smoothies for breakfast

Jen said:

Since I got my blender, my daughter just wants smoothies for breakfast. Is
this good enough?? Should she have something else as well? Did I read
somewhere that smoothies aren't such a good idea as a meal replacement?

Anybody have any ideas??

Jen

I haven't heard this theory. I am not a breakfast person as in eating
breakfast at home although I will eat it when we are away on occasion.
Quite frankly I don't like anything heavy on my stomach until closer to
lunch time. During the summer months and even sometimes during the
winter I have a smoothie as a sort of breakfast. For that reason I keep
plenty of berries, watermelon, and bananas in the freezer along with
orange juice and plain yogurt in the fridge. That way I don't feel
guilty about skipping breakfast yet the smoothie is not heavy enough to
bother my tummy. FWIW I can't see why a smoothie would not be good
enough as a breakfast meal replacement. With the right fruits you are
getting lots of anti-oxidants and vitamins as well as protein from the
yogurt. IMO it is a lot better for you than a lot of other things you
could eat for breakfast. Speaking of blenders I don't use mine a whole
lot but during the fall I enjoy hot cream of tomato soup for instead of
smoothies for breakfast. I've used a blender for that soup and several
others. Sorry the recipes are in my head and not written down as I've
made them so many times. One of these days I will have to try writing
them out for the next generation.

I make my daughter smoothies for breakfast. They sure seem healthy to
me: yogurt, fresh fruit, wheat germ, juice, sometimes
soymilk......seems pretty healthy to me. blending it all together is no
different than serving her a bowl of fruit with yogurt and wheat germ.

if she wants something solid, we often make a slice of whole-wheat
toast with it.

i don;'t think it's a big deal, as long as you're not giving her
slimfast smoothie powder shakes!!

Quoted message said:

if she wants something solid, we often make a slice of whole-wheat
toast with it.

i don;'t think it's a big deal, as long as you're not giving her
slimfast smoothie powder shakes!!

She's happy with it. It just seems to me that there's nothing solid. It's
only a drink.

Jen

I've made smoothies with Grape Nuts cereal added--very good, and
nourishing, too.
Nancree

"Jen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

if she wants something solid, we often make a slice of whole-wheat
toast with it.

i don;'t think it's a big deal, as long as you're not giving her
slimfast smoothie powder shakes!!

She's happy with it. It just seems to me that there's nothing solid.
It's only a drink.

Jen

It's a thick drink. If you're using yogurt or milk, she'll be getting
protein. I've also seen it suggested to add protein powder to smoothies.

Whether it's solid or not seems irrelevant. A smoothie can be pretty
substantial. I guess you should keep an eye on whether she's becoming
hungry before lunch, and maybe snacking on candy bars or something. That
would tip you off that it's not enough.

-T

Jen said:

Since I got my blender, my daughter just wants smoothies for
breakfast. Is this good enough?? Should she have something else as
well? Did I read somewhere that smoothies aren't such a good idea as
a meal replacement?

Anybody have any ideas??

Jen

I'd be worried she's all about that "don't get fat" thing that the mass
media is playing on everyone. Why does she want smoothies? Surely it can't
be just because you got a blender. Does she really like them? or is she
thinking losing weight? Does she think it's the *in* thing to do? Just
curious as to her motivations. Be careful.

Jill

Quoted message said:

I'd be worried she's all about that "don't get fat" thing that the mass
media is playing on everyone. Why does she want smoothies? Surely it
can't
be just because you got a blender. Does she really like them? or is she
thinking losing weight? Does she think it's the *in* thing to do? Just
curious as to her motivations. Be careful.

Jill

That's a good point. But I don't think it's the case. She loves the taste
of the smoothies we've made so far. She's not big on the typical "girl"
things, including the makeup and clothes and worrying about weight stuff.
She's more of a Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh fan. Today mid-morning she felt really
hungry and decided maybe she should have had more for breakfast.

Jen

Jen said:

Since I got my blender, my daughter just wants smoothies for breakfast. Is
this good enough?? Should she have something else as well? Did I read
somewhere that smoothies aren't such a good idea as a meal replacement?

Anybody have any ideas??

Jen

Throw in some protein powder (or meal replacer), available at your
local health food store. They have vanilla and strawberry flavored
ones, which mix well with other fruits. Either that, or add some
peanut butter or cottage cheese for more protein.

-L.

-L. said:

Jen said:

Since I got my blender, my daughter just wants smoothies for
breakfast. Is this good enough?? Should she have something else as
well? Did I read somewhere that smoothies aren't such a good idea
as a meal replacement?

Anybody have any ideas??

Jen

Throw in some protein powder (or meal replacer), available at your
local health food store. They have vanilla and strawberry flavored
ones, which mix well with other fruits. Either that, or add some
peanut butter or cottage cheese for more protein.

-L.

I can't remember what it was my father took when he was going through chemo,
but it was a protein powder he could buy at the drug store and add to milk
or whatever liquid. He felt so much better when he had that. I wish I
could remember the name of the stuff. When he was feeling so awful from
chemo the nurse said to him, "I'm not really allowed to tell you this but
this might help." Why not allowed to tell? Because it was homeopathic?!
It DID make him feel better. I'll ask him what that protein powder was
since I can't remember. I do know it eased his chemo symptoms considerably.
Dad is 81 years young and a lymphoma survivor.

Jill

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I can't remember what it was my father took when he was going through
chemo,
but it was a protein powder he could buy at the drug store and add to milk
or whatever liquid. He felt so much better when he had that. I wish I
could remember the name of the stuff. When he was feeling so awful from
chemo the nurse said to him, "I'm not really allowed to tell you this but
this might help." Why not allowed to tell? Because it was homeopathic?!

I think it was rather that she isn't allowed to 'prescribe'.

Gabby

"Jen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Since I got my blender, my daughter just wants smoothies for breakfast.

Is

Quoted message said:

this good enough?? Should she have something else as well? Did I read
somewhere that smoothies aren't such a good idea as a meal replacement?

Anybody have any ideas??

Jen

Fruit smoothies are an excellent breakfast food.

Shaun aRe

"Jen" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

if she wants something solid, we often make a slice of whole-wheat
toast with it.

i don;'t think it's a big deal, as long as you're not giving her
slimfast smoothie powder shakes!!

She's happy with it. It just seems to me that there's nothing solid.

It's

Quoted message said:

only a drink.

Hey - it was solid *before* it got whizzed up, so what's the difference?
Also, where in the human body care manual does it say that a breakfast
should *be* solid food?

',;~}~

Shaun aRe

Gabby said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I can't remember what it was my father took when he was going through
chemo,
but it was a protein powder he could buy at the drug store and add
to milk or whatever liquid. He felt so much better when he had
that.

I think it was rather that she isn't allowed to 'prescribe'.

Gabby

True, but whatever she told him to take made him feel better. That is all
that mattered. He wasn't puking his guts out after chemo-therapy and it
made him feel better. That was fine wiith him and with us,. his family.

Jill

Quoted message said:

Jen said:

Since I got my blender, my daughter just wants smoothies for breakfast.
Is
this good enough?? Should she have something else as well? Did I read
somewhere that smoothies aren't such a good idea as a meal replacement?

Anybody have any ideas??

Cottage cheese is amazingly high in protein and makes a thick smoothie that
tastes a bit like cheesecake. I like banana, milk, and cottage cheese in
mine, and then maybe a spoonful of cocoa or honey or jam or a leftover peach
that's getting squishy-ripe. That mixture gives protein, some carbs, and all
the vitamins and minerals from milk and fruit. It's a bit low on fat (if the
milk and cottage cheese are low to no fat) and fiber (though the fruit has a
little). I like to grab a handful of peanuts for later to round it out.

Kathy

Jen said:

Since I got my blender, my daughter just wants smoothies for breakfast. Is
this good enough?? Should she have something else as well? Did I read
somewhere that smoothies aren't such a good idea as a meal replacement?

Anybody have any ideas??

Jen

Smoothies are very popular here in Honduras. Besides the fruit, the
liquid used is whole milk and it is often thickened with rolled oats
(used as a breakfast cereal here), cornflakes, or even infant cereal.
Using a cereal as a thickener adds nutrition and makes it quite
filling. The cereal and milk adds vitamins and protein.

SD

Jen said:

Since I got my blender, my daughter just wants smoothies for breakfast. Is
this good enough?? Should she have something else as well? Did I read
somewhere that smoothies aren't such a good idea as a meal replacement?

Anybody have any ideas??

Jen

I am pretty health conscious and wouldn't recommend smoothies as a meal
.. replacement. The reasons:

- high on carbs --> quick satiation --> quick hunger afterwards __>
tendency to start cycling of eating sugary foods
- probably low on protein (which is needed plus prolongs satiation), but
it depends on what exactly goes into the smoothie
- low on fiber
- actually not nearly as satiating as foods that require chewing and
more time to eat
- considering how common obesity has become, I'd want my child to learn
what good food is. I believe in sitting down and chewing on an old
fashioned breakfast (in my case, sandwiches or oatmeal)

But you *can* make smoothies using very healthy ingredients,. That means
they are still better than sugary processed foods. But then I'd rather
eat the smoothie ingredients unblendered.