Let’s face it, summer is here and the weather is very quickly heating up. I don’t know about the rest of you, but the idea of having to prepare a meal in a hot kitchen is not necessarily appealing at this time. Sure, you can make a salad, and though that may not involve a lot of cooking, it does require a lot of prepping which can be both time consuming and tedious, especially on days that feel like you’re constantly rushing from one thing to the next.

Then I thought to myself, smoothies! Hands down the best ‘meal’ to have on the go! Doesn’t require any chopping, and typically involves a lot less cleaning up. Simply toss all your whole ingredients into a high-powered blender, load it up if you’re anticipating a long day ahead, switch it on, and within a few seconds, your ‘meal’ is served! Easy enough and typically delicious!

Need more convincing? Here are 10 reasons why smoothies are great!

1. The main benefit is that it is a quick and easy way to up your fruit and veg intake. Rather than consciously thinking of your ‘five a day’, simply add them all to your morning smoothie and you’re done!
2. It is also a good way to eliminate waste. I can’t tell you the number of times I had allowed fresh ingredients to go bad in my fridge and ended up having to toss them, which I always found extremely upsetting. Nowadays however, when I start to worry about what to do with anything that’s been in my fridge longer than a few days, I simply add it to my morning smoothie, and low and behold, no more waste.
3. It is a great way to stay cool in the summer months; simply add a lot of ice to your ingredients and blend away! Your smoothie will be so refreshing, cold and delicious, you probably won’t be able to get enough of it afterwards.
4. In addition to increasing your fruit and veg intake, it is also a super easy way to up your daily protein intake. For those of us looking to build muscle, or attempting a high protein diet, but struggle to reach our daily quota, a smoothie is good way to get there. Simply add a scoop or two of your favourite protein powder, a couple tablespoons of chia seeds or a generous dollop of peanut butter and you have yourself a protein rich meal.
5. They help with consuming ingredients that may not always go down so easily, such as ginger, celery or spinach. Though these are much loved ingredients, some people really don’t enjoy them at all, but adding them to a smoothie makes them barely noticeable! Many of these ingredients are also a good source of fibre; another added benefit!
6. Good for gut health; especially if you add a dollop of yogurt or some probiotics, which studies have shown are particularly helpful when recovering from a flu or after being on antibiotics, which though necessary at times can strongly compromise your immune system.
7. Another easy way to boost your immune system and reduce inflammation by adding ingredients such as ginger, lemon juice, turmeric and cinnamon. All ingredients that may not be particularly enjoyable on their own, but act as great flavour enhancers and are also good for you in the long run.
8. Might be a good way to reduce sugar cravings; if you’re a sweet tooth and prone to a daily fix of chocolate and ice cream, you may not necessarily be doing your body any favours. Yes, the occasional sugar fix is okay, but if it becomes a daily habit, then at some point, it will be time to make some changes. Therefore, if you are so inclined, try replacing your daily fix with a smoothie instead and see if your cravings subside. This may take a while, but the results will be well worth it.
9. Energy Boosting; feeding your body all those nutrients in one go is a great way to boost your daily energy levels. Furthermore, you are also left feeling fuller for longer, thereby less likely to snack in-between meals and consume unnecessary calories.
10. Last, but certainly not least, kids love them! If your little one is a picky eater who doesn’t consume enough fruits and vegetables, then whipping it all up in a smoothie and giving it a fun name like ‘Mama’s Magic Juice’ is a good and effective way to get them to their five a day!

Ultimately, it is up to you how healthy your smoothie is, and what you choose to put in it will determine the health benefits you stand to gain.

There is no denying however that as well as being portable, family-friendly, and modifiable for any taste or dietary preference, they are also a good and easy way to stay nourished and healthy. Our only advice here would to make them from scratch, as most store-bought ones do tend to have added sugar which may taste good, but add no nutritional value.

To learn more about the benefits of smoothie consumption, check out the following article for more info: 10 Reasons to Drink Smoothies—Plus the Recipes We Love — Eat This Not That

Also, check out yufeed for some delicious and creative smoothie recipes!