Smoothie angst....
 

I swear I'm not a lunatic (even though the title of my post might make me sound like one....haha.)

OK, so I'm back on the wagon after falling off for the past few months. At my next meeting I'm going to set up my eTools subscription again (god, don't I miss it!) For now, I'm just tracking using a notepad file on my laptop.

Anyway. A friend of mine recently opened up her own little cafe that specializes in herbal teas, healthy wraps, and smoothies made from scratch. She makes them from fresh fruit/vegetables and various types of milks (2%, skim, soy, or almond.) There are also various add-ins that you can have (wheatgrass, "energizing" shots, etc.)

I dropped by yesterday morning, while I was out for my walk, and had a "Strawberry Slam" smoothie, made of strawberries and bananas, with skim milk and a shot of wheatgrass.

....and then proceeded to torture myself all the way home about how to track it. Bahahaha. I've heard conflicting stories about the tracking of smoothies -- some people say you should count points, others say you shouldn't since they're made of fruit and vegetables....and I just get so bloody confused.

I always looked at smoothies as a great way to get my fruits and veggies in, since I am honestly not a person who will eat an adequate amount of those foods left to my own devices. I mean, that smoothie I had yesterday counted for three servings of fruit! Isn't that a *good* thing? But then I have to torture myself about the tracking.

What I keep telling myself is: The smoothie contained a cup and a half of fruit. If I were going to physically *eat* three servings of fruit, I wouldn't count the points. So why would I count the points just because the fruit is being smashed up in a blender?

But then I think....a smoothie tastes so good, it *has* to be high in points! But then I think....but it's only fruit! (okay, and a serving of milk.)

In short: I am completely baffled, and it's bothering me because every time I drink a smoothie, I actually feel guilty, like I shouldn't be drinking it. :stress:

HALP. *L*

The skim milk would have points though.

I'm aware of that, so that is not the issue. The issue is how (or whether) to count points for the fruit and/or vegetables in the smoothie. I know I would have to count the points for half a cup of whatever milk was used.

I wouldn't have them daily, but as an occasional treat it shouldn't hurt. I try not to eat more than a serving of fruit at a sitting, but sometimes I do go over. I use unsweetened almond milk and it's very low in calories and therefore low in points as well, so you might try having that in your smoothie. The Silk unsweetened vanilla almond milk is only 30 calories for 8 ounces. I think I would ask your WW leader for their opinion on whether you should count points for smoothies and, if so, how many. You could also just see if it seems to effect your weight loss. Have a couple one week and then don't have any for a week and see if it makes any difference in the amount of weight you lose. I don't know, but I wouldn't stress yourself out over it :)

I am pretty sure, as long as you are consuming the actual fruit and not the juice, don't count the points for the fruit/veggies, just the milk! Sounds great - I wish I could make a smoothie. Every time I try, it's the grossest thing you ever tasted. Probably because I keep trying to make a pumpkin pie smoothie and it just doesn't work.

LOL, my pumpkin pie smoothies never turn out great either, PUPMOM5.

Snoofie- any chance you could ask for the (exact or approx.) measurements for the strawberry slam smoothie the next time you go in? I'd definitely only count the milk. I've never counted the fruits/veggies I've put in. I do count dried fruit like figs or dates though. That strawberry slam smoothies sounds SO good!

....I never even thought of that. o_O Bahahah! So simple...yet I never thought of it. Duh! I'm pretty sure I could get the exact measurements, since my friend *does* own the place and I'm sure they follow a "recipe" of some kind, at least in terms of measurements.

And yes, the strawberry slam smoothie is soooooo good. Like, ridiculously good. The menu description is "Strawberries, strawberries, and banana....and some more strawberries for good measure!" :D It's just fabulous. You can barely taste the banana, but it gives the whole thing this fantastic texture.

The next time I go, I think I'll try the "Veggie Patch" smoothie. Pineapple, mango, spinach, carrots and kale. I'm willing to try anything once, and my friend says it's her favourite. :)

Thinking more on this, I think I wouldn't count the fruit. Makes no difference if you eat it being handed to you, versus put in the blender. It still contains the same juices, as long as there is no added sugar and everything is fresh.

I would not count the fruit. As long as it is the whole fruit blended not just the juice (juice does not have the fibre whole fruit does). Smoothie are a great way to get your fruits and veggies. Make sure you are not having too many servings of fruit (like over 5 a day) as they do add up in calories and natural sugars. But 3 for a great tasting smoothie is awesome!

All righty, so I got my definitive answer today. The smoothie that I usually have (Strawberry Slam) contains: 4 fresh strawberries (half a cup); half a cup of frozen strawberry puree; half a banana; and a quarter cup of whatever milk you choose (I had unflavoured almond milk.)

YAY for smoothies! Of course, it's not something I'll be having multiple times a day, but having one a day wouldn't hurt, especially if it helps me get my fruits and veggies in! :carrot:

I would check on the nutritional information on the frozen strawberry puree... Could contain more sugar/carbs.

I should have been more specific on the frozen strawberry puree....it's nothing but fresh strawberries that are then pureed in a blender and poured into ice cube trays. :) It's what they use as the "ice" in their smoothies. (I wouldn't have thought to check that, but they were actually making a batch today while I was there!) :)

Oh, that's good. Glad you have found something you enjoy quite a bit :) I want to make my own smoothies at home and you have given me inspiration to find some recipes.

Here is an article I found : http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/a...=1&art_id=9671