It’s morning and you are slammed for time getting your kids ready for school. Some cereal out of a box would be really easy… Do you really want your child’s day to start with some processed, dried out, mechanically pre-shaped nuggets? Trust me, I get the convenience, but this green shake is actually really easy to make! It has few ingredients and tastes almost like a vanilla, peanut butter milkshake! I found this a few years ago and despite the bright green color, my kids really like it. I’ve modified it a bit, surprise, surprise, but I made it again this morning and two empty glasses hit my sink! Victory.
A little side note on peanuts… Did you know they are not actually nuts, they are legumes? In the Harvard University Nurses’ Health Study, researchers found that “women at high risk for heart disease who ate nuts, or a tablespoon of peanut butter five days or more a week appeared to nearly halve their risk of suffering a heart attack compared to women who ate a serving or less per week.” (from the fabulous Dr. Greger’s book- How Not To Die) Did I mention I got to meet and talk to him? Insert photo here…:) If you don’t already, may I suggest you follow him at http://www.nutritionfacts.org .His website is completely not-for-profit and does scientific research into all sorts of health topics. He is kinda geeky, but man is he a gem.
Ok, back to the smoothie… I don’t really believe in protein powders, as these plant based gurus believe there is no reason for them if you are eating a lot of fruit and veggies, legumes and nuts and seeds… But, if you are going to choose a protein powder, please DON’T choose one with whey protein as it is a dairy product. Most protein powders are full of ingredients which aren’t good for you. As well, they are often made in China and protein powders of all kinds are known to contain high levels of lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium. Watch Dr. Greger’s one minute video here on protein powders. Also, there is a good article here about protein from a bodybuilder who was speaking on the Holistic Holiday at Sea Plant based cruise I recently attended.
We have been tricked into believing that we need all of this protein in order to survive. It is simply not true. Yes, we need protein, but only 10-12% of our daily diet should be protein. More than that and it taxes our liver among other things. All plants contain protein. If you are eating enough healthy, real food, you are simply getting enough protein. So, if you are an athlete or a very physically active person, simply eat more! Dr. Colin Campbell discusses the role of excess protein and the role of animal protein in turning on cancer cells here.
So, in conclusion, you don’t need a protein powder in your smoothies. If you want the extra denseness and calories that it provides, I would suggest avocado and flax or hemp seeds. Those are whole foods, not some pulverized, powdered, shelf stable product. Tip- eat what your great grandma would recognize as food.
On a quick supplement tangent, I have a friend I visit every week who told me today she gets a $100/month government allowance to buy Ensure to help make sure she gets all of her vitamins and nutrients and to help her gain weight.
Really? I looked at the ingredient list with her:
Corn Syrup, Corn Maltodextrin, (both GMO) Sugar (Sucrose), Corn Oil, Sodium & Calcium Caseinates, Soy Protein Isolate, Artificial Flavor, Potassium Citrate, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Chloride, Soy Lecithin, Ascorbic Acid, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Ferrous Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Cupric Sulfate, Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Chromium Chloride, Sodium Molybdate, Potassium Iodide, Sodium Selenate, Phylloquinone, Cyanocobalamin, and Vitamin D3.
Boy, doesn’t that sounds delicious? There is not even one real food on that list. We got right down to making her a green smoothie with fresh beet greens, water, peanut butter and banana. It was basic, because that was all she had in her kitchen. The beautiful thing was, it was real food. It tasted good to her and she wanted to drink it. She said it made her feel alive. She said she was excited to make a blender full to drink throughout the day. Win number two!
I have met a lot of people over the years as I deliver meals through the Meals On Wheels program. There seems to be a correlation between the people who are the least healthy, and the number of Ensure bottles I see in their homes. Perhaps the government health agencies who are overseeing their care should reimburse their clients for purchasing whole foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds and fresh produce to help make them well. How has our system failed us so miserably? …deep breath…
So, back to the green smoothie, actually, let’s call it a green shake that your kids will love!
Here is the recipe. Please let me know if you try it out. Just today I ran into a sweet lady at the drycleaners who said she and her daughter tried the Great Green Smoothie recipe and they loved it! Yay! So there are people out there reading! 😉
www.thevibrantveggie.com
Ingredients
Instructions