Make Your Smoothies More Satisfying

Smoothies taste heavenly as breakfast and as a snack, but they don't always fill you up. In this article, we'll take a closer look at how you can easily add important nutrients such as protein, fibre, and healthy fats, which help make the smoothie more filling and also help us get the recommended amounts of the various nutrients daily.

Proteins

Proteins help slow down digestion, support balanced blood sugar levels and promote a feeling of fullness. The daily recommended protein intake should be between 10 and 20% of your total daily energy intake. If you have an active lifestyle, you can start with 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. 

Good and nutritious sources of protein that you can use in your smoothie are:
Dairy products such as Greek yoghurt, Skyr, Kesam and cottage cheese are rich in protein, calcium and iodine.
Seeds and kernels such as chia, hemp, and flax are good vegan sources of protein and also add healthy fats.
Nuts and nut butters such as peanut butter, almond butter and cashews. 
Legumes such as cooked white beans and chickpeas are rich in protein and can be added to the smoothie without changing the taste. 
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and provide very high-quality proteins that the body can easily absorb. (It is considered safe to eat raw eggs in Norway. 

Healthy fats

Healthy fats, i.e. unsaturated fats, help keep us full because they take longer to digest than carbohydrates, contribute to a smooth energy curve and trigger satiety hormones in the gut. Because fats are very energy-rich, the stomach signals the brain to slow digestion, which provides a long-lasting, pleasant feeling of fullness. The Norwegian Directorate of Health recommends that the total fat intake should constitute 25–40% of the daily energy intake. The "healthy" fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) should make up the bulk of this, which, for most people, corresponds to approximately 50–75 grams of healthy fat daily.

Sources of healthy fats that also help make the smoothie more filling are coconut milk, coconut cream, chia seeds, flax seeds, avocado and nut butter.

Fiber

Fibre helps slow digestion, keeping us fuller and stabilising blood sugar levels. Norwegian health authorities recommend a daily fibre intake of at least 25 grams for women and at least 35 grams for men. Most of us only get about 22 grams per day on average. Important sources of dietary fibre include berries, especially blueberries; avocados; leafy greens; and frozen cauliflower. Chia seeds and flax seeds are also good sources of fibre.

Summary

In this article, we have looked at how we can easily make our smoothie a more complete meal. Studies also show that by eating 20% slower, we can reduce our food intake by 11%. It can therefore be useful to occasionally make our smoothie thicker, like a smoothie bowl, so that it takes longer to consume and digest. Add a colourful and nutritious topping with nuts, seeds and fresh berries and enjoy