Starting the day with a fruit and vegetable based meal can help energize, refresh, and motivate you for the day ahead. By beginning the day this way, you will feel healthy, light, and agile rather than heavy and bloated. In my personal experience, I have found having a juice or smoothie for breakfast makes me feel the best.
As college students, fruits and vegetables are not always the most affordable food option. However, there are ways to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to buying fruits and veggies both nutritionally and quantitatively too.
- Bananas. As one of the cheapest fruits on the market, bananas should be your best friend. They taste great and are excellent for making smoothies sweeter. While bananas do not have the longest shelf life, buying them in bulk is ideal because they can be preserved by chopping them up and freezing them. Frozen banana coins can be used in smoothies instead of ice cubes for optimal nutrition.
- Frozen fruit. The family sized bags of fruit in the frozen section may seem like a bit of a splurge at first glance, but the amount of fruit you get in one bag lasts a long time. Investing in “store brand” frozen fruit can help cut costs as well. I recommend starting with blueberries because they are full of antioxidants and similarly to bananas, they taste great in most smoothies.
- Kale. Before you dismiss the idea, hear me out. A handful of fresh kale is completely tasteless in a smoothie that is dominated by fruit. There are so many benefits to eating kale as it provides your body with vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese, copper, vitamin B6, fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin B2, iron, magnesium vitamin B1, omega-3 fats, phosphorus, protein, folate, and vitamin B3. What’s more, kale is extremely cheap compared to other vegetables. By putting kale in a smoothie, you reap all its benefits without having to taste it.
- Water. Always use water as your base in a smoothie. Juice tends to be filled with unhealthy sugars that make the smoothie beneficial for your health. Milk, yogurt, and other dairy products make us feel bloated and cause acne. Further, contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence proving dairy helps grow and strong bones. In fact, research is showing dairy can have negative effects on our bones. If you are looking to experience the energy boosts and mood lifts smoothies has to offer, keep the dairy out. An added bonus is that water comes right from the tap and is free. Here in the city of Salisbury, the tap water is so good we have actually won “Tap Water Tasting” competitions. Seriously, give it a try. You will not regret it.
Sources:
http://www.mumbaifoodie.com/smoothies-places-smoothie-shops-mumbai/
https://kingsfoodmarkets.com/kings-own-brand/kings-frozen-fruits
https://www.azurestandard.com/healthy-living/stahlbush-organic-frozen-fruits-vegetables/