Why should I blend?
I have 3 kids under 4 years old. It is hard to get kids to eat vegetables. Meal times are usually stressful with prep and getting food in their mouths.
When kids or even myself is hungry you will usually choose something that is quick and convenient to eat. Often that turns into choosing fast food or pre-made food. And most of the time it is far from being healthy.
The standard American diet is very toxic and leaves our cells deficient because we don’t get enough natural raw nutritious food! So Blending is prefect competition against fast food!
3 Reasons why blending can help you as it has our family.
- When we blend ingredients together, typically with fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, milks and butters… IT TASTES GREAT! Kids will down a smoothie and not even realize that they are eating vegetables!
- When you make smoothies with a blender you are getting multiple servings of fruit and veggies all in one glass! It provides a BOOST OF NUTRIENTS. More in one glass then most of us would eat in a few days or a week!
- For busy families you should blend because it is… CONVENIENT. Our culture is too busy to consider fulling our cells with what they need. We so easily turn to “fast food”. Because it is prepared for us, quick, easy.. and Convenient. So blending matches that convenience.
You can prepare ingredients beforehand for the week. Just throw them in a blender and take it with you. It just takes a few minutes to blend up a nutritious drink!
What blender should I buy?
It is always said – “the one you have is the best one”. Its better to use what you have than nothing at all.
Purchase what you can afford but I strongly advise to save up and get a good quality blender. You will save time, energy and money in the long-term. Better quality will give you very smooth, better tasting and longer lasting beverages.
When I first started blending with a standard blender it was very frustrating. I could never seem to get the “smooth” in my smoothie. I ended up not blending for awhile because nothing would actually blend well and as the blenders get older they started to slow down even more. I went through a few…
- I would most often have chunks.
- Leafy greens would be just cut into tiny pieces.
- Forget about trying to blend nuts, seeds and ice.
- No options for soups, ice-cream or nut milks.
- Usually not smooth at all and not appetizing to be chewing instead of drinking.
It is all in what you want to do.
For me, I want a blender that can rip apart (easily & quickly) whatever food there is and turn it into a very smooth drink. For example; wether it’s leafy greens, nuts, seeds or ice… It needs to work consistently well! My grandparents have a blender that has lasted them over 20 years and its power and blade are still like new today!
Here are some ideas on what to look for.
- Good quality/durability. (a good price range can be- $250-$550)
- High powered.. 1700 watts – 2 horse power. (lean towards the horse power..)
- Good testimonies.
- Easy to clean.
- Easy to use.
- With a warranty is also great.
The blenders I strongly recommend.
Don’t waste your money on any others. Vitamix is what I use. Everyday… The other 2 I have used and have seen in action with very positive testimonies. All these are available on amazon with the links below.
*If clicked on and purchased through these links I will earn a small commission that would help me greatly with continuing re-think-health. I personally thank you for your support. -Daniel
ALSO! When making small quantities for babies first starting to eat… We used it and it worked great! Now we have a vitamix we tend to use most over the baby bullet.
The Baby bullet
Other uses for a blender?
- Home made ice creams.
- Soups and chilies.
- Babyfood pures.
- Sorbets.
- Dips, dressings and sauces.
- Nut milks and butters…
- Any others?
Let me know in the comments below if you have any “go to” recipes or tips for blending! Let’s help each other!
Smoothies…
*Try to use ingredients that are as close to their natural state as possible.
Chocolate Avocado Smoothie
A chocolate drink that is actually truly healthy??! Feel free to indulge in this chocolate drink. Chocolate in its raw bean form (Cacao) is definitely a superfood. These beans have been used far back throughout history for medicine and healing. Cacao is the natural raw bean before it becomes harmful after it is heated and processed with preservatives and sugars (ie: coco).
- Cacao is said to be the HIGHEST food filled with over 700 anti-oxidants and flavonoids. These will help in repairing your damaged cells, boosting your immune system and preventing disease.
- It supports our arteries which will fight against and can even reverse arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries causing heart disease).
- It is said to be the HIGHEST source of Magnesium in all food! Magnesium is used for over 300 biochemical needs in our body! It helps with heart rhythm, brain, nerve and muscle functions to name a few. I hear of people today that are deficient in magnesium and have many different symptoms.
On top of the cacao bean we have Avocado! This is another complete food. Packed with everything we need to support our health. It is filled with healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals. Avocado goes right along supporting the cacao bean.
Vitamins – A, B1-2-3-6-9, C, E, K. Minerals – Magnesium, Potassium, Iron, Sulfur, Manganese and copper..
Can help with:
- Heart disease (ie: angina, arteriosclerosis..)
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Helps regulate blood glucose levels (insulin resistance)
- Digestion
- Brain, nerve health
- Hair, skin, nails and eyes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of Chocolate almond milk or Almond Milk
- 2 tbsp of raw CaCao
- 1 tsp of Cinnamon
- 2 dates
- 1 tbsp of Almond Butter
- 1 Banana
- 1 Avocado
- 4-6 ice cubes
2 -3 servings
*AIM has a very nutritious blend of Cacao/Organic Cocoa and leaf greens that is perfect to use in this smoothie. Follow the link here to know more.
*Raw Cacao powder is in most natural food stores. It is becoming more popular and I have also seen it in organic sections of the supermarkets. Instead of dates you can use a tbsp or more of natural “unpasteurized” honey. You can freeze your bananas ahead of time to make the smoothie extra cool and refreshing.
Also try…
- Add a handful of seeds: hemp, chia, pumpkin, or flax..
- Put some kefir or yogurt in!
Directions:
Besides peeling the banana, removing the pit and skin of the avocado. Add everything in the blender and blend!
The Basic Green Smoothie
This Smoothie is a daily occurrence at lunch time in our house. The spinach and greens add a whole realm of vital nutrients to get us through the afternoon. It is quick, easy and tasty especially for the kids! The vitamin C in the orange is key for this smoothie as it enables the iron and other minerals in the spinach to be easily absorbed into our cells.
Can Help with:
- Alkalizing the body
- Boosting immunity
- Digesting vitamins properly
- Cleansing and nourishing cells
- Having a clear mind
- Providing energy
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups of water
- 2 Handfuls of Spinach or Kale
- 2 Bananas
- 1 Tsp on cinnamon
- 1 Big handful of frozen pineapple
- 5 Ice cubes
*Add Barleygreen, Leaf greens or another green powder you trust is a great easy way to get a good boost of nutrients. We like to add a few frozen raspberries to add a hint of taste. You can also freeze the bananas ahead of time to make the drink cool and refreshing.
Directions:
Rinse. Peel banana and orange (leaving as much of the white pith on the orange as possible). Then blend and serve!!
Mixed berry Smoothie!
Another very sweet and tasty drink! The seeds in this drink are the key. From Pomegranate to hemp and chia.. Pomegranate is very powerful in many things. It helps our heart and vasculature in reducing plaque buildup as well as lots of anti-oxidants! Flax seeds to the same. It fights many different bad bacteria by stimulating the good bacteria. Chia seeds promote good bowel health by coating the mucosal lining in our intestines. Hemp seeds have amino-acids for protein. Not to mention all the greatness of kale in this smoothie that adds a whole realm of phytonutrients.
Vitamins – K, C, B9-3-6, E. Minerals – Potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and copper..
Can help with:
- Heart health (atherosclerosis)
- Stress
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol
- Anti-carcinogenic (fights cancer cells)
- Anti-inflammatory (fighting arthritis)
- Anti-tumor
- Strength and memory
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of Pomegranate juice
- 1 cup of Hempseed milk (or coconut milk)
- 1 Handful of Kale
- 1-2 tbsp of Flax or Chia seeds
- 1 Banana
- 1 cup of frozen mixed berries
- 4-5 ice cubes
*This is another good one to add kefir or yogurt to. Buying organic pure Pomegranate juice is the easiest.
Directions:
Pour the juice and milk in. Rinse the berries and kale. Peel the banana. Put all the ingredients in and blend!
Juicing vs Blending?
Link to Barley life powder click here.
Link to Cocoa Leaf greens click here.
Question for you!
What blender do you recommend and why?
Do you have a favourite smoothie recipe you could share!?
Re-think-health 