Fab Five Healthy Ingredients, to add to your Daily Smoothie

Smoothies are one of our guilty pleasures: they’re creamy, delicious, and easy to make.

But more often than not, smoothies are packed with calories, sugar, and artificial ingredients that sabotage your health goals. They can get in the way of weight loss too.

But does this mean you avoid smoothies altogether? No way!

There is a way to make smoothies healthier and better for your body*. When done right, they can actually help you lose weight, gain more nutrients, and satisfy cravings all at once!*

The devil is in the details: add the right stuff. Here are five superfoods that can change your life - and your smoothie - forever.

Here are some of our favorite ingredients to add in a HEALTHY smoothie.

Avocado

Avocado is a highly nutritious fruit that has all the vitamins and minerals for your daily consumption. It has vitamin K that can support your bone metabolism and  vitamin C for your immune system.*

Avocados are also rich in potassium, vitamins B5 and B6, and vitamin E. It's low-carb, body-friendly, and protein-buffed. It's basically the right mix of nature with a creamy texture, minus the unwanted fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Tip: Avocados go so well with coffee, that Indonesians made a dessert out of that combo. Known as jus alpukat, the Asian milkshake can perk you up and make your taste buds smile at the same time. All you need is a medium-sized Haas avocado (the most popular variant of the fruit), a cup of crushed ice, a shot of espresso, milk, a little bit of sugar, and vanilla extract for added flavor.

Kale

If you prefer to have the most nutrients in one go, kale is the best option. It has so much vitamin A, K, and C, you probably don't need to add another plant-based component. It's also abundant in fibre, which makes you feel fuller.*

Tip: if you're going for raw kale, blend in some banana, peanut butter, Greek yoghurt and almond milk. That smoothie is going to be sweet enough to offset kale's aftertaste.

Chia seeds

Chia seeds were a staple in the ancient Mayan civilization, which supported their warriors’ stamina and strength*. Some athletes have taken heed to this practice as well, adding the superfood into their diet as an energy source.* Chia contains fibre, protein and calcium, among other things, and it helps with digestion and fats management.* It also has antioxidants that supports natural reactions against the production of free radicals.

Tip: Some people add chia seeds in their smoothie only because it alters the drink's texture, but really, chia is the main star. If you want to have a sweet chia smoothie, blend the seeds with almond milk, some bananas, and frozen mango chunks.

Turmeric

Turmeric is usually recommended for people of advanced ages as it supports i.a. liver health and joints health.* It also supports an already normal digestive system*.  If you want to get all the benefits without the strong flavor, we recommend the high quality Turmeric Supplement from Orphic Nutrition.

Tip: Because of its strong flavor, you will need a neutralizer for your smoothie. Instead of the usual almond milk, try mixing this with coconut milk. You can also add banana chunks, ginger and cinnamon, and to make the main ingredient more potent, sprinkle a pinch of black pepper.

Blueberries

Ah, the most flavorful of all in this list - blueberries are sweet, tasty, and colourful. It's also good to know that it has fibre, vitamin C, K, and manganese, and antioxidants. Blueberries also helps support already normal cholesterol levels and already normal blood pressure levels*.

Tip: Consider blueberries as the only fruit that can go with all kinds of dairy - which helps make smoothies easier. You can actually just add some frozen berries with a cup of 2% reduced-fat milk, and you have your milkshake ready. But to spice it up, you can actually sprinkle some nutmeg or quick-cooking oats, a couple of tablespoons of lime juice, and a half tablespoon of honey.

Ready to make your smoothies?

Easy stuff, huh? It’s highly-recommended to stuff your pantry with these smoothie essentials - it’s perfect for your taste buds and your nutritional needs. These can be good for children, too!

Good luck in reaching your health goals! Make sure you get your daily dose of vitamins and nutrients with Orphic Nutrition.

‘Til next time,

Your Orphic Nutrition Fam