That Smoothie Life by @AFewHungryGirls

by Ray Ball | Featured Contributor

So you want to try smoothies that will aid in reaching your weight loss goals? First off, congratulations on taking the first steps to improve your overall health, losing weight is just one of the perks! Making smoothies is one of the best ways to cut out fats and excess calories from your diet! In fact, most smoothies can be made the night before and be ready for breakfast for folks short on time. I’ve come up with a few easy tips to help you get started:

BE CREATIVE AND HAVE FUN!

That’s right I said have fun!! Now before the real fun starts lets talk kitchen appliances, more specifically blenders. There was a point in my life cheaper was better until my blender starting smoking and nearly exploded! If you plan on making smoothies on a daily basis you want to get a good mid-range blender, I use a Ninja that I got with my Bed Bath and Beyond coupon.

At first you do want to start out small, try blending a few ingredients you already enjoy. I personally don’t like bananas but when blended with other fruit I can hardly taste it! Try these: strawberry + blueberry or banana + pineapple!

LIQUID BASES

Water is the obvious choice when blending smoothies, but I think it lacks nutritious value and generally makes your smoothie bland. Try using almond milk, it has a creamy texture, easy on the stomach, has less calories than milk, and is gluten/dairy free. Another liquid I use is coconut water, by itself it is an acquired taste but blended it adds great flavor to your smoothie as well as electrolytes!

LETS TAKE IT UP A NOTCH

Now that you’ve got the basics down lets start adding some veggies to your smoothies! Spinach is the best leafy green to start with; yes your smoothies will look green and icky… GET OVER IT! Spinach lacks in flavor but not in nutrition, its high in iron, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C with very little calories. It can be blended with any fruit and come out tasting delicious, so good you won’t even care that anyone looks at your crazy while drinking it! A few other veggies to try are: carrots, celery, sweet potato, or kale.

MEAL REPLACEMENT

Smoothies work great as a meal replacement, adding protein is the most efficient way to keep your hunger at bay. I recommend a smoothie for breakfast and lunch, with a good healthy snack in between each main meal, such as nuts, yogurt, green tea, or cheese slices. Make sure you eat a good balanced meal for dinner! Protein powders can be found at any grocery or nutrition store. You do want to be cautious of the caloric value in some of these powders! My favorite is Herbalife Protein powder, vanilla is always my favorite because it is so versatile but chocolate is a close second!

Don’t worry I’m not going to leave you hanging, here is one of my favorite smoothie recipes: Blueberry Cinnamon!

LAST MINUTES TIPS

• Make sure you are getting enough sleep, protein, and exercise!
• Smoothies are not miracle drinks; you still need at least 20-30 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week.
• Stick with it! Don’t give up! Make your health as high a priority in your life as you do everything else.
• Lastly, pray…everyday!

I typically only use mason jars to store my shakes with a reusable lid! If you don’t have any you should try it out! They don’t retain color or hold flavors like plastic does.

To get more recipes and food tips, or to purchase my new E-Book “Cut The Crap” check out my blog, www.afewhungrygirls.com, if you have any questions about smoothies, which protein to use, blenders, etc. don’t hesitate to email me at: afewhungrygirls@gmail.com.

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Ray Ball – Food Blogger, Healthy Lifestyles Cook, Social Media Strategist from Cincinnati, OH.

Ray Ball is co-founder of Tenacia Saturday’s a local wellness event used to gather donations or raise funds for local nonprofit groups! She also creates fun, easy, and healthy recipes to help people transition into a healthier lifestyle. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless, she believes you just have to get creative and have some fun in the kitchen with new ingredients. Through her blog A Few Hungry Girls she has been able to work with small businesses to create social media strategies and campaigns to help grow their businesses! When Ray is not working in social media she is in the kitchen creating yummy recipes that she often shares with co-workers! Recipes from semi-homemade, meal preparation, healthy baking, and dietary lifestyle changes are her specialty! Ray also enjoys cooking healthy meals and creating meal plans for people to aid in their lifestyle changes! If she’s not in the kitchen you can be sure she is spending time with her dog Ocho watching Cooking Channel and HGTV!

Make sure to check out her blog www.afewhungrygirls.com for great recipes, health trends, and cool foodie gadgets!

Connect with Ray on: Instagram – Twitter – Facebook

Ray Ball