I love a good smoothie, always have, always will. As a healthcare provider who does not get the opportunity to sit down to a meal most work days, I often lean on my smoothie to keep me full while on the go. There are so many options with smoothies, but the following is my staple. I will use it as breakfast or to break an intermittent fast at lunch. No matter when you choose to consume, know that this smoothie is simple, fast, and in my opinion, delicious! Hint – it tastes like chocolate/raspberry sorbet!
Why 7-seconds?
I call this my 7-second smoothie, because I do not measure things out. I usually make this fresh first thing in the morning and want to keep things fast and easy. I count to 7 and that is how much liquid I put into the blender, then I blend for 7 seconds and viola, the smoothie is done!
For example, I’ll count to 5 while putting water in the blender and then a 2-second almond milk pour … or vice versa. Or a 7-second water pour. No matter what liquid, or liquid combo, I use the timing is the same … make it a 7 second pour.
I have found that 7 seconds is the perfect amount to give me the consistency I like in a smoothie with the following ingredients. Note – I like my smoothie to be more thin, so I can consume it like a drink vs. a smoothie bowl. When selecting non-dairy milk I love to use almond, oat, or soy.
Protein Powder
Of note, I am particular about my protein powder. I personally love both Truvani and K’Chava. Truvani is what I regularly use and I truly believe it is the cleanest, plant-based protein on the market. Only 6 ingredients, that you can pronounce! Clean enough that I share my smoothies with my daughter (one of her favorite afternoon treats).
K’Chava is a delicious blend as well. You a use it as a meal replacement (the full 2 scoops), or use one scoop in the recipe below. If I use it as a meal replacement I always add frozen berries for an extra antioxidant boost.
AWH Tip: I make my smoothies fresh everyday. While I am sure you could make one the night before (and keep in the fridge), I personally like to whip up my smoothie in the morning. It makes me “feel” like I was cooking and provides the flexibility to adjust ingredient amounts depending on my needs that day.
My favorite flavor profile is Chocolate Raspberry so the following is my goto mix with this combination. Feel free to substitute any flavor protein powder that you prefer with any berries that you like. I prefer berries as they are packed with antioxidants and just sweet enough to make this healthy meal feel like a sweet treat!
Blood Sugar Regulation
I used to make this smoothie for years with spinach added and yet, it was not until I did the Zoe microbiome test (will save this topic for another post) that I realized I needed more fat – in both my diet and my smoothie. I wore a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) for two weeks on the Zoe test and the only time I saw a slight change in in my blood sugar was when I drank my morning smoothie. Through trial and error (using CGM data) I realized I did not consume enough fat in my diet. By adding an unsweetened almond butter to my morning smoothie and dropping the spinach (I usually get enough fiber) I found my perfect blend that yielded no change to my blood sugar. Win!
I love to use frozen raspberries for their antioxidant support. Raspberries are low sugar, low carb, packed with Vitamin C, anti-inflammatory, and when combined with chocolate flavoring = delicious!
My final ingredient is cacao nibs – one of the best antioxidants you can use to stabilize blood sugar. Plus, a one oz serving of cacao nibs has 9g fiber, 5g of protein + magnesium! I usually only add 1/2 an ounce (~1TB) and love the crunch they provide – gives the smoothie a little texture.
AWH Tip: Keeping your blood sugar regulated throughout the day is a simple way to increase both energy and your mood, while providing hormone regulation, and other health benefits!
Recipe
Ingredients:
- 7-second pour of water or a water/non-dairy milk combo
Almond butter, frozen raspberries and cacao nibs
- 1 scoop of Truvani Chocolate protein powder
- 1 handful of frozen raspberries
- 1 spoonful of almond butter
- ~TB of cacao nibs
Optional:
- 1/2 Medjool pitted date (depends if I am craving something sweet or not, bonus= fiber boost 1.5g!)
- Topping: Sometimes I will sprinkle a little homemade granola on top for added crunch.
Directions:
- Start with fluid first – put into a high powered blender. I use this one.
- Add the other ingredients
- Blend for ~7 seconds (raspberries or blueberries will blend in 7 seconds, other frozen berries might need longer)
- Pour into a glass jar. I use these glass jars when at home and one like this when traveling to work.
AWH Tip: If using an insulated travel container the smoothie should stay cold until you are ready to consume. I never refrigerate mine at work (usually don’t have time) and I have never had an issue.
Happy sipping!
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