But since I have been making Golden Paste (see last week's {BLOG} if you want to remind yourself of the health benefits of Golden Paste) I have altered my smoothie recipe a bit.
So here is my current breakfast green smoothie. There is a bit of preparation, but once you have done it--it makes the daily smoothie go really quickly.
First, I start by freezing my Golden Paste in handy ice cube portions. I make enough to last about a month.
Then I freeze a tin of beans in a single, flat layer overnight, then scoop them in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer. This lasts just about 6 days, so I freeze once a week.
Why beans? I want to add protein and fibre. these things help you fill up and stay fuller longer without a blood sugar crash. Why not protein powder? Have you seen the price of protein powder??? I can get a tin of kidney beans for 30p. I can get other varieties of beans for around 50p.
Also, if you look at the ingredients on a container of protein powder they can be full of nasty fillers and there is none more nasty than whey. Whey is a by-product of the cheese making industry and it is illegal to dump it in rivers and streams because it is toxic to fish and aquatic life. Why would I want to put something poisonous in my body? But millions of people do every day because whey powder is sold to the food industry as a cheap filler in processed convenience foods. Check your labels and see if I am wrong. Rant over. Back to the recipe.
Once a week on a Sunday, I fill 7 little pots with the all the dry ingredients so I can just "dump and go" on a busy morning. My dry ingredients include oats, chia seeds, cinnamon and ginger.
Every morning I dump a jar that contains my defrosted beans and golden paste into my smoothie and then fill the jar for the next day. This saves time because it already done and I don't have to get two more things out of the freezer, open them up, get stuff out, close stuff up and put it back in the freezer. Also since my beloved Vita Mix blender died, I don't want to overtax my new, less powerful blender with really hard stuff so I prefer these items defrosted.
But how do you make the smoothie, Spidergrrl? I hear you cry. Be patient, best beloved, I'm getting to that. First, let's look at the ingredients and talk nutrition.
1) 1 cup (250ml) fortified plant milk
I am currently using Soya milk to balance my hormones, but I have used Oatly in the past. 200ml is 60% of your vitamin D, 30% of your riboflavin, 30% of your B12 and 30% of your daily calcium.
I am currently using Soya milk to balance my hormones, but I have used Oatly in the past. 200ml is 60% of your vitamin D, 30% of your riboflavin, 30% of your B12 and 30% of your daily calcium.
2) ¼
cup beans
That’s fibre and protein that will keep you fuller longer Kidney beans contain 4.g fibre and 3g protein, 1% of your daily calcium 4% of your daily iron and 2% of your daily vitamin C. I try to mix it up with different beans, this week it is kidneys but other beans have similar profiles--black beans contain 4.1g fibre and 3.62g protein , 4% of your daily calcium, 11% of your daily iron and 4% of your daily vitamin C and white beans contain 2.6g fibre and 4.01g protein, 4% of your daily calcium 8% of your daily iron. Who knew?
That’s fibre and protein that will keep you fuller longer Kidney beans contain 4.g fibre and 3g protein, 1% of your daily calcium 4% of your daily iron and 2% of your daily vitamin C. I try to mix it up with different beans, this week it is kidneys but other beans have similar profiles--black beans contain 4.1g fibre and 3.62g protein , 4% of your daily calcium, 11% of your daily iron and 4% of your daily vitamin C and white beans contain 2.6g fibre and 4.01g protein, 4% of your daily calcium 8% of your daily iron. Who knew?
4) ¼
cup of (GF) oats
Oats adds 1.9g of fibre, 1% of your daily calcium and 4% of your iron plus 3.03g of protein. Or you can add ¼ cup of something like Ready Brek which is super smooth porridge oats that have been fortified with extra calcium, vitamin D, iron, B2, B6 and B12.
Oats adds 1.9g of fibre, 1% of your daily calcium and 4% of your iron plus 3.03g of protein. Or you can add ¼ cup of something like Ready Brek which is super smooth porridge oats that have been fortified with extra calcium, vitamin D, iron, B2, B6 and B12.
5) 1 TB chia seeds
This gives you 2g protein, 5.5g fibre and 88.5mg calcium, 2.5g Omega 3 fatty acid.
Cinnamon helps to balance your blood sugar and ginger is good for digestion.
This gives you 2g protein, 5.5g fibre and 88.5mg calcium, 2.5g Omega 3 fatty acid.
Cinnamon helps to balance your blood sugar and ginger is good for digestion.
6) 1 TB tahini paste
You could use peanut butter as we are going for fat and protein, but why not use tahini as it is so high in calcium? I prefer the richer complex flavour of roasted unhulled sesame seeds personally as the hulls make it higher in calcium. If you don’t dig tahini then go for almond butter as it is also high in calcium. But 1 TB tahini will give you 2.55g protein, 64mg of calcium and 8.06g fat. Don’t freak out on me. A bit of healthy fat is good for you. The fat will make you fuller longer.
You could use peanut butter as we are going for fat and protein, but why not use tahini as it is so high in calcium? I prefer the richer complex flavour of roasted unhulled sesame seeds personally as the hulls make it higher in calcium. If you don’t dig tahini then go for almond butter as it is also high in calcium. But 1 TB tahini will give you 2.55g protein, 64mg of calcium and 8.06g fat. Don’t freak out on me. A bit of healthy fat is good for you. The fat will make you fuller longer.
This contains around 176mg calcium--seriously! That’s nearly one quarter of your recommended daily amount right there! Plus 4.5mg iron which is nearly a quarter of your RDA. Plus 45mg magnesium and 510g potassium plus a host of trace minerals like copper and manganese! The molasses MUST be blackstrap as it has the highest amount of nutrition. Oh and one more tip. If you oil the spoon the molasses sliiiiiides right off.
8) A frozen peeled ripe banana
One banana is one of your “five a day” fruit and veg! Plus it makes it sweeter without adding extra sugar. One banana contains the following: Vitamin B6 - .5 mg., Manganese - .3 mg., Vitamin C - 9 mg., Potassium - 450 mg., Fibre - 3g., Protein - 1 g., Magnesium - 34 mg, and Folate - 25.0 mcg.
One banana is one of your “five a day” fruit and veg! Plus it makes it sweeter without adding extra sugar. One banana contains the following: Vitamin B6 - .5 mg., Manganese - .3 mg., Vitamin C - 9 mg., Potassium - 450 mg., Fibre - 3g., Protein - 1 g., Magnesium - 34 mg, and Folate - 25.0 mcg.
8) Frozen spinach
I mean greens are good for you, right? Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and vitamin C, as well as phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, protein and choline.
I mean greens are good for you, right? Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), manganese, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin E, calcium, potassium and vitamin C, as well as phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc, protein and choline.
Spidergrrl's Morning Smoothie
1cup (250ml) non dairy milk
1/4 cup additional milk or water (I use water)
1/4 cup beans of your choice
1 tsp golden paste
1/4 cup (GF) oats
1 TB chia seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 TB blackstrap molasses
1 TB tahini
1 small frozen banana, broken into chunks
1 heaping handful frozen spinach
Blend altogether. Drink. That's it.
This keeps me going for hours. Maybe give it a try yourself. If you pre-measure the dry ingredient pots, have golden paste frozen in portions, have your beans ready then it comes together in a snap.
1cup (250ml) non dairy milk
1/4 cup additional milk or water (I use water)
1/4 cup beans of your choice
1 tsp golden paste
1/4 cup (GF) oats
1 TB chia seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 TB blackstrap molasses
1 TB tahini
1 small frozen banana, broken into chunks
1 heaping handful frozen spinach
Blend altogether. Drink. That's it.
This keeps me going for hours. Maybe give it a try yourself. If you pre-measure the dry ingredient pots, have golden paste frozen in portions, have your beans ready then it comes together in a snap.
Wow!
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