Spinach has a unique appeal, simple, and full of all the good stuff your body needs, it is a regular superfood.
While there are countless benefits to starting your day with a spinach smoothie, spinach smoothies are often quite high in sugar.
Today, we will share with you all the benefits of spinach smoothies and let you know if you can enjoy these smoothies on a regular basis, or if perhaps they are better off being a once-in-a-while treat for you!
Is Spinach In Smoothies Good For You
Yes, spinach smoothies are really good for you. Spinach smoothies can work well as a healthy way to begin your day, and there are plenty of reasons that having one of these for your breakfast is a good idea.
They increase your intake of fiber and also help you towards your 5-a-day.
They also boost vitamin C intakes and help you to feel that extra bit energized throughout the day. Spinach is also said to have some effects on alleviating some of the more common health conditions, namely blood pressure, and a few others.
As long as you mix spinach with other ingredients, they will be good for you. You should make them with a mixture of a little bit of fruit, 70% vegetables, and some other stuff, such as almond butter, almond milk, yogurt, chia seeds, or any other protein source.
Spinach smoothies will also be high in B vitamins, zinc, calcium, folate, and much more. It has been shown in studies that spinach can help you to maintain memory, brain function, and better clarity.
Are Spinach Smoothies Good For Weight Loss
Yes, spinach smoothies can help you lose weight, due to their low amount of calories and high amount of fiber and protein.
Both fiber and protein are essential to promoting satiety and a feeling of fullness.
Most of us know that smoothies can help you lose weight, but you need to use them wisely. This means including smoothies as a part of a balanced diet.
If you bring a nutrient-dense smoothie into your daily diet, this can actually help you to stave off hunger which will help you lose weight. This is thanks to the high amounts of protein and fiber that they contain.
However, do remember that spinach smoothies on their own will not magically make you lose weight, you need to have a properly balanced diet, be more sensible with your food portions, and so on.
What Works Well With Spinach?
Spinach is one of those awesome ingredients that mix well with pretty much anything. However, you will often find that some liquids go best with it:
- Milk.
- Water.
- Milk alternatives.
- Coconut Water.
And, some other ingredients that work well with spinach include:
- Chia seeds.
- Protein powder.
- Frozen fruit.
- Vegetables.
- Nut butter.
- Cacao nibs.
- Granola.
10 Benefits Of Spinach Smoothies:
Why put spinach in a smoothie?
As we already discussed, spinach smoothies can help you lose weight, but they also have many other benefits too.
So, let’s take a look at some of the benefits of spinach smoothie!
#1. Stabilizes Hunger Hormones
Thanks to the fiber and protein in spinach, it helps to stabilize hunger.
Suppressing hunger hormones, and helping you to rid yourself of any unhealthy cravings you might have otherwise can prove really beneficial to individuals looking to lose weight.
#2. Reduces Bloating
Nobody likes being bloated. This is when spinach can be used to fight bloating.
Thanks to the water content and fiber in spinach, it can help relieve bloating.
One of the ways it does that is by helping your colon flush out waste faster, resulting in a flatter looking stomach.
Do note, that excessive fiber consumption may cause the opposite effect – which is bloating.
So make sure you do not overconsume fiber, otherwise, you may get unwanted side effects.
#3. Prevents Cravings
Having a smoothie can help you to stave off annoying cravings, and stay away from junk food.
Most of us do not realize that by increasing how many fruits and veg you eat, you can actually prevent yourself from feeling hungry throughout the day and wanting to snack as much!
#4. Supports Brain Health
Since spinach has an antiinflammatory effect it can help to protect the brain, especially when it comes to aging.
The research noted that cognitive abilities improved in older adults who consumed a large number of leafy greens in comparison to those who did not!
Want to avoid cognitive deterioration, get your spinach on!
#5. Detoxification
Spinach is high in antioxidants, so while it is also packed with minerals and vitamins, it will help to detoxify your body and help to work against inflammation and protect against diseases.
There is also a really cool antioxidant in spinach known as flavonoids, which are compounds that might actually help to protect you against cancer
#6. Helps The Immune System
The compounds found in spinach (even once blended) can help to reduce oxidative stress, and also activate certain genes in inflammation and metabolism.
These compounds also help you feel more satisfied and full. For these reasons it is believed that spinach can actually help you avoid chronic diseases, giving your immune system a boost.
Also thanks to its high iron levels and levels of other vitamins and minerals it gives your immune system a kick up the backside.
#7. Helps Digestion
Spinach has quite a high fiber intake, hence why it makes you feel so full, and as we all know, the gastrointestinal tract absolutely loves fiber.
Fiber helps to regulate your bowel movements and maintain a healthy gut. Spinach helps get things moving, and keep things moving in a healthy way!
#8. Healthy Skin
Spinach contains vitamins A, C, E, and K, all of which are important to our general health, however, vitamin K is of the most important.
Nonetheless, ingesting the right vitamins will help your skin no matter what!
#9. Healthy Hair
Much like our skin, our hair needs good, plentiful vitamins to really shine and glow, vitamin K is a vitamin that helps us to maintain healthy hair, as well as the skin!
#10. Helps Prevent Chronic Diseases
Since spinach has anti-inflammatory effects and is so full of essential vitamins and minerals, it is known to help stave off cancers and other chronic diseases.
Can You Use Frozen Spinach In A Smoothie
You can use frozen spinach in smoothies, in fact, it might even be better than when it is fresh as the nutrition is fresher.
This is known because in spinach nutrition can deteriorate from the moment it is picked, however, in spinach harvested soon after picking, the nutrition is fresher.
Frozen spinach may even have a stronger flavor and stronger texture too!
Our Favorite Spinach Smoothie Recipe
Is blended spinach good for you you may wonder, the answer is absolutely. Blending doesn’t destroy nutrients such as fiber or vitamins and minerals.
In fact, blending spinach may actually help digestion, since spinach is a difficult vegetable to digest.
You will be making your digestion job much easier if you blend spinach.
This is why, we have a delicious spinach smoothie recipe for you that includes blended spinach!
Creamy Raspberry Spinach Smoothie
Equipment
- 1 Blender We used this one
Ingredients
- 1 cup/150g of frozen raspberries
- 1 small banana peeled and diced
- 1 handful of spinach washed
- 1 tbsp peanut or almond butter unsweetened
- 200 ml almond milk unsweetened
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blitz until smooth. For about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Substitutions
A couple of alternatives you can use:- If you don't have frozen raspberries, you can use fresh ones, but add a couple of cubes of ice in the blender
- Instead of almond butter you can use peanut butter
- You can use kale or other leafy greens instead of spinach
- Use any dairy-free milk of choice it doesn't have to be almond
Nutrition
FAQs:
Is It OK To Drink Spinach Smoothie Every Day?
Green smoothies are always nutritious, and you can have them every day, however, you should always maintain a balanced diet and ensure this is not all you are eating.
What Does Spinach Do To Your Body?
Spinach improves bone health, lowers chronic disease risk (such as cancer), and can even help aid blood glucose control in those who have diabetes.
Is It Better To Eat Spinach Raw Or In A Smoothie?
A Swedish University recently uncovered that eating spinach as a juice or smoothie, with some fats is actually the overall most efficient way to get spinach into your diet.
Benefits Of Spinach Smoothie For Skin
Antioxidants in spinach fight off the free radicals in our bodies which makes our skin cells age quickly.
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