Skip a meal and have a smoothie?

[Halfasianmomma]

Does anyone do this, but in a "healthy" way? I'm not trying to lose any significant amount of weight here, but I would like to feed my body throughout the day.

I'm asking because my mornings are a bit hectic and I find eating lunch after I workout is frustrating, because I need to do it at my desk. I come into work 45 minutes early every morning, in order to take a 90 minute lunch and go workout 3 times a week. This means that when I get back, there's no time for a leisurely lunch in the cafeteria. I have to scarf it down at my desk. A smoothie would be a good alternative, but I'm concerned about not getting the right nutrients or getting too many calories...

Anyone have suggestions?

[Teensy]

I often have smoothies for a meal.  Other posters will be able to offer more nutrition oriented advice, but I start with frozen fruit (usually mangos, strawberries and bananas) and add yougart and milk.  You can also mix in wheat germ, tofu or spinach, but I rarely do.

I get smoothies from smoothie shops also, with other fruits or sometimes espresso mixed in.  Yum.  Maybe not as healthy as a plate of fresh veggies, but better than a hunger slump or "I'm starving" danish.  

[oiseau]

I have a smoothie for breakfast or lunch sometimes. It's easy for me to mix up and drink in the car on the drive to work (sometimes I don't go in until 1-ish, so those are the days I would have a smoothie lunch). My general smoothie recipe is a few ice cubes, some frozen mango, frozen blueberries, a whole banana, a splash of peach juice, greek yogurt and a few leaves of kale (with the stem removed). I feel like I'm getting a good mix of fruits and veggies, plus some protein from the yogurt so I consider it a full meal. It usually ends up being around 20 oz. and it keeps me going until my next meal.  

[Halfasianmomma]

Thanks for the suggestions...I'll adjust your recipe to make it dairy-free!

Another question: if I made the smoothie in the morning, say around 6:30...is it still good to drink around 1:30 p.m., if I take it to work and keep it in the fridge there? I'd heard various things about the nutrients not being as good if you drink the smoothie later on...

[Alyantavid]

I have a smoothie for breakfast a few times a week.  I normally make it the night before and then keep it refrigerated until I'm ready to drink it. 

I usually put in:

milk

honey

peanut butter

spinach

whatever frozen fruit we have

[Thparkly]

Depending on what else I eat later in the day, I will focus on protein and fiber in the morning.  A skim milk protein smoothie with berries and milled flax seed is a personal favorite, extremely balanced, and could be done daily.

My favorite protein powder is hormone free whey called Dream Protein in vanilla flavor.  If I need extra sweet I add stevie.

[tinybutterfly]

I sometimes have a smoothie instead of dinner. I tend to accidently make too much smoothie all the time and so it's a lot and I get full. I was having one for breakfast for awhile, but now I am on an egg kick.

I use frozen fruit ( mango, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, sometimes blackberries and raspberries) and about 2 cups of baby spinach. If we have fresh pinapple I really like that, too, but that is not something we always have on hand.

I can't use bananas. They make the roof of my mouth itch.

Adding yogurt or milk sounds good to me. I am okay with dairy in small amounts.

Enjoy your smoothies!