"Date Myself" Smoothie
by Madeline Stewart and Hannah Murray Oct. 26th, 2018
From Hannah: Smoothies are one of my favorite things to “eat” while I’m working. In all honesty, I am really bad about taking a lunch break and find that if I sip a smoothie while I practice I can call it reasonably effective multitasking. Occasionally, I come up with a concoction that I find so delicious I crave it all of the time. This one was inspired by a sweet treat I had in Palm Springs this summer while on a weekend getaway. It was the perfect treat in the hot desert weather.
Sometimes I worry that my delicious concoctions are not healthy enough to be called a meal, or that maybe I need to add something to them to add some nutrients. Thankfully, Madeline is on call to analyze the ingredients and tell me whether I need to consume with caution, or if it is truly as healthy as it is delicious. Let’s find out what she thinks about the “Date Myself” Smoothie.
Smoothie Review
From Madeline: This smoothie is great on a day when you don’t have an audition or a performance, and you plan to or have completed a strenuous or endurance based workout. Due to the high sugar content of bananas and dates, this is not a great option for days when activity is low and stress is high. To keep the sugar content low, ensure that you aren't also adding secret sugars. Secret sugars are often hidden in foods such as protein powders and almond milk. For a more comprehensive list of hidden sugars read our article titled sugar and performance.
A simple way to make this smoothie audition/performance day ready is to use half a banana and just one date, swap out vanilla protein powder for collagen peptides and add a little extra MCT oil. Eating well and in a way that supports our bodies does not look the same everyday. In an optimal world how we ate each day would reflect that days activities, physical and mental demands, and goals. Because of this, the health benefits of any given recipe can change depending on what we have ahead of us. This recipe is great for a day where you have a long run, heavy weights session, or swim session and you need a quick boost to get your through a few more activities or to-dos before lunch or dinner.
"Date Myself" Smoothie
This is the perfect smoothie recipe for a day full of physical activity!
ingredients:
- 1-2 medjool dates
- 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (or collagen peptides)
- 1 tsp MCT oil (or coconut oil)
- 1 TBSP almond butter
- 1 TSBP coconut flakes
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2-2/3 C almond milk
- 5 ice cubes
instructions
- Blend all ingredients together and enjoy!