The Trick to Hiding Power Plants in Your Smoothies

               Being healthy is about being HAPPY with the way your body feels and functions. No one should have to dread a meal because they know it’s good for their bodies. Learning to love what you eat is a process and comes with many experiments -  let’s talk smoothies.

               Before we begin I will make a quick disclaimer that all that I am sharing with you today is what I have learned through my own research in my healthy and happy journey, so don’t forget to research everything yourself! If you find that you don’t like any of the foods that I tell you about today, whether that be from taste or health reasons, that’s more than okay. Regardless, I am only recommending items that I literally just pulled from my kitchen to sit on my desk for reference (cue the laughter).

               Sharing little secrets that I have discovered just brings a smile to my face. It can be such a hard time finding something that works just right for you, and I think a lot of the time it’s because we didn’t even know it existed or provided benefits to us! Let’s dive in.

               I want you to think of foods that you would blend in your smoothies to offer you more than just a zing of sweetness. What I’m picturing is spinach, hemp seeds, chia seeds, matcha, celery, maca, cucumber, or even cilantro and other herbs. But how do we amp that up to not only provide nourishment but satisfaction as well? Here is a list of my staple foods that I would put into my smoothies:

• Full-fat coconut milk
• Pure maple syrup
• Brown rice syrup
• Nut butters
• Ingestible peppermint oil
• Fresh, ripe Pineapple
• Fresh, ripe Mango
• Fresh, ripe papaya
• Fresh or frozen, ripe bananas
• Dates

These are all pure ingredients that, although may be packed with good or not-so-good sugar, can be used sparingly to hide those boring ingredients. When I look at this list, I just think of pairs that work well together. Smoothies are still food, and if you throw a bunch of random things together into a blender it can turn out pretty unsavory sometimes. It’s not always easy coming up with these perfect pairs on my own, so I always refer to other people’s creations and make it my own. To give you some quick inspiration, here are some blends for my different moods and cravings:

               With those in mind, proportions and additions are up to you. Do you need more greens today? Are you lacking energy and need a kick of carbohydrates? Dehydrated? Build it up according to how you feel. Sometimes I have to add and blend, add and blend until it’s just right.

If you’re tempted to run to the store and start making these now, I’m right there with you. My stomach has been rumbling from being reminded of these delicious treats. Now that I’ve shared some of my favorites with you, we want to know what your favorite smoothies are. Let us know in the comments below so we can get some more inspiration too!

Taylor Elizabeth