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Almond-Banana Flaxseed Smoothie Recipe

Chris — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:11:11 +0000

One of my favorite post surf session (or workout) smoothies is the banana, almond flaxseed smoothie. It packs a nice dose of protein from the flaxseed, probiotics from the Greek yogurt as well as a load of potassium from the bananas.

This is a great morning or afternoon smoothie. Give it a try!

Ingredients

2 large bananas
2 cups almond milk
2 cups ice cubes
1/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain
2 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed (hempseed works as well)

Directions

Blend together all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Divide among glasses; serve cold.
Enjoy!

What’s in your blender today?

Email me at drinkzola@gmail.com or send me a Tweet @drinkzola.

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Beginner’s Guide to Making Smoothies: Proteins, Supplements, and More!

Chris — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:30:40 +0000

Sometimes, fruit, juice and ice just aren’t enough. For instance, when I’m recovering from an intense workout or creating a health packed meal replacement, I like to add a little protein and fiber to my smoothies. When I’m coming down with a cold, I like an antioxidant boost and when I’m making a breakfast smoothies, sometimes I like a little added crunch!

If you’re trying to determine whether your smoothie needs a little something extra, here are some guidelines to help you choose:

PROTEIN
Whey/soy based proteins: these are great if you want to add muscle quickly
Nut Butters: use any type of nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc) for added protein and flavor
Shelled flaxseed or hempseed: seeds are a healthy way to add protein, fiber and omega fatty acids

MEAL REPLACEMENT PACKET
If you’re going to include a meal replacement, you may need to increase your liquid base by 1-2oz and will likely need a bigger glass. Some great meal replacement packets include:
Amazing Grass
Vega
Kashi Go Lean

LIQUID OMEGA OILS
Liquid omega oils are a great source of heart healthy omegas. Some healthy liquid omega oils include:
Hemp Oil: adds healthy protein and omegas without the crunch of hempseed
Flaxseed Oil: adds fiber, protein, and omegas without the crunch of flaxseed

WHEAT GERM
If you don’t have any gluten allergies, wheat germ is a very effective way to add fiber , protein and important nutrients including : iron, potassium, zinc, magnesium, riboflavin and vitamins A, B1, and B3.

GREEN TEA POWDER
Green tea powder, also commonly referred to as Matcha is a great source for antioxidants, energy, alertness, stress reduction, and contains anti-aging and calming properties

SWEETENERS
If you need to sweeten up your smoothie, do it in a more healthful way by using one of the following:
Honey: provides an all natural and distinct taste
Splenda: low calorie option
Stevia: low calorie and all natural

TEXTURE
Granola – excellent taste, gives your smoothie a little crunch
Wheat Germ – great for fiber
Shelled Hempseed/Flaxseed – adds crunch, protein, healthy omegas
Coconut – use dried un-sweetened coconut and add to tropical smoothie blends

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Post tags: Açaí, add ons, cooking tips, energy boosts, flaxseed, health, healthy, hempseed, how to, nutrition, protein boosts, protein supplements, recipe, smoothie, Smoothies, supplement, whey, Zola Açaí

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Beginner’s Guide to Making Smoothies: The Fruit

Chris — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:30:01 +0000

Choosing your fruit and flavor combinations is very important and can be surprisingly difficult if you don’t have some guidelines. Because let’s face it, some fruits play nice with others, and others do not. Bananas are generally the nice neighbor and go with just about everything.

To help avoid confusion, I always group smoothie fruits into three categories: berries, tropicals, and exotics.

FRUIT:
Berries: The berries which include everything from strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries & cherries generally go really well with orange and apple juice bases. When mixed with banana, they also go really well with milk and sorbet bases.

Tropicals: The tropicals like mangoes, bananas, pineapple & peaches go really well with pineapple juices and sorbets. They are usually a bit tangier than berry based smoothies. Bananas, as I mentioned before are great for giving all fruit and juice smoothies a smooth texture.

Exotics: The exotics which include Açaí, Goji Berries, and Mangosteen are usually great with fruit juices and sorbets and mix well with bananas and other berries
And further, when choosing between frozen or fresh fruit, always remember that frozen fruit will allow you to thicken smoothies without ice while fresh fruit inevitably makes smoothies thinner. If you do use fresh fruit, lower the juice by 1-2 oz and add approx 2-4 oz ice to taste.

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Post tags: Açaí, cooking, health, healthy, how to make smoothies, nutrition, recipe, smoothie, superfood, Superfruit, tropical fruit, Zola Açaí

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