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Here is something I copied off the internet - smoothies can be very caloric. All those calories just slide down so easily - much better to eat a small container of yogurt and an apple - takes longer to eat and less calories than all the stuff that gets packed into a smoothie.
Smoothies
A smoothie is the modern version of an old-fashioned milkshake. Fruit-based smoothies are healthier because they contain antioxidants from the fruit, and protein and calcium from the yogurt or milk, while a milkshake has too much saturated fat because it is made with ice cream.
But healthy or not, you can still end up drinking more calories than you would like.
The average fruit-based smoothie has about 180 calories. But once you start adding on high-calorie ingredients like honey, cream, peanut butter, chocolate, syrup, fruit nectar, whole milk, coconut cream and protein powders, the count can be anywhere from 400 to 950 calories. You may as well have eaten a Quarter Pounder with fries at your nearest McDonald's.
Stick in your blender: Some frozen fruit. A ripe banana. Add some milk. Blend. Voila!! The less milke you put, the thicker the smoothie.
The banana, when ripe, gives it a really SWEET flavor without adding any sugar. Trust me. It's SOOOO sweet. If the banana isn't too ripe, I put a cup of yogurt (vanilla yoplait) in, too. No added sugar ... at all! It's great.
As for fruit, I buy whatever is available frozen: strawberry, mango, peach, berry are all good choices. If you try it, let me know how you like it!
That's what I do too. Except I use orange juice. and I don't bother measuring anything. I buy the big tub of low fat plain yogurt (it cheaper) put a few big spoons of that, pour in a little oj, mix. Add all my frozen fruit, mix. Add fresh banana, mix and drink.
I have a smoothie recipe book and they are good smoothies, but I don't want to buy specailty foods, and I don't want to have to get out all my measuring spoons just to drink a smoothie. If the ingredients are all healthy then I don't worry about portion control so much.
So then it is okay if you don't add all the ingredients you said.
I am not a dietician, but my guess would be yes. I hate hate hate bananas, but I put one in a smoothie with frozen peaches and strawberries and orange juice. And I harldly even taste it. Why is that wrong? If you use fresh fruit, use them ripe and they will be sweet, you won't need sugar.
And even if your smoothie turns out to be 500 calories, it won't have all the fat of a Big Mac. Plus you still just ate fruit, instead of empty calories.
You are a dietitian and you see nothing wrong with eating 500 calories of carbs/sugar in a snack? So having a drink that comprises 25% of your total calories for the day is a good thing? No one needs that much fruit every day and certainly not in one glass - a couple of pieces of whole fruit a day without ice cream, milk, sugar, honey, etc....is much better for you than drinking 500 calories worth of liquid sugar in a couple of gulps - fructose is still just sugar. Yogurt is quite high in milk sugar - compare the sugar content in yogurt to low fat cottage cheese....cottage cheese is much lower. There are so many over weight people today and this type of calorie packed eating helps to contribute to obesity and a false sense that you are eating "healthy." 500 calories is 500 calories - whether it is all sugar or all fat - none of it is really good for you in such large portions.
I said I am NOT a dietician but my GUESS would be yes. The way I read the first question was OP was looking for HEALTHY and natural recipes for smoothies. That makes me think he/she is not going to add chocolate or syrup to the smoothies.
If you have a smoothie for breakfast or lunch, 500 calories is not that much.
And you do need that much fruit a day. And vegetables, and there are vegetable smoothie recipes.
If you don't want to use yogurt, use tofu, it makes a smoothie so creamy and yummy. But again using a half cup of lowfat plain yogurt is good for you.
A healthy smoothie cannot be compared to fast food junk.
Yes, do you want me to post a few? in my cookbook I have recipes for smoothies with:
Beets
Carrots
Cucumbers
Red bell peppers
tomatoes (I know it's a fruit)
But I can't promise you they taste good. I stick with the fruit.
1/4 cup grated raw beet
3/4 cup carrot juice
3/4 cup apple juice
1 1/2 cups frozen diced papaya
2 t fresh lime juice
1/4 t grated ginger
Makes 2 1/2 cups
serves 2
133 calories; 0.5 g fat; 3 g fiber; 2 g protein (per serving)
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can't beet it
