quick note: i was chatting with someone the other day and she had brought up the point that it sounds almost like i’m talking about some sort of program when i talk about these smoothies. there’s not a program associated; it’s purely just a recipe formula. i read and heard kelly leveque talk about it, and started to incorporate it into my own life. i use whatever protein and other ingredients i want. nothing to buy into – just a good hack for getting some health into your day!
if you’ve been around, you know how much i love the #fab4smoothies that kelly leveque recommends. they’re great for getting max nutritional impact for minimal effort. ever since i heard kelly interviewed on this podcast [and binged ALL of the podcasts she’s been on since then], i have added in the smoothies to my routine and i can swear by their efficacy. they help keep me full, elongate my blood sugar curve, and make sure i have a nutrient-dense meal that’s on the go. i love them [and their concept] so much that i’ve got my husband on board. through making larger quantities, i’ve figured out a few tips + tricks with them i wanted to share, since i know a lot of you are like us and always on-the-go and don’t necessarily have time to whip them up every morning. plus, cleaning a blender all the time sucks, amiright?
- make in batches: if you have a large blender, this works even better. i figured out after making smoothies for joey/myself/logan that it’s best to make multiple servings at once. this way, i only have to get my ingredients out once time instead of the every morning cleanup. if you have little kids, that means you don’t have to risk running the blender while they are sleeping; you can choose to do it while they are awake [or out of the house].
- make ahead and freeze; thaw when ready: i think i had heard kelly say she does this herself, but i hadn’t tried it until recently. it’s another adaptation of “i can’t use the blender at 6am when my kids aren’t up,” and it helps in the batching process. i’ll make two or three days worth and freeze them. joey drinks his right away in the morning, so the night before i’ll put his in the refrigerator. i, on the other hand, drink mine a lot later, so i’ll just grab mine out of the freezer before i go to work and usually drink mid-late morning when it thaws.
- freeze your greens: it’s great to buy pre-frozen spinach, but the best texture in my smoothies comes from when i buy salad-ready spinach and freeze it when i get home. when the spinach freezes it gets almost a ‘flaky’ texture, so it not only acts like ice in the smoothie but blends really well. it breaks up into tiny pieces so it blends easily and you can fit a lot more in there.
- mix your proteins: if you are making batches, this is where you can really play with flavors. i love mixing peanut butter protein with chocolate collagen protein and getting an amazing chocolate pb smoothie. i’ve also found that if you can tolerate different types of protein [whey/collagen/plant] you can get a really nice texture. for instance, i love collagen protein, but that alone doesn’t give me a thick enough smoothie. by doing both collagen and whey protein, i can get awesome flavors and a thick, substantial texture. check out this post for my current favorite combo.
this time last year i was starting to implement more healthy practices in my life, including the #fab4smoothie, so it’s kind of nice to get back to it now that i’m back at work. i feel great, and i credit a lot of my personal health and wellness in the past year to the fab 4 concept: protein/fat/fiber/greens. these smoothies are a great way to jumpstart my day + that of my family, so you can bet you’ll see plenty more #fab4 content in the future. in the meantime, leave me some recipes/ingredients for smoothies you love below or on my latest instagram!
