Summertime Smoothies

The Food 2 Recover Dietitians recently had a great time at the Fit to Recover Boot Camp sharing one of our nutrition workshops. We sampled healthy post-workout smoothies and talked with FTR members about easy ways to reduce added sugars in the foods and beverages we consume. We also discussed how balanced nutrition that includes nutrient-rich foods can nourish recovery both from physical exercise as well as in the journey of recovery from substance use disorders.

Individuals in recovery may replace cravings for drugs or alcohol with sugary foods and beverages that don’t provide the nutrition needed to sustain energy and health. Part of Food 2 Recover’s purpose is to provide practical resources to make it easier for those in recovery to nourish themselves with healthy and enjoyable foods.  Smoothies are one great option because of their simple budget-friendly ingredients and easy preparation.

Food 2 Recover also emphasizes a positive relationship with food. Avoiding restrictive diets allows individuals to include a variety of foods and beverages each day and honor their food preferences. Even sugar is okay in moderation.  When you consume sugars (a type of carbohydrate) in naturally nutrient-rich foods like fruits and milk products, instead of sugars added in processed foods, you'll also get the benefits of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed for health. Ultimately, we don't promote a fear of sugar (or any type of food) or the need to cut it out of your diet entirely!  

With that in mind, use the tips below to build a more nourishing smoothie while moderating intake of some of the added sugars found in common foods and beverages.

Tips for Healthier Smoothies

To build a better smoothie start by choosing whole fruits and vegetables as the stars and think of the liquids and other ingredients as the side show.

Fresh, Frozen, or Canned Fruits

• Fresh, ripe fruits bring flavor and color and are what many think of as the foundation of a healthy smoothie.
• Try different varieties of fruits, especially those that are in season. Frozen fruits or canned fruits are also a convenient way to have smoothie ingredients on hand any time of year. Just make sure to purchase varieties without added sugars (such as those packed in water or fruit juice when canned).

Vary Your Veggies

• To increase the nutritional advantage of smoothies, consider boosting up the veggies with dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, or romaine.
• Add flavor with herbs such as basil, cilantro, mint, or parsley or other vegetables such as carrots or cucumber. Explore the options!

Boost Up the Protein

• Consider adding a protein source such as plain or vanilla low-fat/low-sugar yogurt or kefir drink, silky tofu, or a scoop of protein powder.
• This can be a convenient way to get a healthy boost of protein and is especially good for a post-workout snack.

Think Healthy Fats

• Including healthy fats such as peanut butter, a small handful of almonds, or chia seed or ground flax seed is another way to pack more nutrition into a smoothie. Other options are flax seed oil or avocado.
• These are fats that are good for heart-health when consumed in moderation.  Just remember to watch portion sizes. Aim for 1 – 2 Tbs. of nut butter or seeds or 1 – 2 teaspoons of oil for example.

Choose Fluids Wisely

• For the liquids in a smoothie consider using water, low-fat milk, or unsweetened milk substitutes such as plain, fortified almond or soymilk.
• Ice cubes are another way to make smoothies cold and refreshing without adding a lot of calories. Using fruit and vegetable juices is also an option. To keep added sugars low choose 100% juices.

Adding Sweeteners

• What about adding sugars such as honey or agave to smoothies? This typically isn’t necessary if using a variety of fresh, ripe fruits. 
• However, a small amount of sweetener can be added if desired. Keep portions to a teaspoon or so. Sugar substitutes such as Stevia are an alternative.

Reaching Balance

• Remember that many smoothie recipes are formulated for at least 2 servings and maybe more. Watch the portion sizes and keep a couple of fun smoothie cups at home that are about 4 – 6 ounces.

General Tips to Reduce Added Sugars

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines recommend consuming less than 10 percent of daily calories from added sugars. For a 2,000 calorie diet, that's no more than 200 calories or 50 grams of added sugars a day.  To help visualize this,  consider that a teaspoon of sugar is about 4 grams (and 16 calories). Limiting added sugars to no more than 50 grams is equivalent to having less than about 12 teaspoons daily from any foods or beverages consumed. 

While that may sound like a lot of added sugar at first, consider that one 20-ounce bottle of soda, a 20-ounce can of  energy drink, or a 16-ounce frappuccino coffee drink has 50 - 60 grams of added sugars or more! That's more than the daily recommended added sugars limit in a single drink. Given how many beverages and other common foods have added sugars it's easy to see how they can add up quickly.

To limit daily added sugar intake, it helps to choose foods and beverages without added sugars whenever possible. Here are some tips to help from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

• Read food labels (including the ingredient list) and avoid buying foods with added sugars like high fructose corn syrup, dried cane syrup, evaporated cane juice, invert sugar, molasses, sucrose, brown rice syrup, honey, agave or maple syrup.
• Drink water, low-fat or fat-free milk and 100-percent fruit or vegetable juice instead of sugary beverages.
• Choose snacks with no added sugar. For example, eat plain yogurt instead of flavored yogurt with whole fruits such as berries or pears.
• Grill fruits such as pineapple or peaches for a naturally sweet and healthier dessert.
• Eat smaller dessert portions. Often a bite or two will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Source: a version of this article, written by the same author, was originally posted here.

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