It pains us to break this, but smoothies won’t work great for you. At least, in the long run. If you’re thinking of cutting down real food and replacing them with ‘healthy’ smoothies, you need to think otherwise. Shedding off that flab isn’t easy with smoothies in the first place. Secondly, sipping down glasses and bottles of ultra-nutritious kale and spinach juices as substitutes for your breakfast, lunch, snacks, or dinner in a bid to stay healthy (and trendy) is pointless.
Somewhere along the way, healthy foods have gone liquid! These days, one look at fresh greens indicates a guaranteed seal of approval. You can certainly add smoothies as effective supplements to your diet. But if you wish to know why these wonder drinks will never help you obtain optimum nutritional value, keep reading.
No License To Munch On Chips And Cakes
So what if you’ve had a massive glass of smoothie for breakfast? Do you think it’s an allowance to binge on unhealthy snacking options like chips, wafers, and burgers? No! Healthy foods do not necessarily cancel out the ill effects of sugar, salt, or even saturated fats. Consuming that smoothie is akin to leaving lesser room for these. But that doesn’t rule out hunger! So instead of investing in them, how about including fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day?
Sugar-Coated
When you blend the fruits, it releases all the natural sugars inside the fruit’s cell walls. They transform into ‘free sugars’ instantaneously, adding sugar content like maple syrup and honey. Your favorite spinach and kale, when added, would also render similar harm. Weren’t we trying to cut down on sugar? So, consuming this will not only prove detrimental in terms of maintaining a healthy weight but also erode your teeth.
Too Much Of Goodness, All At Once
The Eatwell Guide has stated that one serving of smoothie (or any juice) measures 150ml roughly. That’s quite the same quantity for a ‘mini’ cola or perhaps, less than half the size of any soft drink can. This if you measure against the market bottles, it contains a lesser quantity of the total content. This means that the smoothie bottles you get in a café or buy in the departmental store or mall are far larger.
The best thing would be to revive the value of sharing in this case! In other words, try splitting this smoothie with a buddy. If that’s not possible, consume some and store the rest in the refrigerator for the next day. Little acts of kindness will always be priceless! And by consuming in limited quantities, you’re bringing about a world of good for your health.
Not More Than One Of Your Five Per Day
Going by the national recommendations’ findings, smoothies make up for only one of the total five-a-day principles. And this is even when you’ve put in 5 different varieties of fruits and vegetables. Smoothies use the total fruit or vegetable, but the extracts are of no value when you juice them out, which would have otherwise contributed to your roughage requirements.
Therefore, the pulp stays separate from the fiber, and you’re left with only sizeable portions of the fruits and vegetables. You can try including some more juices on the same day, but they won’t fulfill your dietary needs anyway.
It’s Not An Alternative To Balanced Diet
Intake of adequate fresh fruits and veggies is a must in your diet. And it wouldn’t be wrong to say that a 150ml portion of smoothies is a sure shot way to reach the mark, but not the only thing to do so. Eating well implies consuming wholegrain carbohydrates, high fiber, pulses, bans, fish, eggs, soy, lean meat, and other protein-rich foods.
At the same time, you must get your dose of calcium from low-fat dairy products. Fats that are healthier and unsaturated are equally vital. Instead of simply drinking your smoothie, it makes sense to prepare a full breakfast platter, replete with poached eggs, wholegrain toast, or maybe a bowl of porridge laden with berries on top.
A diet having rich nutritional value is all about supplementing the required foods and not replacing one for the other. Your dietician can create the perfect diet plan for you with the right foods for you. So, make sure you talk to a professional before making dietary changes.
