So many cancer-fighting, inflammation-reducing, and antioxidant-rich foods can be made into liquid diet meals and consumed with minimal effort.
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Smoothies are regarded as a healthy and nutritious meal option for these reasons:
- They contain fruits and vegetables in raw form, which is the healthiest.
- It is consumed raw because it’s a cold beverage or bowl (smoothie bowl) and is never heated. Applying heat to fruits and vegetables usually destroys a lot (not all) of their nutrients. So in raw form, you’re getting all the nutrients in their most potent form*.
- The best and most interesting aspect of smoothie recipes is that you can add other healthy ingredients such as nut milk, seed milk, raw seeds, raw nuts, granola, superfoods (berries), and adaptogens (maca, ginkgo, goji berries). It doesn’t have to contain fruits and vegetables exclusively.
- You can even add oats to smoothies, which makes it a brilliant low-GI breakfast option. Low GI foods provide a slow release of energy, keeping you fuller for longer and stabilizing blood sugar levels. Great for preventing sharp spikes of energy and quick crashes, hence the benefit of a prolonged release of energy throughout the day.
Avocado holder
Do you hate discarding avocado because it’s gone all brown? Squeezing lemon juice works well but it’s not as effective as keeping it in a sealed holder like this one. This storage container makes your avocados last longer. It’s worth having if you’re meal prepping in advance.
Veggie holders
These are delightful and perfect for saving your conventional containers for storing actual cooked meals.
- You can also add Ghee, surprisingly. It’s clarified butter that has been boiled to separate the milk proteins (allergens). It gives any food a great buttery texture. Plus, it’s great for cardiovascular health due to its Omega-3 content.
- Another reason that smoothies are a healthy choice — and which I can’t stress enough — is that it’s a way of effortlessly consuming foods and ingredients with healing benefits.
So many cancer-fighting, inflammation-reducing, and antioxidant-rich foods can be liquidised and easily consumed this way with little effort.
Sometimes people don’t commit to fighting illness with food because they are loathed to eat vegetables and fruits in a more conventional format. But, smoothies are fun to drink. The mouthfeel, even though rough-textured, can be blended as smooth as you like it, making it an excellent meal option.
The not-so-healthy aspect of smoothies
If you’re diabetic or concerned with your sugar intake, be mindful of the number of fruits you’re eating per day — taking into account your smoothie recipe. You should eat no more than two servings of fruit per day as all fruit contains natural sugars.
Remember that raisins, sultanas, and dried fruit are high in sugar as well.
Balance it out and rather pack your smoothie recipe with more veggies, unsalted seeds, unsalted nuts, etc.
*The only exception here is Kale. Kale is very popular in smoothies as it’s a nutrient-rich cruciferous vegetable. But, it does contain a compound called Goitrogen which can interfere with thyroid function in both men and women. This can cause the over-production of (TSH) thyroid hormone, which can lead to thyroid disease. If you’re concerned about this, the best way to consume Kale is by lightly sautéing it as the heat will destroy this compound. There’s no culinary reason why you can’t add it to your smoothie once cooled.
Conclusion
It’s that easy to put together smoothie or smoothie bowl recipe when you follow a step-by-step formula. It’s the best way to check all your healthy food boxes, especially those that have healing benefits.
Recipes that follow a step formula give you the flexibility to choose by mixing and matching ingredients. Especially ones that can be beneficial for alleviating symptoms of allergies and disease.
Bear in mind, smoothies are not cures for an illness or disease*, it just allows you to consume the health-building and healing qualities of certain foods. And it’s also an easy way to incorporate them for this reason because our palate varies from person to person.
The flavors and texture (mouthfeel) of some foods are not appealing or inspiring to eat and by liquidizing certain recipes, you can overcome that so you can hit that goal of staying healthy and in a state of physical and mental relief or ease.
When you find yourself craving a flavor or texture, in your smoothie recipe, there’s no better opportunity to make a healthy swap. Download my FREE Guide for Healthy Craving Swaps, it’ll inspire you.
If you liked this recipe post, you’ll love this article which also uses recipe formulas to make healthy meals.
Would you like to see more salad recipe ideas like this? Leave a comment, I value all feedback!
*cravenutritionalcooking.com does not give medical advice. Where there is reference to it, the phrasing is merely used to illustrate a point or give context to food and cooking for nutrition information. It is not related to a specific condition or to any specific individual. Always consult your healthcare professional for medical and dietetic advice before embarking on any type of eating plan or ingesting nutritional supplements.
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