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A Burst Bubble (Sort Of...)

My first class of the day starts at 7 a.m.  I have a half-hour drive to school.  I leave my house around 6:15 a.m.  I wake up at 5:30 a.m., shower, get dressed, complete my morning toilette, and get my school materials together.

Guess what I don't usually have time for?  A sit-down breakfast.  Enter this essential item right here:

I won't ever skip breakfast.  I just won't do it.  There are some things I believe to be sacred.  But, because of time constraints, I'm obligated to take my breakfast on the road.  In a sippy glass.

It's not a SlimFast shake.  It's not water.  It's not orange juice.  It's not chocolate milk.

It's a homemade veggie-fruit smoothie.  And I love them.  By the time I arrive to school, my glass is empty, and I'm totally full.  And, I've had a good whopping serving of my fruit and veg for the day.  However, with every good thing, it needs to be evaluated from time to time.  You know, just to make sure it still IS a good thing.

Or, in this case, you may have to tweak some things.  You see, I've been feeling pretty smug, drinking these smoothies during the week when everyone else is eating muffins or cereal or whathaveyou.  By throwing in two large handfuls of spinach, a cup or two of frozen fruit, some water, a banana or orange...I thought I'd been getting my day off to a great start.

Until I started looking at the nutritional facts behind the smoothie.  This here combo below is a usual mixture for me (most often, though, there'd be more fruit):

2 cups of spinach, 1 cup of blueberries, 1 orange, and 1 teaspoon of agave nectar for sweetening...


205 cal
1 g fat
46 g carbs
10 g fiber
34 g sugar
4 g protein

I reckon I ought not to add the agave, since it tacks on an additional 20 cals, 5 g of carbs and sugar.  But still...do those numbers seem high or what?  That's a lot of grams of sugar!  However, there are some things to keep in mind:

Fruit is low on the glycemic index, meaning it doesn't raise blood sugar like starches and refined grains might.  Fructose is a naturally occurring sugar, and the body processes it more efficiently than the refined stuff.

But, you know, everything in moderation, right?  I've toyed with the above recipe, added some items (milk or yogurt or other fruits), but I never usually stray from the 2 cups of spinach.  I think now, though, might be the right time to experiment with adding more vegetables as well.  I think my Ninja can handle it.



Yeah, you know, it's not the most appealing-looking thing I've ever had...but my experience has been that things that look great often are not that good for me.  But here, under its brownish foamy surface lies a myriad of amazingness.  And, everything is fresh...not processed or preserved (besides frozen).

Stay with me as my smoothie know-how evolves.



Comments

  1. BlueyFebruary 12, 2013 at 6:09 AM

    Carrot may be a fun recommendation. From what I can tell, it's the base for a lot of commercially made and sold smoothie/health drinks.

    Hi there!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Taoist RoseFebruary 12, 2013 at 2:43 PM

    You make an excellent point about the sugar content, while it seems high, it's natural sugars that are not as bad for you. This is why many people, including myself, would like to see an "added sugars" category on the nutritional label.

    Carrots, Celery (add bulk but not much flavor), and cauliflower are among my favorite veg to add.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownFebruary 12, 2013 at 3:26 PM

      Celery...that would definitely be a neutral flavor! Thanks for the tip!

      Delete

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