Here are four best Superfoods for Smoothies that you can easily overlook and undo all of the hardwork you have put into maintaining your health.
One of the most popular go-to diets when people feel like they need a good health kick, or have gone through a period of overindulgence, is the good old smoothie. Smoothies are a great way to pack a lot of nutrients into a tasty, easy to digest meal on the go.
Many people make the mistake of either putting too many sugary ingredients like fruit and honey in their smoothie, undoing hours of hard work and self-control.
However, there are plenty of not so common smoothie ingredients that you may have overlooked in your health quest. Read on to learn about some superfoods for smoothies, packed with nutrients and flavour, giving your body everything it needs to look and work its best.
Hemp seed
Hemp seed makes number one on our list in Superfoods for Smoothies for many reasons. It is nutrient-packed and high in protein while supplying up with most of our much-needed amino acids.
This nutritional powerhouse gets superhero status as far as the nutrition profile goes. It has a broad and unique, essential fatty-acid spectrum that includes a nearly perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6, including stearidonic acid (SDA) and gamma-linoleic acid (GLA). A good balance of these fatty acids has been shown to decrease occurrences of inflammatory, cardiovascular, skin and even mental disorders.
The humble hemp seed is also packed with other macronutrients like vitamins and minerals, including:
- Vitamins B1, B3 and B5
- Manganese
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Zinc
- Potassium
Hemp seed has a sweet, nutty flavour and can be added to any meal to boost its nutritional value considerably. These little fellow are surely Superfoods for Smoothies.
Dark, leafy greens
Quite often, people stick to fruit in their smoothies and never think about the fact that even though fruits are packed with healthy natural sugars, you can have too much of a good thing. It is suggested that you should keep all fruits in your smoothie down to one-cup.
So what else may you be missing your smoothie that could significantly boost its nutritional value? Darky leafy greens! Superfoods for Smoothies, This includes vegetables like:
- Baby spinach
- Kale
- Swiss chard
- Celery (with leaves)
- Lettuces
- Cabbage
- Broccoli
Now, some of these may not be the most appealing when you think of them at first, but you’d be surprised how often it is just your mind playing tricks on you.
Adding a little baby spinach to your berry smoothie is barely noticeable, yet you are adding a healthy dose of:
- Vitamins A, C and K1
- Folic acid
- Iron
- Calcium
You also get a healthy dose of essential antioxidants to help fight disease, premature aging, eye health, reduce oxidative stress and reduce blood pressure. That is a lot of bang for your buck by just adding some spinach leaves to your next blended meal.
Nuts and seeds- Superfoods for Smoothies
Health enthusiasts spend a lot of money every year on protein supplements under the assumption that they can’t get enough protein from plants, and this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Plants are packed full of protein, and one of the best sources of protein and healthy fats is nuts and seeds; this could be raw nuts seeds, or nut and seed butter.
A great example is peanut butter. On average, 100g of peanut butter offers a whopping 25 grams of protein. It also stacks a ton of other macronutrients into your smoothie including:
- Vitamins E, B3 (Niacin), B6
- Folate
- Magnesium
- Copper
- Manganese
Peanut butter is also rich in important fibre, full of healthy fats, and is lower in carbs than many other legumes. Try adding a tablespoon of peanut butter with some rich dark chocolate. You can thank me later.
Dark chocolate
Chocolate is rarely the first thing that comes to mind when you are starting on your health kick, yet this is among Superfoods for Smoothies. You may have even shed a tear in the past, thinking chocolate may be something you have to fair well in your quest for the perfect abs.
Well, chocolate lovers can rejoice in the fact that they may just have to swap their milk chocolate for something a little darker. Dark chocolate with a 70% or more cocoa content is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can consume.
Dark chocolate is packed with something most of us could use more of-antioxidants. One study showed that cocoa and dark chocolate scored higher in its ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) value than blueberry and acai.
Dark chocolate is also loaded with fibre, iron, copper magnesium and manganese. Regularly adding dark chocolate to your diet has also been linked to improved blood flow and lower blood pressure, reduced oxidised LDL and improved brain function. I don’t think you need any more convincing.
Berries
Surely the Superfoods for Smoothies, Berries may be a little more obvious than other ingredients on our list, but their nutritional value should not be overlooked. You may not realise just how much nutritional value that cup of berries is actually adding to your smoothie. Dark blue and red berries are packed with disease-fighting antioxidants.
There was a study that showed blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries have some of the highest antioxidant levels of commonly eaten fruits. There is also data indicating that berries may help improve blood sugar and insulin response.
Berries are also rich in fibre, including soluble fibre that is essential for optimal digestive health. They also provide you with a healthy dose of vitamins C and K as well as manganese, copper and folate.
Regular consumption of dark berries has also been linked to lower cholesterol levels, healthier skin, and helping to keep your heart’s arteries healthy. So don’t hold back, that cup of berries is doing you, and your body a lot of favours.
It may take a bit of online research and some experimentation with your blender, but you will be surprised how a few little additions to your favourite concoction can really boost your smoothie’s nutritional value.
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