One Major Side Effect of Drinking a Smoothie for Breakfast, Says Science
Unless you're loading up your smoothies with a lot of unhealthy ingredients, or you're not portioning out foods properly (peanut butter can rack up calories quick!), having a smoothie for breakfast is actually a great way to start the day. More specifically, drinking smoothies is an easy way to consume more fruits and vegetables on a regular basis. Blending up fresh produce provides your body with a myriad of nutrients that you may not otherwise get throughout the day, making it the one major side effect of drinking a smoothie for breakfast.
Here's why packing your breakfast smoothie with lots of fruits and vegetables is important for your body, and for even more healthy tips, be sure to check out our list of The 7 Healthiest Foods to Eat Right Now.
Smoothies provide nutrients for picky eaters.
If you're not one who loves to eat fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, smoothies can be an easy go-between for picky eaters. According to Harvard Health, having a variety of colorful produce can ensure your body is getting a healthy mix of those nutrients. By blending up fruits and vegetables in your smoothies, you can get a variety of those essential nutrients that keep your body happy—like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
Here are the 11 Best Smoothies to Improve Digestion.
Smoothies can help with cardiovascular disease.
According to a study published by the British Medical Journal, having a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help lower one's risk of cardiovascular disease and reduces the risk of death. In particular, leafy green vegetables are the most strongly correlated vegetable to help decrease cardiovascular disease, along with cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale) and citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits).
Throwing these particular foods into your smoothie can help with your cardiovascular health, and can even significantly help with lowering blood pressure and decreasing the risk of cancer and diabetes.
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Smoothies give you a boost of fiber.
Adding fruits and vegetables to a smoothie is an easy way to increase your fiber intake, which we know is the best thing to eat for weight loss and overall health. If getting your allotted fiber intake for the day is proving to be difficult (25 grams for women, 38 grams for men) then it may be time to consider adding a smoothie routine into your meal plan. Plus, if you're throwing in other fiber-rich foods like oats, nuts, and seeds, your morning smoothie can be a nutritional powerhouse and the perfect boost to start your day. Here are 20 Different Ways to Eat 28 Grams of Fiber a Day.
Be careful of overdoing it.
There's only one problem with smoothies that people need to be aware of: Don't overdo it on the fillings. Throwing ingredients into your blender for a smoothie does make eating fruits and vegetables a lot easier, but if you're not careful, that smoothie can be packing in calories.
The best thing you can do is measure it out before you pour it in. Before adding your Greek yogurt and peanut butter, measure it out. Portion out your vegetables and fruit, and use real produce—either fresh or frozen. Some premade smoothie packs or bottle smoothies are packed with added sugars that turn your smoothie into a sugary dessert real quick.
Again, smoothies can be a great way to get your fruits and vegetables in for the day! Just be cautious of measuring out the proper servings so you can feel energized after finishing up your morning smoothie, instead of feeling sluggish. Or keep it simple and blend up one of these 27 Best Immune-Boosting Smoothie Recipes.
