bit of a challenge if you are on a budget. The truth is good nutrition does not come cheap. But, eating healthy does not have to be outrageously expensive either. Check out these six budget-friendly tips and learn how to save money on juicing & smoothies

1. Take Advantage of Clearance Sales

Some grocery stores hold regular clearance sales for produce that is almost going bad in a bid to make room for fresh stocks. These items are often discounted to encourage buyers to clear them from shelves. As long as you plan to use clearance produce within 24-36hours, you won’t have to worry about throwing away decayed food. Clearance sales can be a great bargain especially for fruits and...

Most of us know pre-made smoothies can be loaded with sugar. What you might not know is that even your homemade ones can contain as much sugar as two cans of Coke. One argument you might hear is that it is natural sugar. And it is true, fresh fruit has the natural sugar fructose, but in the end, it is still a type of sugar and will boost the sugar content in your smoothies.

Here are some tips on how to reduce the sugar content, thus making your smoothies healthier.

• First, you may want to use a base with a lower sugar content. If you are currently using bananas, try switching to using an avocado instead. Instead of adding in 9 grams of sugar, you’ll be adding in only one. Besides, the healthy fat in avocados is more satisfying and will help keep you fuller longer. If you need more sweetness, add in no more than half a banana.

• Add in more fresh vegetables. By adding in green vegetables like kale, spinach or collard greens, not only do you significantly cut down on...

As with many foods, texture can make or break that palatability of a smoothie. While ingredients and quantities do play a part, many times it is the process or the order of the steps you use, that determines if the texture is right or not.

The first step to making your smoothie should be to make a base by adding fruit and liquid in your blender. The base can be made with fresh fruit that has more bulk and less juice, like banana, mango, pineapple, pear, etc.

Liquids that work well are water, dairy milk, any of the plant milk or freshly squeezed fruit juice. Use enough liquid to just cover the fruit. Blend on a low setting until the fruit and juice have become one.

Next, add the rest of the fresh fruits in your recipe (if any) as small-size chunks. Try to limit smoothies to no more than three different types of fruit; two works even better.

Once you have a good base, next add in your protein powder. Use Maca, pea, whey or one of the other ones commonly used. If you are using any...

We all know the famous adage that goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Indeed, it holds true to its meaning when applied literally. Health experts agree that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help to control your weight or reduce the risk of many diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, and even some cancers. After all, fruits and vegetables are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. However, many people do not get enough of these foods in their diet. So, if you have decided to start eating healthy, this post will list five tips for eating more fruits and vegetables every day.

1. Stock Up

The best way to increase your fruit and vegetable servings is to stock up on these foods. Simply visit your local farmer’s market, where you won’t be tempted to buy chips, cookies and other unhealthy processed junk food. While you may have to refrigerate some of the fresh produce purchased in bulk, make sure to keep a colorful fruit basket as well....

There is a difference when it comes to making smoothies as a snack or as a replacement for a meal. If it is meant to replace a meal, you want to make it more filling. Here are five things you can do to make that snack more like a meal:

1) Use a nut butter

Adding in a nut butter, such as almond or pecan, increases the protein content quite a bit. More protein means you will stay satiated longer. To make it a meal, try adding a tablespoon of your favorite nut butter to a smoothie made from banana, plain yogurt, almond milk, honey, and ice.

2) Add chia seeds

Chia seeds expand in liquid to form a gel-like substance. Not only does it tend to thicken up a smoothie, but the fiber in it slows down the absorption of nutrients, so you stay feeling full longer. While you can add chia seeds directly into a smoothie, it will turn out better if you first soak the seeds in water for ten minutes, so they turn into a gel. It is easier to get the right consistency if the seeds have expanded first...

While smoothies come in many different colors, depending on the ingredients used, some people swear by green smoothies. What makes a green smoothie their smoothie-of-choice? Let’s look at a few of the more popular reasons.

Nutrient Dense

While many smoothies use a combination of fruits, yogurt, milk and ice all blended, green smoothies also have vegetables in them – especially the dark green leafy kind, such as kale, spinach or collard greens. It is not hard to meet some of your daily nutritional requirements when you add in a green smoothie or two during your day.

Lose Weight

Because green smoothies use vegetables typically low in calories, they make a good food when trying to lose weight. Green smoothies are filling because of the fiber in green vegetables, so they also keep you feeling full longer, thus reducing your chances of raiding the refrigerator or pantry and ending up eating something counterproductive to losing weight. That helps keep your overall daily...

Homemade smoothies are much healthier than the pre-made ones you buy in the store. Most of them are loaded with sugar, going against the reasons why you added smoothies for weight-loss to your healthy eating plan in the first place. But even the smoothies you make at home can sabotage your weight loss efforts if you are not careful. Here are 4 reasons why your smoothies may not be carrying their weight in your weight-loss efforts.

Skimping on the fiber

If you are not using enough fiber-rich ingredients in your smoothies, you run the risk of feeling hungry sooner than you would otherwise. Fiber keeps you feeling fuller longer because it slows down digestion.

Not only does this prevent a blood-sugar spike (and the resulting crash which heads you straight for something to eat), but the fiber is indigestible meaning it doesn’t add calories to your diet. By including nuts, berries, seeds , fruit and dark green vegetables in your smoothies, you can be sure you are getting enough...