It’s about that time of the semester when meals in the dining halls start to get old, or the laziness kicks in when it comes to making food in apartments. To change up any diet plan, or create meals that can easily fill you up, VALLEY suggests smoothies as meal alternatives.
Smoothies can be loaded with fruit, vegetables, protein or anything that your appetite may desire. If you live in a dorm, it may be difficult to make your own smoothies, but places like Jamba Juice in the HUB, or Irving’s and Yogurt Express downtown, can satisfy your smoothie craving for a quick meal. If you live in an apartment, it’s easy to pick up ingredients from McClanahan’s Market, Target or any other food store so that you can make your own smoothies on your own time.
Some of the easiest, most filling smoothies to make as meal alternatives are peanut butter banana, mixed berry or the classic green.
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
The peanut butter banana smoothie is one of the most protein-filled smoothies you could make. Bananas alone are good sources of potassium, so, mixed with the protein from peanut butter, this kind of smoothie will fill you up in a healthy way. To reduce the thickness of this smoothie, add almond milk as a base in place of whole milk. To top it off, add some granola if you’re looking to be full for an extended amount of time.
Mixed Berry Smoothie
The mixed berry smoothie is one of the lighter smoothies to have as a meal, but will fill you up. Berries like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are best known for making you filling you up, so having all of them mixed together in a smoothie is a good move. To add to the lightness of the berries, use orange juice as a base and satisfy your sweet tooth with a healthy alternative.
Classic Green Smoothie
The classic green smoothie doesn’t sound too appetizing compared to the other options, but it is definitely the healthiest one you can make. Coconut water can be used as a base to blend each ingredient together well and not have the vegetables overpower the fruits. This smoothie is packed with vegetables like kale, spinach and celery, but can be balanced with the sweetness from fruits like green apples and pineapple to create the ultimate meal replacement comprised of the perfect super foods.
Each of these smoothies, and so many others, can be made as meal alternatives when you’re on the go, craving fruits and vegetables or looking for something that is filling other than those pesky carbs.
