Today’s breakfast is going green, and in some cases, very green — with kale, cucumber and spinach.
Green smoothies. And while some are all-vegetable, others include fruit, nuts and dairy.
With more juice and smoothie joints popping up around town and more bottles of green juice filling store shelves, a growing number of people are sipping vegetables to kick off their day.
If the trend continues, green smoothies could mark a shift in the American breakfast, long dominated by cereal, granola bars, eggs and bacon.
But while nutritionists say green smoothies can be an excellent way to consume more fruits and vegetables, they urge smoothie lovers to pay close attention to what’s in the glass. Otherwise, sugary, flavorful add-ins — such as peanut butter, hazel nut syrup and chocolate — can add loads of sugar and calories.
The surge of interest in green smoothies can help people boost their vegetable consumption, especially those who fall short meeting the daily recommendations, said Kristen Smith, a registered dietitian with the Atlanta Medical Center.
Only 27 percent of people eat the recommended three or more servings of vegetables daily, according to the Centers Disease Control for Prevention. Thirty-three percent of adults meet the recommendation for fruit consumption (two or more daily servings).
Most of her patients are averse to eating vegetables for breakfast unless it’s part of a smoothie or omelet, said Smith, who recommends spinach as a good first green vegetable for smoothies because it’s more mild than kale, broccoli and other veggies.
To ensure your green smoothie is good for you, Smith recommends those that include a majority of vegetables which should be rotated for variety – kale, cabbage, arugula, parsley. If the smoothie is acting as a full breakfast, she suggests adding one or two servings of fruit along with a high-protein dairy such as Greek yogurt, non-fat milk, or soy milk.
If ordering a smoothie from a juice bar, coffee shop or fast food restaurant, read the ingredients and make sure the recipe is simple. It should include whole fruits and vegetables, as opposed to juices and mixes, she said.
Smith recently started whipping up green smoothies a couple times a week for her breakfast. Her go-to green smoothie is a mix of spinach (up to three cups), a half-cup of strawberries and a fourth cup of Greek yogurt, along with a fourth of a cup of non-fat milk. She gets the ingredients ready the night before and takes her smoothie with her.
Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a board certified family physician and widely respected health guru, recommends green smoothies for breakfast in his latest book, “The End of Dieting.”
The author of “Eat to Live,” which sold more than one million copies and inspired a mantra, says smoothies can be consumed for breakfast a few times a week or every morning. His “Eat Your Greens Fruit Smoothie” calls for a mix of kale and baby spinach; one banana, berries; soy, hemp or almond milk and one tablespoon of ground flax seeds.
Even so, Fuhrman recommends people eat copious amounts of vegetables. It’s not only critical for people to fill up on vegetables for lunch and dinner; it’s important the vegetables be chewed.
When you chew a salad, for example, the green vegetables interact with bacteria in the mouth, increasing the production of nitric oxide, a gas that lowers blood pressure, promotes blood flow.
The rules are different for children, said Cheryl Williams, a registered dietitian at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She recommends parents steer clear of serving green smoothies for breakfast adding that it’s better for children to chew their fruits and vegetables. It’s more more filling, satisfying and encourages children to eat fruits and vegetables, she said.
Parents should try to incorporate two or three different food groups at each meal, Williams said. For breakfast, better alternatives include Greek yogurt and fruit or whole wheat toast with an egg, veggie omelette or nut butter.
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