My sister was on a mini health kick a few weeks ago. She knows about the benefits of the way I eat and can speak about it freely. However, she also doesn’t consider me to be a normal person. She cringes when I mention anything related to food and generally thinks it’s going to be grass from the backyard.
To my surprise, she asked me to make her a smoothie. I was (quietly) really excited that after 11+ years of improving my well-being through food, she was “on board”. At least for a few minutes she was.
So I broke out my Vitamix, got out the ingredients and got to blending! YAY! Uhh…. not so much (for her). Her first comment was, “Why doesn’t it taste like the smoothies in the mall?” I quipped back with my standard sisterly response, “because it’s real food”. But, then I realized that this might be a very common question.
Here are 3 reasons why my smoothies don’t taste like the ones in the mall.
1. Use Real Fruit
I use real fruit in my smoothies. My personal preferences are combination of apples, strawberries, acai and bananas. I don’t use mixes or powders in my smoothies. I am not against protein shakes, powders and the likes. I just know that many of them contain items I do my best to minimize or not eat at all (like dairy, artificial sugars and soy).
2. Green Leafy Vegetables
In case you haven’t noticed by my recipes and photographs, I love green leafy vegetables. I do my best to add them to my smoothies as much as possible. A handful of spinach and a few leaves of kale go long way. I have had clients who struggle to eat vegetables or get their children to eat healthy food. One quick way is to add it to your smoothies. So not only do you get the iron, Vitamin K, chlorophyll and the fiber from the greens, you get the boost of energy that many of us need to manage our busy schedules.
3. No Added Sugar
This is the part that always surprises people. I don’t add sugar to my smoothies. There’s really no need when you’re using real food. I did a healthy eating demonstration for the Step Ahead Program at Joy of Motion last summer. The students were amazed that the smoothies were flavorful and sweet (greens and all) without added sugar. I’ve noticed that many smoothie shops keep the fruit ingredients in a syrup. Some even add a sugar mixture to all smoothies. So as you are out and about, be sure to check-in with the ingredient list (or ask them what’s in your smoothie).
Do you make smoothies? Leave a comment below and tell me what makes your different.
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Takeyah A. Young, Life Balance Expert, Speaker, Certified Holistic Health Counselor and Certified Yoga Instructor, specializes in helping motivated, successful women leaders create vitality in and bring balance back to their lives.
The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Tags: food, health, Master Cleanse, smoothie, vitamix
I bought that Vitamix and had no idea what I was getting into. My smoothies have been revolutionized because you can put ANYTHING in that blender. Fresh ginger, raw butternut squash, kale, ANYTHING. I sneak all kinds of goodies into the smoothies. It made it so much easier to encourage healthier eating with the family and my clients too.
I totally understand what you mean. I am not into owning a lot of appliance “just because”, but a high-powered blender makes a big difference. You definitely can sneak in all kinds of healthy food, for our loved ones who think they don’t like veggies. What’s your favorite food that you “hide” in smoothies?
[...] updates on this topic.Powered by WP Greet Box WordPress PluginEarlier in the week, I talked about why my smoothies don’t taste like ones in the mall. Here’s a recipe for one of my staple smoothies. I typically have these ingredients available [...]
My smoothies don’t taste like the ones in the mall either. lol I started making them at home about a month ago when the weather started to get really hot. I don’t have working a/c in my car which makes my 45 minute commute a bit uncomfortable at times. To help combat the heat I’d make a smoothie to drink on my way to work. I’m a full-time college student on a strict budget. When I can find fresh fruit at a good price I go ahead and stock up. Otherwise I get the big bag of mixed frozen fruit from Walmart. The last mix I purchased had mangoes, peaches, strawberries, pineapple and something else I can’t remember. Depending on what else I have on hand I’ll add some non-fat yogurt and/or unsweetened almond milk. Works for me.
I love my Vitamix too! that and my Cuisinart 14-cup food processor and Excalibur dehydrator. Those 3 appliance are all a gal needs in healing room called my kitchen (that and a really good set of knives)! I make fruit leathers from scratch with my dehydrator to satisfy those times when I get those really strong sweet cravings. Talk about taking me back to childhood days of fruit roll ups! LOL Takeyah you are so right, whether it be smoothies or fruit roll ups, anything that is made at home where you can be in control of ALL the ingredients is always the best and will always taste better than store-brought ones. thanks for this great post!