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Healthy Easy Recipe, Food Photography, Food Blogger

The Building Blocks to Making A Satisfying + Delicious Smoothie

May 27, 2020 · In: Nutrition

Here’s the thing, smoothies can actually taste good and not look like dirt!

I’m talking to all ya’ll that put every fruit + veggie under the sun in your smoothie and un-joyously take it down the hatch only to find yourself throwing out more than half of it.

But hey, it’s not your fault. I used to do this too. So, let me teach you the ways of making a smoothie that actually tastes good and will actually fill you up and maybe not look like you dug up some dirty from your backyard and added it to your blender.

If you’re looking to make a smoothie into a meal, here’s what you need to ask yourself.

What’s my protein?

What’s my fat?

What’s my carbohydrates (fiber)?

Including all of these into your smoothie and in all meals in general, will set your body up for receiving the nutrients it needs to go through its many daily processes.

So, why do we want to include all of these nutrients? Well, for starters, including high amounts of these nutrients are going to help keep you feeling satiated until your next meal. Second, here’s a little sneak peak into what these macronutrients can do for our bodies:

Protein

  • helps to make connective tissue, muscles, enzymes, neurotransmitters

Fats

  • help with hormone production/regulation, inflammation, mood, blood sugar management

Fiber

  • helps with blood sugar management, moving food through digestive system, improves heart health

What you don’t want to do

I love fruits but packing them into your smoothie can actually be harmful for your health. Sugar is sugar, no matter what form its in. It breaks down into the body as glucose. If we’re packing a ton of fruits into our smoothies, that’s a lot of sugar for our bodies to handle. Especially if we’re making a breakfast smoothie. We want to start off with a blood sugar balancing smoothie to help keep our blood sugar in check throughout the day.

Here is how I like to build my smoothies

1 cup fruit – I like to use antioxidant rich berries like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or mango, kiwi, peaches, banana, pineapple – you don’t have to put a cup of fruit, if you prefer more greens, go nuts!

1 cup (or more) veggies – cauliflower, spinach, kale, zucchini, cucumber

Fats – I usually don’t measure here but something like a couple of heaping tablespoons of coconut butter or nut butter, 1/2 an avocado (frozen or fresh), coconut cream, full-fat coconut milk, MCT oil, coconut flakes, coconut yogurt, full-fat sheep or goat yogurt, hemp seeds, chia seeds

Protein – scoop of protein powder + scoop of collagen powder, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds

Fiber – can be from fruits + veggies but also hemp seeds, chia seeds, ground flax seeds

I add more than one source of fats because for me, the more fats I have in a smoothie, the longer I stay full.

The smoothie pictured above is this:

⋆ 1 cup chopped strawberries, banana, kiwi

⋆ 1 cup frozen cauliflower

⋆ 1/2 cup frozen avocado chunks

⋆ 1/2 cup filtered water (I added more as I was blending to get the consistency I wanted)

⋆ 1/2 cup almond milk

⋆ 2 tablespoons coconut butter

⋆ 2 tablespoons hemp seeds

⋆ 1 scoop unflavoured protein powder

⋆ 1 scoop collagen powder


So, there you have it! If you have any questions, pop them in the comments below!

Products I used:

Protein powder: Genuine Health Fermented Vegan Protein Powder

Collagen: Designs for Health Canada Whole Body Collagen

Fruit mix: (Strawberry, Banana, Kiwi Mix from Loblaws)

By: Tina Gravalos · In: Nutrition

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Let’s talk sleep (it’s sleep month!) 😴 My Let’s talk sleep (it’s sleep month!) 😴 

My sleep has been off since the time change. 🙃 I also caught a cold which seems to happen around this time of year for me. 🤧 Anyone else struggling with sleep?

Sleep can be a tricky one because there can be a lot of reasons why you can’t fall asleep, you wake up often, etc. I’m usually a food first kind of gal but when it comes to sleep, I’ll turn to some supplements for a little support. My issue lately is an overactive mind. I think of everything I need to do the next day. 😂

I love that my pals @naturescanada have a huge supplements department and there is a section for sleep! From homeopathics to herbs and everything in-between. There’s something for everyone! I will say though, one thing might work for one person but not so much for someone else so sometimes it’s trial an error. And always talk to your healthcare provider before taking anything. 

Here are some of my picks:

Magnesium bisglycinate - one of my favourite all around supplements! Magnesium plays a key role in hundreds of chemical reactions in the body. It truly is a star mineral! I like it for relaxing muscles and just helping to feel more calm.

Pascoflair - a herbal sleep aid that can help with restlessness, stress, falling asleep faster, etc.

Sleep by Orange Naturals - homeopathics for restlessness and sleeplessness

Coffee Cruda by Boiron - another homeopathic for sleeplessness

L-Theanine with magnesium - one of my faves! I love this combo because l-theanine (found in green tea) is like a natural stress reliever. Paired with magnesium it’s like the ultimate relaxation combo

Ortho Sleep - this supplement help increase total sleep time, reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and help to re-set the body’s sleep-wake cycle

Mental Calmness - this is l-theanine on its own - I used to take this one when I was in nutrition school before tests to help me relax and get focused. 

Nighty Night tea - a blend of herbs like chamomile, passionflower & spearmint

If you’re not sure where to start, the team of nutritionists @naturescanada are super knowledgeable and can help you in the right direction!

#sleepmonth #sleephabits #sleephealth
CARROT CAKE BREAKFAST COOKIES 🥕 Did a little CARROT CAKE BREAKFAST COOKIES 🥕 

Did a little edit on these from last year! I added some dried cranberries and swapped the almond flour for 1:1 gluten-free flour. 👌🏻

Here’s the how to:

(Makes 12-13 cookies)

Dry ingredients:

1 cup 1:1 gluten-free baking flour (I used @bobsredmill)
1 1/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup crushed walnut pieces
1/3 cup dried cranberries 
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Wet ingredients:

1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded carrot

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Melt coconut oil and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix to combine. 

In a small bowl, add the wet ingredients, except for the carrots, and mix to combine.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.

Fold in the carrots.

Using a cookie scooper (or ice cream scooper) or a 1/4 cup measuring spoon, drop cookies onto baking the sheet and flatten them to about 1 inch thickness. Make sure to space them out.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden.

Let cool for 10 minutes.

Enjoy! 🧡
SIMPLE 5 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CASHEW BUTTER BITES SIMPLE 5 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CASHEW BUTTER BITES 🤩⁠⁠
⁠⁠
These are great for meal prep or if you’re looking for something a little sweet but with no added sugar (dates are naturally sweet!). 

Makes 8⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Ingredients:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
❃ 1 cup walnuts halves⁠⁠
❃ 3 medjool dates, pitted⁠⁠
❃ 2 tablespoons cacao powder⁠⁠
❃ 2 heaping tablespoons cashew butter⁠⁠
❃ 1/4 teaspoon sea salt⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Directions:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
1. Add walnuts to food processor and pulse until they are broken down into crumbs.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
2. Add the dates and pulse until they are mixed in with the walnut crumbs.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
3. Add the cacao powder, sea salt and yes, pulse again! ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
4. Add the cashew butter and pulse again until the mixture is all combined.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
5. Shape the mixture into bite sized balls (about 1-2 tablespoons per ball) and put them on a plate.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
6. Refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes before eating.⁠⁠
⁠⁠
7. Top with flaky salt, if desired (highly recommend! 🤤). ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Enjoy! ♥️⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Notes:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
No cashew butter - use almond butter, sunflower butter or tahini⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Protein - add a scoop of chocolate protein powder⁠⁠
⁠⁠
My fav way to meal prep 👇🏻 If you’ve been My fav way to meal prep 👇🏻

If you’ve been around here since the beginning, I loved talking about meal prep! 

1. Utilize flyer deals! This is a great way to save a few bucks each week. @naturescanada has the ground beef I use on special + whole chickens to roast (plus other great protein options), which can be used for several meals! With protein like this, you can make different meal out of them to switch it up. Wraps, tacos, salads, etc. I also picked up some clementines, cheese, rice crackers, coconut milk and sometimes they have some flash deals for berries (and other fruits + veggies) that are great finds!

2. Batch cook/prep foods separately. This means batch cooking/prepping things like protein, rice, lettuce and other vegetables and fruits separately so that you can toss them together to make a meal. Maybe one day you want a taco salad and the other you want a taco wrap! This also keeps things fun and different so you don’t get bored of repetition. 

3. Similar to number 2, I like to have fruits and veggies washed, chopped and ready to grab for a snack. Usually with some cheese and crackers. ☺️

4. Grab and go. I like to make chia pudding or overnight oats sometimes. I can make a batch and get 2 to 3 portions out of it. For protein, you can add collagen or protein powder. Adding fruit on top + some granola (there’s some in the flyer too) is good too! 

5. Have some fun! Sometimes I’ll have some snack packs on hand! 🤭 I don’t have them all the time but I won’t lie, they make me happy. 😋

What are your favourite things to meal prep!? Let me know! 

PS. I have a link in my bio where you can check out the @naturescanada flyer. ☺️💚

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