Real Food with Steph: Smoothie Game Strong
Athlete for Yoga Stephanie Howe Violett holds a PhD in Nutrition & Exercise Science. When she's not dominating ultras, she's coaching and working as a nutritionist. And, of course, as a professional athlete fuel is fundamental to her performance. Thanks to her studies and personal nutritional experimentation, she's a legit expert on the subject of fuel for athletes.
Today she's schooling us on smoothies — perfect for fueling or recovering post-workout.
I make smoothies when I need something quick and nutrient dense. I find that a smoothie can be a great snack post-run or something I can take with me to sip when I'm in meetings or working. I'm a big fan of real food, and I'd rather get my nutrients from foods than some processed, packaged source. I never use protein or anything artificial in my smoothies — it's not needed! I'm able to get everything I need (even protein, yes!) from real food.
An important aspect of making a good smoothie is to include some fat and protein. A smoothie with all fruit is not very satisfying or nutritious! The other great thing is that you can customize the flavor really easy to change it up. Like in the fall I'll make a pumpkin smoothie. Or sometimes I want a chocolate peanut butter smoothie. Or an orange ginger smoothie. So many options.
Base Smoothie Recipe
1 c frozen fruit (I usually use blueberries and banana)
1 c milk or non-dairy milk
1/4 c (ish) of plain whole fat greek yogurt
1 large handful of greens
1 t Flora cracked flax seeds or 7 sources
1/4 c cooked quinoa
1/4 c cooked sweet potatoes (optional but makes it oh so creamy)
Other common ingredients I use: nut butter, cacao powder (chocolate!!), avocado, orange, kombucha, cucumber, beets, fresh basil, cilantro, or mint, turmeric, butternut squash, pumpkin, cottage cheese, chai spices, nuts/seeds, etc. The possibilities are endless!
Learn more about Stephanie's nutrition offerings and check out her recipe page.
Read all of Stephanie's blogs here.
Get to know Stephanie at her athlete profile.
And follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and on her site, stephaniehoweviolett.com.