Now that the summertime is here, many of us are going to be looking for chilled, tasty, and filling treats to get us through our days. However, many of us also want to ensure those treats are nutritious.
A refreshing and nutrient-packed smoothie is one of the best things you can make and drink at home. They’re incredibly satisfying on a hot day, are pretty affordable to make, and can even be a weight-loss-friendly snack or meal to include your rotation of go-to healthy foods.
Still, you’ll want to be careful when selecting smoothie ingredients, as some additives like agave or extra fruit juice can take away from the benefits and slow down your weight loss progress. Other powerful and low-sugar ingredients, like oats, berries, and almond butter, are excellent in a smoothie, providing plenty of balanced macronutrients to help you stay full and on track.
We spoke with Registered Dietitians Lisa Andrews, RD, founder of Sound Bites Nutrition, and Shelley Balls, MDA, RDN, LDN, with Flawless Bloom, about how these healthy ingredients make a powerful smoothie that you can enjoy as a snack or meal this summer. Read more about it below!
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Why You Should Add Oats, Berries, And Almond Butter To Your Summer Smoothies
You can pack many great ingredients into a smoothie, from hidden vegetables and leafy greens to protein powders and more. However, three powerhouse ingredients are packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, and more include oats, berries, and almond butter.
Sometimes, people look at adding oats to smoothies and are puzzled, as when they first think of smoothies, they think of frozen fruit and milk or juice. But when you use a decent blender, steel-cut oats will blend right into your smoothie and add a series of beneficial elements.
According to Lisa Andrews, oats are "perfect" for smoothie-making, as they will add "soluble fiber to help you feel fuller longer." Therefore, they're a great ingredient for anyone who struggles with drinking smoothies because they don't feel full enough after drinking them.
Oats are also a source of plant-based protein, which, as Shelley Balls explained, "promotes satiety." If you add oats to your smoothie, you will use a cheaper protein source than expensive, store-bought protein powders.
Berries are considered a superfood to many health experts, as they're loaded with vitamins and nutrients that can help benefit your overall health. Just about any berry is good in a smoothie; it all depends on your preference. You can buy them fresh or frozen, giving you many options.
"Lower in sugar but highly nutritious, [berries] add antioxidants to reduce inflammation and help prevent cancer, heart disease, and other chronic conditions," noted Andrews.
Finally, there's almond butter, which not only can add a creamy element to your smoothie but also "adds taste, texture, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and vitamin E," according to Andrews.
"It also provides a small amount of protein for satiety," she continued.
How To Incorporate These 3 Powerful Ingredients Into A Weight Loss-Friendly Smoothie
When you're ready to start shopping for your power-packed smoothie focused on these three beneficial ingredients, look for the berry of your choice, some plain, steel-cut oats, and almond butter, preferably one that only contains almonds and salt, if possible.
To keep your smoothie nice and cold or avoid adding ice to your blender, stick with frozen berries. Frozen strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are very accessible and sold in variety packs in most grocery stores.
Before assembling your smoothie and adding a serving of each ingredient to your blender, Balls advises to keep the size of your filling beverage in mind.
"It's easy to get carried away with how much you add into your blender, and in the end, it can end up being a large serving, which can add up quickly, preventing you from reaching your weight loss goals," she added.
Add around a cup of frozen berries, 1/4 cup of oats, and two tablespoons of almond butter with your milk of choice or water to a blender to construct your smoothie. You could also use natural fruit juice, but if you want to watch your blood sugar levels and avoid a larger spike, low-fat or plant-based milk or water would work just fine.
Blend until you have a smooth consistency, and then you are good to go. Of course, you could add other elements to your smoothie, like a handful of leafy greens, different fruits, or powders, but using these three ingredients will create a base that can easily help you stay on track with your weight loss goals. Enjoy!
