How (and Why) to Make a Breakfast Smoothie

As a nurse, I am passionate about health and nutrition. I believe that it affects our well-being significantly and has a huge impact on our overall health. I think there is a shortage of good nutrition education, especially for kids, aside from teaching them to eat lots of fruits and veggies. Everybody knows that those are good for you. But with this video I wanted to dig deeper and address an issue that I have seen in multiple kids and adolescents: the issue of skipping breakfast. So many kids see this as an easy way to not “get fat” or they just “don’t feel like eating in the morning” or they are “too busy.” Whatever these children may tell you, not eating breakfast is a problem and can turn into issues over time. As they grow older and become more independent, teenagers are are forming habits – whether good or bad – that they will carry with them into their adult years. Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia are a sad reality, some of which I think could be prevented with good education. We should be educating teens, encouraging them to take control of their health, have a proper relationship with food, and help them to form healthy habits. I created this short video to provide education about the importance of breakfast and some healthy breakfast ideas. My target audience is primarily high-school aged kids, between the ages of 15-18, but I hope it is helpful to those of all ages. Nutrition education should start from a young age and we should be helping to instill habits that begin now but will last them a lifetime. With that said, please enjoy the following video.

References:

Emmerich, Maria. (2012). Secrets to a Healthy Metabolism. Hudson, Wisconsin: Craig Emmerich. Neithercott,

Tracey. (2011). The Importance of Breakfast. Retrieved 1/21/16 fromhttp://www.diabetesforecast.org/2011/sep/the-importance-of-breakfast.html

Here is the recipe to my morning power smoothie as shown on the video. The avocado is the secret to making it so creamy and I promise you can't taste it. :) As I mentioned, the breakfast smoothie is SO versatile and you can add almost anything to it. For more variety/nutrition, try different types of greens, chia seeds, cocoa powder, dates, fruit, etc. Experiment with flavors you enjoy.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup frozen mixed berries

1/2 banana, frozen

1/2 cup spinach leaves

1/2 avocado

1 scoop whey protein powder

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1/8 teaspoon stevia extract

2-4 Tablespoons water, as needed for desired consistency

Put all ingredients in blender in order listed and blend until smooth. Serves 1.