4 Quick and Healthy Smoothie Ideas

I love smoothies. They are such a great way to jam pack a bunch of nutrients into once place without even thinking about it! However, smoothies can also contain way too much sugar and not enough of the proper nutrition to keep you going between meals (i.e. all fruit and nothing else). That is why I wanted to throw together this quick go – to smoothie guide so you all can create your own healthy smoothies at home and CONTROL the ingredients. Bonus; I also included my favorite smoothie recipes for you all to try! Now get yourself a good blender and let’s get to work!

Let’s first talk about the benefits of smoothies and why I love them so much!

-          I always hear from my clients that their morning is so busy and therefore they don’t have time to make breakfast. Well let’s throw that excuse right out the door! Smoothies are super easy and fast to whip up for an on the go breakfast! You could even make them the night before, pop them in the fridge, and grab it before you head out the door. That is a win!

-          Smoothies are an amazing way to jam pack nutrients into one drink without even thinking about it! Vegetables, protein, fruits, healthy fats…you name it! Throw it in the blender and have some fun!

-          For those of you who don’t have much of an appetite in the morning, this is the alternative for you! Smoothies are easy to go down and light on the stomach!

-          Smoothies are portion controlled! If you trying to lose some weight, this is a great way to have a healthy, portion-controlled meal packed with nutrients!

-          Simply put…smoothies are delicious. I always feel like I’m drinking a milkshake when enjoying a smoothie…and what’s not to love about that?!

General framework for the best smoothie:

For me, smoothies are such a fun way to experiment with ingredients and have fun in the kitchen! You would be surprised what healthy ingredients taste well together when blended up! However, below is a great framework to start with in order to make sure you hit all those smoothie notes! Remember, all the recommendations below are about preference, so make your smoothie with ingredients YOU enjoy!

1) Liquid - This could be water, coconut water, cow milk, unsweetened almond/cashew/soy milk, oat milk, rice milk…whatever you prefer! I personally use unsweetened almond milk in all mine!

2) Frozen Fruit - Why frozen you ask? Well, for starters frozen fruit is typically cheaper than fresh AND it still holds all its nutritional value. Also – I find that frozen fruit provides a frothy based consistency to the smoothie, like a milkshake. Here’s a trick: before throwing those overripe bananas away, cut them in half, and store in your freezer for your smoothies! The sugar in the banana really develops the longer it ripens. Therefore, they are a perfect sweetness for your delicious smoothie! Frozen fruit also prevents you from throwing away all those expensive fresh berries you bought that you forgot about in your fridge (we have all been there).

3) Vegetables – Yes you heard me…throw those veggies into your smoothie! Ok – maybe not ALL veggies will work here.  My recommendation here is baby spinach (and lots of it), frozen cauliflower, and even frozen zucchini (discovered by my girl Mackenzie). I’m telling you, this is a PERFECT way to add more servings of vegetables (and fiber) into your day! And don’t worry, you won’t taste them. It will just change the color.

4) Protein - Now listen up, this part is important. Smoothies are great, but sometimes they lack some substance (i.e. protein and fat). If you want this smoothie to hold you over between meals, and feed your body with proper nutrition, you need to add some protein. My favorite protein sources for my smoothies is Vega Protein Powder (I usually add the Vega Sport in either the Vanilla or Chocolate flavor for the perfect post workout nutrition!). Another great source I use often is plain Greek yogurt or Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. Whatever you choose, just make sure the protein sources you add do not contain a lot of sugar (anything over 10 grams per serving). This will defeat the purpose of your kick-ass healthy smoothie!

5) Healthy Fat – This element is going to provide some richness to your smoothie and more substance. If you want this smoothie to hold you over till your next meal, adding some fat is crucial. Any nut/seed butter here will do (almond, cashew, sunflower, peanut butter, etc). Or, feel free to add is your favorite nuts, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, or hemp seeds.

6) Lastly, don’t be afraid to add a little something extra to your smoothie! At times I throw in coconut flakes, cinnamon, or vanilla!

 Ok – now that you understand why smoothies are so great, and have an idea on how to make them, let’s get to it! I have provided some of my favorite smoothie recipes below for you all to try! Feel free to switch up the ingredients as you choose! Remember…have fun!

Tropical Green Smoothie

-          1 cup baby spinach (or just one big handful)

-          1/2 cup frozen pineapple

-          ½ frozen banana

-          1 cup plain Greek yogurt

-          ½ cup unsweetened almond milk

-          1 Tbsp almond butter

Chocolate Banana Protein packed smoothie

-          1 scoop Vega Sport Chocolate Protein Powder

-          1 cup unsweetened almond milk

-          ½ frozen banana

-          1 cup baby spinach

-          1 Tbsp peanut butter

Strawberry Almond Coconut smoothie 

-          1 cup unsweetened almond milk

-          ½ cup of frozen strawberries

-          1 cup spinach

-          1 Tbsp. almond butter

-          4-6 oz plain Greek yogurt

-          1 Tbsp coconut flakes

Berry Cauliflower Smoothie

-          1 scoop Vega Vanilla Protein powder

-          1 cup unsweetened almond milk

-          ½ cup frozen cauliflower

-          1 Tbsp almond butter

-          ½ cup frozen blueberries/blackberries

-          1 Tbsp ground chia seeds

Facebook Live: The Importance of Gut Health!

Hey everyone! I am super passionate about gut health and how it impacts your health. Check out my first of many Facebook Live discussions on this topic and let me know what you think! See ya soon!

Facebook Live: Intermittent Fasting!

Hello friends! Check out my Facebook Live on Intermittent Fasting! Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts! Talk to you soon! 

What does eating healthy really mean?

Healthy eating. We all know we need to do it right? Eat your vegetables. Incorporate fish twice a week. Eat three meals and two snacks a day. Eat more whole grains. I could go on and on regarding the “definition” of healthy eating. Even as a dietitian I feel bombarded with this statement and find that it’s generality really doesn’t help anyone in the long term. Therefore, I wanted to take just a couple minutes of your time and look at healthy eating without the “food recommendation” angle. But rather the humanistic side of “healthy eating.” Take a step back with me and look at it from a non “food obsessed – eat this not that” mentality but rather a way that will hopefully put you at a little more ease.

Healthy eating is:

1)      Individualized.

I often ask my clients what their goals are when coming to seek nutrition counseling from me. One common response is, “I just want to eat healthier.” I then go one step further and ask them to identify what healthy eating is to them. They often reply with responses like “more fruits and vegetables”, “less bread and pasta”, “more fish”, “no more chocolate”, “drinking more water.” I find that although there are some stark similarities, everyone’s definition is a little different.

Yes – there are foods which are considered healthy that all individuals should eat. However, there is   one size fits all “diet approach” when it comes to figuring out what is considered healthy for YOU. Everyone’s body and life circumstance are uniquely different. If your friend finds she feels better when she cuts gluten out of her diet, that doesn’t mean it will have the same effect on you. Or, your friend told you need to eat chicken breast for dinner every night to lose weight, but the thought of meat makes you sick, then that is not considered a part of a “healthy” diet for you. Do you understand my point here? Listening to your own body and identifying what makes you feel your best is the type of healthy eating pattern that works for YOU; not the one your next-door neighbor tells you to follow.

My point is this, eating healthy looks a little different to everyone. If you feel great on a vegan diet – got for it. If meat makes you sick, don’t eat it. If food containing gluten doesn’t make you feel any different you can keep eating it. Experiment with your own body and how certain foods make YOU feel before completely adopting a trendy diet lifestyle that may not be best suited for you.

With that said – I am not by any means discrediting anyone who does feel better following a specific diet. As a dietitian, I understand that certain individuals need to follow specialized diets for a variety of reasons. I have counseled many clients through elimination diets, to help them realize what works best for their body. I just think the movement of these specialized diets has been removed by why individuals actually “need” them vs people who want to jump on the band wagon of the next diet trend or quick fix.

2)      The type of eating you can live with forever.

The best healthy eating pattern for you, is whichever diet you can sustain long term, while at the same time being successful in your health goals and (gasp) be a normal human being who can enjoy pizza and chocolate chip cookies.  For example, we all know that one person who cut out all the bread, pasta, cheese and chocolate (you name it) in their diet in hopes it will bring them closer to their weight loss goals. They tried it, lost some weight, and now you are interested in trying the same strategy. Do you really want to commit to never having that after dinner piece of chocolate again? I didn’t think so.

Don’t try to fit yourself into a certain “diet trend box” if you can’t see yourself following that “healthy” eating pattern long term. Don’t swear off pasta if it’s one of your favorite foods. You will just end up on the complete end of the spectrum and back to square one. You feel me?

3)      Respecting your body.

Now – this is where we are going to get into the “traditional” way of eating healthy a little but stay with me.

As we all know, there are obvious foods which are considered healthy. We (dietitians) counsel you into eating more of these foods not to be the “food police” (which some people have called me before and I hate it); but because they hold very important benefits to your body and the longevity of your life. That is important! The food we eat directly impacts how we feel and function every single day. So, if you want to have more energy, get off some medication, live longer, have better skin, get sick less, be active, and just FEEL BETTER then guess what – you must put quality fuel into your body in order to produce a better product (YOU!).

Eating healthy means nourishing and taking care of your body so it can optimally function for you. Your health starts on the inside, and if you are consistently putting junk into it, you are likely feeling like junk yourself.

4)      Having a healthy relationship with food.

This is a topic I plan to write more about in the future. It is an area I am very passionate about as a dietitian and a human. I believe so much of the issues our nation has around food and dieting stems from our very own unhealthy relationship with food. We have gotten out of touch with our eating behaviors, and therefore created a nation that is obsessed with dieting, labeling foods as “good” and “bad”, identifying eating as “black and white.” This mindset around food drags us further away from reaching our healthiest self.

Although I plan to expand on this “diet” mentality in the future, let’s first start here; becoming too restrictive starts a very unhealthy relationship and eating pattern with food. One that eliminates the joy and obvious delicious taste of food that we as humans are lucky enough to experience!

As I mentioned above, there is a clear benefit between eating the obvious health foods and the positive effects it has on our health. However, “healthy eating” is also having a healthy relationship with food where we don’t “shame” ourselves for enjoying pizza or an ice cream cone from time to time. A healthy eating pattern includes these delicious foods we all love, without the thought “Oh no why did I eat that.” “I was supposed to be good today” mentality. Having those conversations with yourself continues to cultivate an unhealthy, diet obsessed, relationship around food that leads individuals falling “on” and “off” overly restrictive/trendy diets.

My point is, create your own version of what “eating healthy” is to you. Experiment and try new things, but keep in mind that not one body or lifestyle is alike. Eating healthy is way more than trying to lose 10 pounds in one week or following the newest fad diet. You need to find an eating pattern that will make you feel your best forever!

If you need guidance on finding a healthy eating pattern for you, head on over to my website now and send me a message so we can talk!

Till then, answer this question below; “Eating healthy to me means….”

See you all soon!

First Blog Post

Hello friends, and welcome to my very first blog post! I am new to this whole writing online thing, so I look forward to starting this journey with you!

I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t sure if having a blog was really my thing at first. Will people listen to me? Will they even care what I say? What am I going to say? However, after all those questions continued to float around in my head I realized that yes…

I have something to say.

I was born and raised in Rochester, New York and have been practicing dietetics for a little over 3 years. Nutrition counseling has given me the opportunity to sit with individuals just like you and listen to your questions, struggles, and barriers to reaching your health goals. 

Helping people develop a healthier lifestyle is my passion and my profession. 

Yes, I am a dietitian, but I am also human. I know that stress can overtake your food choices, that health information can be very confusing, and sometimes ordering a pizza for takeout seems way more appealing then roasting some vegetable and eating that baked chicken you prepared. However, I know how amazing you can feel when you learn to make your nutrition a priority.

I get it, there are a lot of health blogs out there that are easy to get sucked into. I have been there. There is consistently news coming out regarding which diet is best, what you should do to lose weight, can you eat butter now, should you become a vegan?

Who the heck can keep up!?

That is what I am here for. I want to help you make sense of it all. We tend to get wrapped up in the latest nutrition craze. Before you know it, you are chugging apple cider vinegar, dropping butter in your coffee, and choking down raw kale.

My goal is to bring you relatable nutrition information that you can incorporate into your everyday life. Living healthy doesn’t have to be so complicated…I promise!

On top of showcasing various nutrition topics, I also want to dig a little deeper with all of you. What do I mean by that? Well, eating healthy, being happy with yourself, and reaching your goals is so much more than a perfectly designed meal plan or exercise regimen.

There is a lot of interpersonal work that needs to take place within YOU. I find this is often the hardest part. Therefore, some blog topics will be based on behavior change, stress management, and how to make self-care a priority. I don’t just want to write and tell you the benefits of fruits and vegetables (although there is a lot).

I want to really help you change internally which will in turn yield those external results! 

Thank you so much for reading this and following along on this new endeavor.

Please send me an email, or comment below on what you are interested learning more about. 

Let the conversation begin!