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Tag: smoothie

Festive St. Patrick’s Day Foods

Whether or not you have Irish roots St. Patrick’s Day seems to draw most people into a state of celebration around green beer and corned beef. Although these are St. Paddy’s Day originals here are a few other festive and healthy ways to enjoy this Irish holiday.

Try our Shamrock Smoothie. This green minty drink is where healthy meets indulgence. The vibrant green color comes from Mother Nature – Spinach! However, the added sweetness from bananas and dark chocolate make the smoothie seem like dessert.
https://clearlyorganicbrand.com/news/shamrock-smoothie/

Potatoes are an Irish staple. Try this simple sweet potato recipe for a fun and delicious way to roast any kind of spud. Organic sweet potatoes are a filling and nutritious way to balance out any meal, any time of year.
https://clearlyorganicbrand.com/news/spiralized-sweet-potato-fries/

Stay hydrated with mint or lime infused water. Sticking with the green theme is the essence of St. Patrick’s Day so keep yourself hydrated after your green beer with fresh mint water. Limes and oranges are also great citrus add ins that make water refreshing and easy to drink.
https://clearlyorganicbrand.com/news/nutritionist-corner-hydrate-with-a-twist/

Smoothie Combinations

Making the perfect smoothie requires the right ratio of produce, protein and healthy fats. When you’re making a smoothie that will serve one here is a good guide.

  • 1 cup of your favorite fruit. Fresh or frozen. If you use frozen you likely won’t need to add ice.
  • 3/4 cup of liquid. Milk, almond milk, coconut water, and yogurt are great options. I think it’s wise to skip or limit fruit juices because it adds a lot of extra sugar and calories.
  • 1 Tablespoon of healthy fats. Such as avocado, chia seeds, milled flax seeds, and nuts add nice texture and nutrition to a smoothie.
  • Extra boost of vitamins and minerals – add a handful of greens such spinach or chopped kale. Other boosters can be a small scoop of protein powder or a few tablespoons oats can add extra fiber.

Natural Protein Smoothies

A Clearly Organic customer Kathleen W. wrote in and asked about making an everyday smoothie with extra protein. This is a great question that has multiple answers. There are lots of fun ways to implement a smoothie routine with a wide variety of natural organic foods. Adding protein-based foods to a smoothie helps slow down the digestion process of your meal making you feel full longer. It also helps add thickness and flavor to a fruit or vegetable smoothie.

Here are six natural foods that add protein to a smoothie:
• Flax Seeds
• Nut butters
• Oats
• Chia Seeds
• Plain Yogurt
• Quinoa

Each of these protein-based foods can also be found in an organic variety if desired.

Eat More Vegetables

The world of nutrition and fitness has multiple different approaches and opinions, but one thing everyone can agree on is vegetables are a vital part of living well. Veggies can improve your health if you incorporate them into your meal plan on a daily bases. However, that is part of the challenge. Many people find vegetables hard to cook and lacking in flavor. So when you hear that you need to eat vegetables everyday and we need to add more of these super foods to our diet we start to dread what that might involve.

Here are a few easy ways to eat more veggies.

  1. Try a new vegetable based recipe. Scan the web for appealing photos of vegetables, and test out a new way to prepare a veggie you enjoy.
  2. Add extra vegetables to an existing recipe. It’s easy to add extra veggies to a soup or hot dish. Also try adding vegetables to a non traditional recipe like homemade meatballs or meatloaf. You can add minced carrots, cauliflower or broccoli to these recipes.
  3. Try a veggie smoothie. You know you need more greens but the thought of eating another salad is nauseating? Try a spinach, frozen berries and almond milk smoothie.
  4. Make a veggie bag. The prep work for vegetables is usually what keeps people from eating them. If you can set aside one day to wash, chop and prep your veggies you’re far more likely to get your needed 5 plus veggies servings each day.