Recipe: Pina Colada Smoothie

Mmmm....this one tastes just like a favorite summer drink! With fresh pineapple, honey, and coconut, you'll feel like you're on the beach - even though you're just drinking a healthy breakfast smoothie....

Pina Colada Smoothie

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut water
1/4 cup yogurt, vanilla flavored
1/2 cup pineapple pieces (fresh if possible)
1/4 banana, frozen
1/2 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. coconut extract (optional)
1/4 cup ice cubes

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. 
• Optional: Garnish with a pineapple slice on the rim of your glass!

Coconut Water: A Nutrient-Rich Addition to Your Smoothies

We're wrapping up our series on healthy smoothies this week, with an interesting option to make your smoothies both more delicious and more nutritious.

If you take a look at your collection of smoothie recipes, you'll notice that most will call for some sort of liquid to be added to the blender. It could be orange juice, water, or milk, just to name a few. Each of these liquids will create a different smoothie. The fresh taste of orange juice adds a wonderful tartness, but the creamy texture and taste of a smoothie with milk is also delicious. So, why even consider adding water? Well, because most of us don't drink enough good old H2O during our day, and a smoothie is a great place to get one more glass of water in your diet.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

But, what if that glass of water contained additional nutrients, even some vitamin C, calcium, iron, dietary fiber, and, yes, protein? That sounds like it could be called 'super water.' What we're actually talking about is coconut water.

Unlike coconut milk, which is a thick creamy product produced using the grated coconut 'meat,' coconut water is actually the clear watery substance poured out of the opened coconut. This is a naturally occurring product, with no processing other than what's necessary to strain and package.

If you buy a natural coconut water product, it should have very little taste, not at all similar to a bag of sweetened shredded coconut. Pure coconut water will have only the slightest hint of being part of a coconut at one time. The benefit of this is the taste will not overpower or even compete with other ingredients in your smoothie.

So, now back to the nutrients. There is a bit of debate over the true benefits of coconut water. In addition to the nutrients mentioned earlier, coconut water contains sodium and potassium, which help balance fluids in the body. Of course, there are other potassium rich foods, like bananas, spinach, and papaya. Why not put all these excellent foods in with the coconut water and enjoy them all?

Bottled coconut "water" (liquid from the center of the coconut). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Coconut water also contains electrolytes, which is an important benefit for people who take their exercise seriously. For people who have difficulty staying hydrated due to digestive conditions, consuming coconut water has been shown to be quite helpful.

People who live in regions where coconuts are readily available often drink coconut water as a way of life, and swear by its benefits, both for hydration and nutrition. Many cultures depend on coconut water for hydration after illness or childbirth. Modern medicine may not agree with all these claims, partly because of the sodium, natural sugars, and calories, but that doesn't mean coconut water is not a viable source of hydration and some nutrition.

The only way to find out if you like coconut water is to try it. Read the label and decide if the nutrients that benefit your healthy lifestyle (fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein) are worth the elements that may not be the best for you (sugar, carbohydrates, and sodium). Of course, you'll want to consider the price since coconut water will cost more than tap water and bottled water. Give coconut water a try in your next smoothie and you be the judge.

Oh, and be sure to check back for some tasty smoothie recipes including coconut water later this week!

Recipe: Chocolate Almond Smoothie

This delicious smoothie is packed with tasty nutritious ingredients like honey, peanut butter, and cocoa powder. To add some more healthy fats to help tide you over, you can substitute coconut milk for the almond milk if you prefer. If you're a chocoholic, this is the perfect healthy breakfast!

Chocolate Almond Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. raw honey, warmed slightly
1/2 cup almond milk
2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
1 medium banana
1 1/2 Tbsp. raw cocoa powder

Directions:

• Put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and frothy.

Recipe: Nuts And Oats Super-Protein Smoothie

This hearty and filling smoothie is packed with protein and fiber and will keep you full for hours, helping your body maintain energy at the same time as burning fat. If you're looking for a breakfast smoothie that will keep you satisfied until lunchtime, give this one a try.

Nuts And Oats Super-Protein Smoothie

Rolled oats (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon flaxseeds, ground
1 tablespoon almonds, crushed
1 tablespoon rolled oats
1 1/3 cup whole milk, or vanilla flavored Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons whey protein powder
1 cup any type frozen fruit

Directions:

• Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until desired consistency is reached.

Create More Satisfying Smoothies With These Simple Tricks

Smoothies are an easy way to start your day off right with something super healthy and delicious. However, one of the common complaints people have about drinking a smoothie for breakfast is that it doesn’t hold them over very long. This can be frustrating, especially if you end up giving in to that hunger, heading for the chips and cookies, and defeating your health goals right off the bat.

But there is good news. You don’t have to give up on your favorite morning smoothie. It’s just a matter of adding some ingredients to your smoothie to help you feel full longer. Let’s take a look at a few ingredients to make your smoothies more satisfying.

Oats

Adding oats to a smoothie is a great way to get in more dietary fiber, which is exactly what you need to feel fuller longer. You will add a few calories and carbs, but the fiber plays a big part in offsetting even those problems. Plus, if a few calories and carbs in your smoothie can keep you away from the snack machine later in the day, you are definitely ahead of the game.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Greek Yogurt

Choose Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt for your smoothie and you have a big advantage – protein. Read the label and compare and you'll be surprise how much more protein there is in Greek yogurt. What's the advantage to protein, besides just more protein? Protein has the added benefit of making you feel fuller longer.

Protein Powder

Not just for body builders any more, these products are good for anyone who wants to add a little extra boost of protein to their diet. Again, as mentioned above, protein makes you feel fuller longer, along with the other obvious benefits.

Nuts

Throw chopped peanuts, walnuts, or almonds in the blender and your smoothie will be thick, nutritious, delicious, and filling. The few extra calories this adds to a smoothie is offset by the added protein, fiber, and healthy fat, which essentially helps keep hunger away longer. If you want something smoother, add natural peanut butter instead. (Stay away from highly processed peanut butter spreads - like Jif and Skippy - these are mostly sugar and will do no favors for your health.)

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Although cottage cheese is not often mentioned in recipes, it blends up just fine. You'll have a thicker smoothie, which will naturally help you feel full. This is another protein boost, of course, which also helps you feel full. You can mix yogurt or milk in to smooth out the consistency if you like without losing any of the benefits of this filling ingredient.

Avocado

Another nutrient we need, not only for our health but to feel full and satisfied, is healthy fat. Avocados are a great source for healthy fat, along with many other nutrients. Blending even a part of an avocado into your smoothie will help satisfy that hunger, even if you hardly taste the avocado at all. The texture will be thicker and you'll have that wonderful full feeling for a good, long time, plus fewer cravings.

Skip the Juice

If a smoothie recipe calls for juice, replace the juice with whole fruit. Then add enough  yogurt or milk to get the consistency you want. This will result in a thicker smoothie and more nutrients, which will always keep you feeling fuller longer.

These are just a few ways to create more satisfying smoothies. By no means is this an exhaustive list of things you can do. It’s just a basic list of tricks to help get you thinking about ways you can make a power-packed glassful of goodness for breakfast that will tide you over longer than a few hours.

Be sure to check back later this week for some tasty and satisfying smoothie recipes you can try!