Starting your day with a smoothie can be a great way to kickstart the morning and feel energized. People have different views on whether a smoothie is really such a great idea, so we’ll take some time to explore further the pros and cons of combining your favorite fruits first thing in the morning.
What are the benefits of having a smoothie for breakfast?
Having a smoothie for breakfast has a lot of benefits, namely:
Lots of nutrients
Few breakfasts are as quick and simple while also providing a way to get plenty of nutrients.
You can include oranges or grapefruit for your daily dose of vitamin C, or use bananas to get some extra energy. Spinach is a healthy and versatile option when making smoothies, and is full of iron to combat any feelings of fatigue.
It’s easy to get 5 a day
People struggling to get a minimum of five portions of fruit and/or vegetables each day find smoothies a simple and easy way to work around this problem.
Using one banana, a handful of strawberries, and an orange, you can get three portions of your 5 a day quite easily.
Add milk for protein
As we’ll explore more below, some smoothie critics don’t like the fact they don’t always contain milk.
However, you can include milk to your smoothies where appropriate, including in smoothies which contain bananas and avocados. You can also explore with different milks, including coconut, hazelnut and almond.
What are the negatives of having a smoothie for breakfast?
Here are some of the reasons why some people don’t recommend having a smoothie for breakfast.
Not enough food
Some people argue that a smoothie doesn’t provide enough calories for the whole morning.
Many smoothie fanatics will enjoy their morning smoothie before having a mid-morning snack as their energy levels drop.
Not enough variety
Another reason why smoothies aren’t always an ideal breakfast is lack of variety.
While breakfasts such as toast, cereal, eggs and yogurt are sometimes able to provide more varied nutrients than certain smoothies, some health professionals argue that smoothies restrict the consumer to purely fruit and vegetables.
There’s a lot of sugar
Although it’s fruit, you’re still eating sugar.
This is one of the main reasons why many people will advise against starting your day with a smoothie. It is particularly not recommended for people who suffer with diabetes.
