The Power of Smoothies with Heather Winia

We all know that smoothies are a good and fast way to get our fruits and veggies, but did you know that you can put avocado or even almonds, dates or rhubarb in your smoothies?? Heather Winia is a Holistic Nutrition Counselor as well as a Groove and Fitness instructor at GVSU. If you see on the calendar she leads many classes that Melissa and I have gone to. She came to GVSU to talk and make us some yummy smoothies that are full of healthy option and filing. Smoothies are a great and fast way to get the nutrition we need and as a student this fit in perfect. Some of the great recipes though that we tried weren't all just just fruit yogurt and ice. A base for a smoothie can be anything from plain water to melons, which blend into pretty much flavored water. Yes, we can add fruit, but also veggies, which is a great way to get our greens, but also protein through peanut butter, tofu, nuts, seeds and rolled oats. Now this last list of ingredients may sound strange, but blended in they give the smoothies actual substance. 

A couple ideas to keep in mind for smoothies is prep time. Heather talked about some great ways to make smoothies quick and easy. First, "make" your smoothie before hand and throw it in the freezer in a ziplock bag so you can just throw it in the blender with your base. Second, when your fruits and veggies (yes, even spinach) is going bad save it and once again throw it in the freezer, it can save some money and you don't have waste that way. Lastly, say you make a smoothies and there is too much left, put it in the freezer so the next day you can just take it out. It seems like everything can go in the freezer, but it is a really easy way to save money and prep time when it comes to a busy schedule. 

Other cool ingredients to try in your next smoothie is:

         + flavorings= honey, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, cocoa and
         carob (which has a touch of sweetness to replace our chocolate cravings)

         + avocado

         + raisins

         + flax seed or chia seeds

         + coconut milk (great source of healthy fats) 

         + pears

         + honey

         + parsley

I hope this has triggered you all into thinking about making some smoothies and how we can make them more nutritional, I know I have!!

- Sara