Greetings! Welcome back to the blog series: “On the Road with the RDs” where we invite you to follow along with our Dietitians as they visit venues, teach communities, and continue their education in the wide world of nutrition. This post is from Jessica Holler, one of our Home Office RDs.
In August, I was invited to present at a health and wellness day for faculty at Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut. Faculty attend this event just before the start of school every year and they look forward to interactive sessions covering a variety of wellness topics. SAGE was invited to talk about smoothie making this year. I discussed the benefits of fruits and vegetables (which we don’t eat enough of!) and how smoothies can help increase our intake of them before talking through how to build a delicious and satisfying smoothie. From the liquid base to fruits and vegetables and fun and flavorful add ins, we discussed the benefits of different options, how to make sure the smoothie is filling, and how to build smoothies that meet different needs and tastes.
Our General Manager at Choate, Paul Kikosicki, took over next to discuss several different options for smoothie making equipment and the pros and cons of each. But the real fun came after we finished talking and turned the controls over to the audience! Paul provided a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, liquid bases, and extra add ins and let the faculty apply their newfound expertise at building their own smoothies for the group to sample. We tried some interesting new flavors and textures and had a great time trading ideas!
What’s next for SAGE’s RDs? Stay tuned – we could turn up at a venue near you!
Did you know?
- We should eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day to provide us with valuable nutrients we need.
- Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals that protect our cells.
- Only 12% of adults and 40% of children actually eat the recommended amount of fruit every day. We’re worse at eating our veggies – only 9% of adults and 7% of children eat enough!
- Add about a cup of fruit and a cup of veggies to your smoothie and you’ll get 2 of your 5 fruit and veggie servings for the day!
- For a satisfying smoothie that will keep you feeling full for longer, be sure to add protein and fat. For example, whole milk Greek yogurt provides both and makes your smoothie extra creamy!
Check out this recipe for a Pineapple-and-Mint Green Smoothie!
