Drink Your Nutrition!
What is a smoothie? A cold, smooth refreshing drink that includes a mixture of different ingredients blended together to provide a great source of nutrients, protein and calories.
Why is it beneficial? Smoothies can be eaten for a snack or to replace a meal. It is a quick, easy and portable way to sneak in essential daily nutrients and can be a great option for patients with a decreased appetite or difficulty swallowing.
Mix it Up…using the lists below pick an ingredient from each column. Your dietitian will help you choose ingredients tailored for you.
Start with a Base Add For Flavor/Calorie For More Protein For More Nutrients
Yogurt Instant Coffee Powdered milk Carrot juice
Kefir Fresh/frozen fruit Whey protein Cinnamon
Skim Milk Applesauce Soy/rice Protein Ginger
Soy Milk Canned fruit Hemp Protein Ground flax seed
Buttermilk Choc/straw syrup Pasteurized egg Wheat germ
Whole Milk Peanut/nut butter substitute Oat bran
Ice cream Canola Oil organic
Fruit Juice Honey
Sherbet Carnation Instant Breakfast
Boost Breeze
Boost reg/plus
Ensure reg/plus
Silken Tofu
Amounts and Recommendations:
Ice:
- Add 4-6 ice cubes or ½ cup of frozen fruit to increase volume of drink
·Don’t have frozen fruit? Put fresh or canned fruit in a ziplock bag and freeze for 30 min
Base:
- Start with 1 cup and add to taste
Fruit:
·Start with ~ ½ -3/4 cup of fruit for every 1 cup of base.
·Try: Peaches, mango, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, banana, pineapple juice, cantaloupe, kiwi, orange, grapefruit, lemonade
- For more calories use canned fruit in heavy syrup
Protein powders:
- Use ~1-2 Tbsp or 1 scoop of the powder
- Powders to try: Challenge Protein ’95, Genisoy,, Spiru-tein, Met-Rx, beneprotein, Carnation Instant breakfast (regular or sugar free)
- Add protein powder early and blend for a while to avoid clumping
Extracts:
- ·For 1 cup of base use ½ tsp of extract
- ·Lemon, orange, peppermint, vanilla, almond, coconut
Other Additions:
- Use 1-2 Tbsp when adding ground flax seed, wheat germ, nut butters, syrups, honey and instant coffee.
Consistency:
- To make thinner, use juice or milk instead of yogurt or ice cream
- For a thicker drink use 1 cup yogurt + ½ cup milk
- When using silken tofu mix ½ cup tofu with ½ cup of another base, add more tofu if you’d like it thicker
Last Thoughts:
- If you are sensitive to cold temperatures let the ingredients sit out at room temperature before blending together
- Experiment and be creative- make adjustments in the ingredient amounts to meet your taste preferences
- Double or triple your recipe- smoothies are great for the entire family
- Pour smoothie into an insulated mug and carry your drink wherever you go!
- Drink for a snack or dessert, or for breakfast, lunch or dinner
- Want more ideas? Search web sites and bookstores for more inspiration
Enjoy!
Joanne Keaveney R.D.
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