I’ve always been a little envious of dog food. It’s just a simple food that gives dogs the proper nutrition they need to survive. Dogs never have to decide what to eat or waste time preparing food. They just get the fuel they need to properly function. That’s what I’m trying to do here.
I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist but it seems like nearly every expert agrees that eating fruits and vegetables is a good idea. They may disagree on the type and amounts of this or that but overall, eating fruits and vegetables is a healthy habit.
Now the problem becomes how to eat a decent amount of fruits and vegetables. Vegetables don’t usually taste great unless they’re properly prepared but that can be time consuming. Fruits are fairly easy to consume and even taste ok but only if they’re at the proper ripeness.
In general, I think most of us would agree that eating fruits and vegetables sounds like a good idea but doesn’t really happen much in reality.
I was just like most people, I didn’t eat enough fruits or vegetables. But about 3 years ago, I started taking smoothies more seriously and before long I was consuming a single “mega-smoothie” for breakfast and lunch.
I realize that smoothies are nothing new and you may have even heard this before. But hear me out, I slowly began to realize the benefits of a daily smoothie for a variety of reasons…
Nutritional
The obvious benefit was my ability to consume way more fruits and vegetables. I began slowly but after a few months I was regularly blending 4 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables every day!
I think smoothies are superior to juicing because I’m actually eating the whole fruit or vegetable. I’m sure some will say that blending loses nutrition or whatever but this is WAY better than what I was doing before smoothies.
Plus I was able to easily add in other “bonus health foods.” For example, I discovered that sauerkraut can be good for your gut biome so I began adding a serving size of sauerkraut to my smoothies. I know, it sounds gross but it’s undetectable in the overall concoction.
Time Savings
It takes less than 15 minutes to make a mega-smoothie. That’s awesome!
I don’t have to sauté or chop or peel or anything like that. Just throw a whole fruit or vegetable in the blender.
Plus, I only have to clean one blender. No pots or pans or anything else. I’ll even throw a straw right into the blender to save from washing cups.
Aside from saving time on the food prep side, smoothies save time on decision making and consumption. As I previously mentioned, I have a large smoothie for breakfast and lunch almost every day. I never have to think about what I’m going to make and eat. I completely eliminate that decision fatigue!
Plus, I never waste time sitting down to eat breakfast or lunch. Instead, I slowly sip my smoothie for a few hours throughout the day. Dinner is where I allow myself the luxury of sitting down without distractions to enjoy a good meal.
Cost Savings
I used to think that eating healthy was expensive. But now I can eat a healthy breakfast and lunch for less than $6! Let me say that again, I have a $3 breakfast and a $3 lunch that allows me to consume 4 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables!
Below, I have documented what a typical smoothie costs me. I even made sure to include the cost of my Vitamix blender which was a large initial investment but works out to about 22¢/use.
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Leafy Greens: 97¢
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Carrots: 29¢
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Celery: 62¢
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Banana: 20¢
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Avocado: $1.25
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Apple: 55¢
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Brussel Sprouts: 32¢
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Frozen Strawberries: 58¢
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Almonds: 48¢
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Turmeric: 7¢
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Flaxseed: 12¢
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Vitamix: $450 / 10 years / 208 uses per year = 22¢/use
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Total: $5.67 per smoothie
Easy to Consume
Let me be clear, smoothies like this are not delicious. But they’re not horrible either.
It helps to think of this like gasoline in a car. For me, a smoothie is just the fuel I need to stay energized, focused, and feel great.
I slowly sip on my smoothie all day while I’m doing other things like reading or working on the computer. It’s a background task to fuel myself, it’s not the main attraction. I leave dinner for enjoyment of food and drinks.
What to put in a Smoothie
Like I said, I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist so put whatever you think is best in your smoothie.
As a rough guideline for myself I use the Daily Dozen recommendation from Dr. Greger and Dr. Rhonda Patrick’s micronutrient smoothie guide.
I figure it’s a good idea to alternate between different types of fruits and vegetables so I’m constantly changing it up. I like to grab whatever is on sale or looks good at the grocery store. I like to use at least a banana or an avocado because it gives it that creamy smoothie texture a bit. And I prefer to have one or two of my ingredients frozen to chill the smoothie a bit.
A typical mega-smoothie of mine looks something like this…
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3 servings of fruits
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Typically a banana, apple, avocado, or a pear.
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2 servings vegetables
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Typically carrots, celery, tomatoes, cucumber, beets, or zucchini.
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2 servings of leafy greens
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Typically kale, spinach, or chard.
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1 serving of berries
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Typically blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries.
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1 serving cruciferous vegetable
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Typically broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts.
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1 tbsp ground Flaxseed
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1 serving of nuts
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Typically almonds, chia seeds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds.
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1/4 tsp turmeric
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3-4 cups of water
What Blender to use
I think a quality blender is really going to improve your chances of sticking to this smoothie routine.
I initially used a Ninja blender which worked ok. It was edible but the smoothie was never really smooth. There was always small chunks requiring me to chew my smoothie. But I made that work for over a year not knowing there was a better solution.
My grandparents had left us an old Vitamix blender from 1988 that just sat unused in our kitchen cabinet. I had always heard that Vitamix was a good quality blender but never figured a 30 year old device would be better than my new Ninja. But damn was I wrong!
The Vitamix pulverizes entire fruits and vegetables into a smooth creamy texture. It’s incredible and makes drinking the smoothie way more enjoyable. I don’t have to chew a Vitamix smoothie at all.
I was singing the Vitamix praises so much that my parents decided to take back my inheritance so I was forced to buy a new Vitamix.
With my experience I knew that $400 for a Vitamix blender sounded like a lot on the surface but was actually a great investment for me. The Vitamix A2300 blender I bought comes with a 10 year warranty so I figure if I use it at least 4 times a week for 10 years, it only costs 22¢ per use.
A good blender will improve your results but don’t let that stop you. If you have one already, start with that. Try finding an old Vitamix on Craigslist. I’m sure other blenders work great too, I’m just onboard the Vitamix train.
Smoothies like this have been a life changing habit for me. I really do have more energy and feel better. I even feel noticeably worse after a few days without a smoothie. It saves me time, mental energy, and money!
I’ve gotten my family into mega-smoothies and wanted to share the benefits with you. I hope you take this and adapt it to your lifestyle and health goals.
– Travis
P.S. I also host a podcast called Curiosityness! Every week I conduct a podcast interview with an expert about the most fascinating history, things, & people of our world. If that interests you, I encourage you to check out the Curiosityness podcast available for free at https://curiosityness.com/#listen
And find me on Instagram @travderose: https://www.instagram.com/travderose/
