3 Fruit and Veggie Smoothies + Health Benefits
- tidbitsfromemily
- Dec 17, 2014
- 4 min read
Lately, I have been obsessed with smoothies. Fruit and veggie smoothies, especially! Smoothies are a quick and easy way to nourish your body. The great thing about making your own smoothies is that you know the exact ingredients that you are putting into it. By choosing the right ingredients, your smoothies have the potential of being loaded with antioxidants and many other vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that contribute to overall good health.
Making your own smoothies is super simple—all you need is a blender, your favorite fruits and/or veggies, and a base like milk, water, and/or yogurt.
Here are three of my favorite smoothie combinations!
1. Raspberry Banana Mango Smoothie
Ingredients:
¼ cup of raspberries
½ medium banana
½ cup of frozen mangos, raw
½ cup of your favorite greens (I used spinach!)
1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition Facts:
Total calories: 237 calories
Protein: 4 grams
Carbohydrate: 58 grams
Dietary fiber: 6 grams
Nutrition Highlights:
164 mg of vitamin C, 129 µg RAE vitamin A, 0.5 mg vitamin B6, 133 µg folate, 79 µg vitamin K
2. Açaí Smoothie
Ingredients:
2 SAMBAZON pure unsweetened acai pack (200 grams)
1 banana
½ cup apple juice
Nutrition Facts:
Total calories: 312 calories
Protein: 3 grams
Carbohydrate: 49 grams
Dietary fiber: 5 grams
3. Cantaloupe Banana Grape Smoothie
Ingredients:
½ cup diced cantaloupe
½ medium banana
½ cup spinach
½ cup grapes
1 cup milk (I used almond milk!)
Nutrition Facts:
Total calories: 191 calories
Protein: 3 grams
Carbohydrate: 41 grams
Dietary fiber: 4 grams
Nutrition Highlights:
361 µg RAE vitamin A, 0.4 mg vitamin B6, 46 mg vitamin C, 13 mg vitamin E, 86 µg vitamin K, 64 µg folate, 0.6 mg riboflavin
~Health Benefits~
Antioxidants
Decrease inflammation and help fight diseases.
Antioxidants function as an electron donor/reducing agent to protect the body from free radicals.
(Free radicals are molecules that contain one or more unpaired electrons in their outer shell and have the potential of damaging other molecules in the body such as proteins, phospholipids, and DNA in cells).
Dietary fiber
Found in many fruits like raspberries, helps normalize bowel movements by decreasing the risk of constipation.
Vitamin C
The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Vitamin C is 75mg/day for females 19 years of age and older, 90mg/day for males 19 years of age and older.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant.
Vitamin C helps us fight against foreign bodies, harmful oxygen-free radicals, and toxins in the body.
Adequate intake of Vitamin C prevents scurvy.
Vitamin K
The Adequate Intake (AI) for Vitamin K is 90 µg /day for females 19 years of age and older, 120 µg/day for males 19 years of age and older.
Vitamin K functions in bone metabolism, bone formation, and blood clotting.
Vitamin E
The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Vitamin E is 15mg/day for both females and males 14 years of age and older.
Vitamin E is the major lipid-soluble, chain-breaking antioxidant, meaning it is the first line of defense against oxidative damage to membranes.
Folate
The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for folate is 400 µg /day for both females and males 14 years of age and older.
Adequate intake of folate prevents birth defects such as neural tube defects. Folate also plays a crucial role in the synthesis of DNA in the body.
Riboflavin
The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for riboflavin is 1.1 mg/day for females 19 years of age and older, 1.3 mg/day for males 14 years of age and older.
Also know as vitamin B2, riboflavin functions in digestion, development of skin, blood cells, and many other parts of the body.
Adequate intake of riboflavin prevents ariboflavinosis.
Vitamin B6
The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for vitamin B6 is 1.3 mg/day for both females and males 19-50 years of age.
Also called pyridoxine, vitamin B6 aids in the conversion of food into fuel, metabolism of fats and protein, and is needed for proper functioning of the nervous system and liver.
Vitamin A
The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for vitamin A is 700µg/day for females 14 years of age and older, and 900 µg /day for males 14 years of age and older.
Vitamin A aids in cell growth, good vision, and overall health.
Retinoids are the active form of vitamin A (preformed vitamin A) and are essential to the diet.
Carotenoids are another form of vitamin A. They are not considered essential to the diet and can be in the forms of beta-carotene, lycopene, and more.
Images are taken by me.
Disclaimer: While I am not a dietitian or nutritionist, I am currently majoring in applied nutrition at a university. The information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information todiagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child’s condition.
Комментарии