Berry Smoothie--no added sugar, high protein and calcium!

 Berry Smoothie

Hi friends!  Today I'm talking about one of my absolute favorite foods: smoothies!  I've been making a variation of this smoothie for years and I never get tired of it.  Smoothies are great because they can be eaten on the go, they're easy to prepare, and you can add just about anything to them to fill in gaps in your diet. 

Personally, I don't get enough calcium and if I'm not careful I can go through phases where I don't eat enough vegetables.  I love that I can add Greek yogurt, calcium-fortified almond milk, and spinach or kale to my smoothies to quickly combat these issues! 

Smoothies get a lot of criticism for being too high in sugar.  This is true in some cases, and if you are avoiding sugar for health reasons then I wouldn't recommend smoothies.  That being said, if you carefully select your ingredients it's easy to build a delicious, low sugar smoothie that has absolutely no added sugars--just natural sugar from the fruit and dairy! 

I also want to take a minute to talk about my Vitamix.  I had a nutribullet for years and it wasn't great.  I had to replace it multiple times because it would just stop turning on and it often leaked and was very difficult to clean.  It also made relatively small smoothies--it was more than big enough for one person, but if you're making smoothies for two or trying out other recipes then the nutribullet is not ideal.  My family bought me a Vitamix as a graduation present when I finished my masters degree and I LOVE IT.  It's huge, easy to clean, it has a stirring stick that allows you to break up any big chunks that get stuck without stopping the blender, and it blends SO WELL!  Vitamix blenders are not cheap, but they come with a 7-10 year warranty (7 years if purchased at Costco, but I've seen 10 year warranties at Williams-Sonoma, BB&B, etc.) and personally I think they are absolutely worth the investment if you regularly make smoothies!  They're also great for making soups, baby food, sauces, pesto, salsas, frozen margaritas...all of the best things!

I'm including my current smoothie ingredients below, as well as a breakdown of the nutritional facts and the benefits of each ingredient. This smoothie is not meant to be a light snack--I typically eat 4 "meals" a day and this smoothie is one of them!  I usually make it between breakfast and lunch, but I eat a small breakfast and a small, late lunch.  I'm very intentional about my smoothie ingredients and only add foods that have serious health benefits--that's why I don't use any foods with added sugar! These ingredients definitely change occasionally and I'd LOVE to hear all about your favorite smoothies in the comments below!

INGREDIENTS:1/3 of a frozen banana---I buy bananas in bulk at Costco, remove the peels, cut them into thirds, and freeze in a gallon freezer bag.  Bananas are higher in sugar in calories (1/3 banana=35 calories and 5 grams of sugar) but I love that they have potassium (good for sore muscles!) and fiber!  They also add great flavor and creamy texture to the smoothie.

1/2 cup of frozen berries---I also buy my berries at Costco!  I buy the Kirkland brand "Three Berry Blend"--it's a 4lb bag of frozen blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.  1/2 a cup of berries has 45 calories and 5 grams of sugar.  Berries have tons of antioxidants and are great if you're trying to lose weight!  They also have lots of fiber and vitamin C to strengthen your immune system!

1 cup of frozen spinach--I rotate between frozen spinach and kale.  I buy this at Costco too (shocking, I know!!!) and I usually buy it fresh and then freeze it in freezer bags.  1 cup of frozen spinach is 48 calories, and has 6 grams of protein, 128mg Omega 3 Fatty Acids (there is not an official recommended daily intake of Omega 3, but according to my research it varies anywhere from 250mg-1300mg...serious differences there, so I usually shoot for at least 500!), 6 grams of protein, and 200 grams (20% of the daily recommended intake!) of calcium.  It also has large amounts of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Folate, Manganese, Riboflavin, Vitamin E, and Iron. 

1 cup of original, unsweetened almond milk--I buy whichever brand is on sale, but I always make sure that it has no added sugar, is not flavored, and is fortified with calcium and vitamin D!  Today I used Blue Diamond, which has 30 calories and 45% of your daily calcium needs!

1/2 cup of whole milk, plain Greek yogurt: Again, I just buy whichever brand is on sale, but some of my favorites are Siggis, Chobani, and Fage.  I also look for the brand that has the least amount of sugar and the largest amount of protein.  I've read multiple articles that recommend whole fat dairy for women because low-fat dairy can negatively impact fertility (no, I'm not trying to get pregnant yet!  Just something to consider!).  The whole milk yogurt definitely has more calories and fat than low fat options (duh), but I don't eat very many "unhealthy" fats or processed foods and I don't typically worry about calories so I don't mind the extra fat and calories in this case! 1/2 a cup of Chobani Plain Whole Milk Greek Yogurt has 95 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.  It also has 12% of your recommended daily calcium!

1 tbsp Chia Seeds: Chia seeds are another great source of Omega 3's: they have 250mgs of Omega 3, plus 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein, and 8% of your daily calcium needs!  There are 60 calories in 1 tbsp which might be a deterrent if you are attempting to stay on a low calorie diet, but they're a great, healthy addition for me! I buy the Nutivia brand from Costco (of course)--it's a 2lb bag and I think I paid under $10 for it and it will last me FOREVER!  Just make sure to keep them in the fridge or freezer!

2 tbsp almond butter: I buy Kirkland brand creamy almond butter because it only has 1 ingredient: roasted almonds!  This is another high calorie food (210 calories in 2 tbsp) that isn't a necessity in your smoothies, but I love that it adds flavor, protein (6 grams), calcium (8%), and healthy fats (18grams of fat total) to my diet!

1 scoop of vital proteins collagen peptides: I just started adding collagen peptides to my smoothies this week and I am SO excited to see the results!  I've been hearing about collagen for MONTHS and finally decided to splurge on some.  They are expensive--$25 for 10oz--but if they are as beneficial as I have heard then I will continue to buy them!  I add one scoop to my smoothie, so the 10oz container should last me around 1 month according to the package.  I definitely recommend doing your own research before adding a supplement like this to your diet, but here's a quick breakdown of why I am so excited to try collagen peptides:  they are a great source of protein (1 scoop=9 grams) and collagen (1 scoop=10 grams) and only 35 calories.  Collagen supports bone and joint health, grows strong and healthy hair and nails, and can even help with digestion.  I have a very sensitive stomach, so I am mainly taking them for the digestive benefits, but thicker hair and stronger nails, bones, and joints are great too!  Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides are 100% Bovine Hide (so not vegetarian friendly!) and are completely flavorless and odorless.  I have only added them to smoothies so far, but I have friends who add them to coffee, juice, oatmeal, and soups.  I'll keep you updated to let you know if I'm seeing a difference once I finish this container! 

1/2 tbsp cinnamon:  I love the flavor of cinnamon and it's great for heart health, metabolism, and digestion! 

Calories: 558 (could easily omit the almond butter and reduce to 348 calories if you are concerned about calories!)
Protein: 34g
Sugar: 13g
Calcium: 93% of your daily needs

I would love to hear about your favorite smoothie ingredients and please let me know if you try this one!