By | Shireen Hakim, RDN

Make Your Smoothie Work for You!

You can call me smoothie-obsessed.

After many trips to the smoothie shop, indulging in tasty but expensive smoothies… I was broke- and hungrier than before!

The fruits and veggies-filled smoothie tasted good, but never kept me satisfied.

Did you realize you can save time AND money by making your own smoothies? Best of all you choose ideal ingredients so your smoothie keeps you FULL and ENERGIZED throughout your day!

As our Ramadan Guidebook tells you, smoothies are recommended during Ramadan.

Here you will learn how and when to drink one, during Ramadan and beyond!

Smoothies are beneficial for you to drink for many reasons:

they are low in calories yet still keep you full; this will aid in weight loss/ maintenance.

Not only that but smoothies…

• Allow you to reach your daily  fruits and vegetables requirements
• Provide you with countless vitamins and minerals
• Are an excellent source of  fibre
• Help you reach your fluid-intake needs; they are hydrating!
• Provide you with health proteins and fats (MUFAs)
• Are a healthy dessert option
• Very easy to make
• Gentle on the stomach and digestive system

… and the list goes on and on.

What is better to drink than a smoothie during Ramadan?

They satisfy all your needs: nutrition-packed, quick and easy, hydrating, easily digested, and sweet.

 

How do you make a smoothie you ask?

Your smoothie needs key components to be well-balanced.

The key components for a perfect smoothie are:

1) a mushy item for a liquidy texture- like yogurt or milk (dairy or non-dairy)

2)  ice or frozen fruits and vegetables for a crunchy texture and elevated flavor

3) a base like banana or avocado;

4) and of course protein.

Protein in your smoothie will keep you full and satisfy your hunger until your next meal. It reduces glucose (blood sugar) absorption. Without protein, you will crave more sugar and feel hungry.

Lastly, follow these tips when you make your smoothie:

• Add soft ingredients first (like yogurt, milk, or bananas);
• Peel fruits and vegetables and remove large seeds,
• And lastly add ½ cup of crushed ice at the end, if not already included in the recipe.

So you know your smoothie needs a punch of protein, but what kind, and how much?

Use these recommended protein sources: nuts and nut butters, Greek yogurt, milk (dairy, almond, coconut, or rice), chick peas, green peas, seeds (flax, chia, sunflower, or pumpkin), avocado, and leafy greens.

Serving examples are ½ cup of Greek yogurt has 11 grams of protein, and ½ cup of chickpeas has 7 ½ grams.

As you can see, natural protein is adequate for your protein needs, but if you are out of ingredients or are in a hurry, you can use organic protein powders.

I recommend using brown rice protein, egg white protein, pea protein, or whey protein.

Rice protein is most tolerated and whey protein is most absorbed.

There is even chocolate protein powder for your desserts (You can find my specific protein powder brand recommendations in my recipe book.)

There are five times in the day you want to drink a smoothie: as a snack, dinner, pre-workout, post-workout, or as dessert.

(During Ramadan smoothies are great anytime you can eat!)

When you eat a small, 200-calorie snack during the day you will overeat less and have increased metabolism.

Dinner is meant to be the lightest meal of the day, especially when you want to lose weight, and a 300 calorie smoothie will satisfy that.

Pre-workout, you want to eat a light snack of mainly fluids and carbohydrates, to improve performance;

Post-workout, you need an electrolyte and protein-filled smoothie to rehydrate and help form and maintain muscle mass.

For dessert, have a smoothie to satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling guilty. They have less calories than a candy bar, but more flavor!

Try out your newfound knowledge with four of my favorite recipes from Protein Smoothie Recipes.

• 1. During Ramadan, break your fast with this date smoothie! During the rest of the year, this green smoothie makes a great dinner.

Ingredients: 2 Medjool dates, 1 tbsp. ground flax, 1 cup leafy greens, ¼ cup frozen pineapple, 1 peeled and seeded apple, ½ frozen banana, ½ cup ice, 1 cup water.

Directions: 1. Add ingredients in blender, water last. 2. Blend for 1-2 minutes. 3. Add another ½ cup of water if needed.

 

2. During Ramadan, have this great tasting, light smoothie at suhoor. During the rest of the year, it’s ideal pre-workout.

Ingredients: 1 cup coconut water, ½ cup pitted frozen cherries, 1 tbsp. chia seeds, ½ cup kale.

Directions: Blend all and drink.

 

 

• 3. Drink this smoothie at iftar time, or post workout. This sunrise colored smoothie will give your taste buds a workout!

Ingredients: ½ small peeled orange, 1 peeled and sliced apple, ½ banana, 1 tsp. grated ginger, ½ tbsp. rice protein powder, ½ cup ice, ½ cup water.

Directions: Blend all ingredients for 45 seconds, then drink immediately.

 

 

 

• 4. For dessert: some of the healthiest foods in the world combine to make the best tasting smoothie ever.

Ingredients: 1 cup decaf freshly brewed green tea, 2 tsp. honey, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1 frozen banana, ½ cup light almond milk. (no ice)

Directions: 1. Spoon honey in green tea. Let tea cool. 2. Add milk, blueberries, and banana to blender. 3. Add tea to blender. 4. Blend all ingredients. 5. Enjoy.

 

Smoothies are a healthy mix of fruit, veggies, protein, and liquid (ice, water, or milk.) When consisting of the right ingredients, they are an excellent choice for your pre or post workout snack, light dinner, or dessert. Add protein (suggestions to follow) to fill you up and keep you satisfied until your next meal.

Without protein in your smoothie, the carbs will keep you craving snacks. Choose proteins such as green peas, peanut butter, almond milk, Greek yogurt, or an organic protein powder.
I especially love smoothies for dinner because it is a light meal, and helps get in those vegetable serving.

Find 30 more smoothie recipes in our new Ramdan RESET eBook. Learn everything you need to know about exercise in Ramadan by signing up for our Ramadan Reset eBook: Your Complete Guide to Your HEALTHIEST Ramadan EVER! This 100+ page eBook is an ALL-IN-ONE! It provides the essential information you need to know to truly have a successful Ramadan inshAllah – spiritually AND physically! Find out more here: www.amanahfitness.com/ramadan.

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