Healthiest Foods in the World?

September 8, 2011 5:52 AM

New Blendtec is here. Help me find the healthiest foods possible.

I have been trying to replace my breakfast with nutrient-rich smoothies lately. Dissatisfied with my current blender, I splurged and went for the Blendtec. Now, I can blend all the greens that usually end up in big chunks in my current blender. I'm looking for foods that are considered to be the healthiest available.

I should add that I'm not necessarily looking for a weight reduction method. I want green smoothies to replace junk-food cravings during the day. I work in an environment where I normally walk 1-5 miles a day, but there is always food available to eat. I'd like to already be full from the healthy smoothie before I even encounter any junk food.

Foods I've considered blending so far:
Carrots
Flax seeds
Spinach
Kale
Celery

Those are in addition to all the normal fruits someone might blend into a drink (bananas, mangoes, pineapple, grapes, blueberries...)

Are there any superfoods I should be including? Taste is not a factor, I will be masking any undesirable tastes with fruit, though a bunch of greens with some hot peppers sound pretty good right now. Thank you so much!

posted by santaliqueur to food & drink (10 answers total)

Avocado could work. IMHO, you need to include some kind of fat with this, either in the smoothie itself or on the side (like eating a handful of nuts before the smoothie). For one, fat helps with nutrient absorption, and second, it promotes fullness.

I used to make a breakfast smoothie with frozen berries and pomegranate juice, which was tasty but made me hungry an hour later. When I started adding almond butter and milk to it, it worked much better. I realize that most of the ingredients you've listed are vegetables, but even they have some carbs in them, so adding some fat would be good.
posted by LaurenIpsum at 6:31 AM on September 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

I found this little chart the other day, you might find it helpful.
posted by TooFewShoes at 6:49 AM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

I've also found that adding a small amount of protein powder thickens the smoothie and makes me feel more full afterwards.

I've had delicious smoothies that incorporated spirulina.

Finally, this isn't the healthiest (low-cal) smoothie to be had, but it's better than junk food and it's great workout fuel.

The Nutty Monkey
Brewed coffee (I use decaf)
Milk
Banana (try freezing it beforehand)
Almond butter (or raw peanut butter)
Dark chocolate chips

You can vary the ingredients to taste. Pulverize it until the dark chocolate is held in suspension. It's also excellent with a little vanilla-flavored protein powder.
posted by itstheclamsname at 7:06 AM on September 8, 2011

Oh, and on the green theme, my wife is wild about wheatgrass in smoothies.
posted by itstheclamsname at 7:09 AM on September 8, 2011

What you are looking for is called a "green monster." I have made several recipes from the Green Monster Movement with great success!
posted by unexpected at 7:21 AM on September 8, 2011

Awesome, thanks for the suggestions so far.

I forgot to mention I'll be adding protein powder to most of these smoothies. Also, I've been using Trader Joe's Valencia peanut butter with flaxseeds. Apart from being the most delicious peanut butter on earth, it's also quite good in smoothies.

I just retuned from Trader Joe's and Whole Foods with a bunch of different ingredients I'm going to experiment with. Lots of frozen and fresh fruit, and raw greens. Can't wait!
posted by santaliqueur at 7:59 AM on September 8, 2011

Chia seeds are supposed to be really good- I haven't tried that brand but in general they have a lot of fiber and omega 3s.
posted by rmless at 9:36 AM on September 8, 2011

bananas, mangoes, pineapple, grapes, blueberries...

You might want to reconsider if you're really doing yourself any favors by taking such a huge dose of sugar first thing in the morning. One or two fruits is fine, but blending a whole bunch of them is a different story.
posted by peacheater at 11:06 AM on September 8, 2011

More options: spirulina, beets, raw cashews, ginger, any citrus with rind included! Good bases can be coconut water, green tea, kefir, etc.
posted by rosebengal at 2:21 PM on September 8, 2011

I was giving examples of fruits I use, but thanks for the info about lots of sugar in the morning. I would only use 1 or 2 in one shake. Maybe a banana with one other fruit, protein powder, and some greens.
posted by santaliqueur at 3:16 PM on September 8, 2011