Healthy Smoothie Bowl Recipes

With summer arriving you may be looking for a fresh, healthy and of course tasty alternative to the usual morning toast! Introducing our healthy smoothie bowl recipes!

I certainly look to switch up my meal plan when the hotter weather starts to roll in focusing on lighter bites, fresh salads and of course introducing my go-to breakfast: smoothie bowls!

Why are Smoothie Bowls so great?

I find smoothie bowls to be a super versatile breakfast, it can be low or high calorie, use many or minimal ingredients and provide a plethora of different flavours and fusion combinations!

Better still, buy yourself some decent crockery and it can even become an “Insta” sensation!

Are smoothie bowls healthy?

Smoothie bowls are generally based around a foundation blend of fruits (and sometimes vegetables) with additional “additives” to boost flavour and/or calories. Anything from Granola, to Chia seeds, chocolate chips to dried fruits and peanut butter to protein powder it really is a no holes barred dish.

However, one of its biggest assets is therefore one of its biggest drawbacks. A true healthy smoothie bowl would be a balanced 400-600 calorie breakfast with calories sourced predominantly from fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately walloping 600 Calories worth of peanut butter and granola in limits its health potential. Sure it’ll taste bloody phenomenal, but it probably isn’t going to do your waist line any favours.

The healthy smoothie bowl therefore needs to be designed with care, built with both your taste buds and calorie targets in mind!

Can protein powder be incorporated into a healthy smoothie bowl?

I often use protein powder in my healthy smoothie bowl recipes to ensure I am on track to hit my target macros for the week by boosting the protein profile of the meal. Protein is also a highly satiating nutrient which can help you feel fuller for longer and stave off those snacking urges meaning I am more likely to stay on track with my calorie goals!

Protein powder is also a good method of flavour fusion and you can certainly play about with the plethora of flavours on the market. For instance we use the chocolate mint flavour protein in our Mint Chocolate Aero and the White Chocolate in our Snickers bowl.

You can use either Casein, or Whey protein blends in a smoothie bowl, however I tend to opt more for Whey due to the versatility of flavours that tend to be available. My go to store is definitely MyProtein, the Impact Whey has an excellent macronutrient profile, is very affordable and offers a large plethora of flavours to suit every palette! As it happens it is also my go-to post workout shake, so win-win!

What are my go-to Healthy Smoothie Bowls?

The White Chocolate Snickers Bowl

Calorie Profile: 625 Kcals 47% C 26% P 27% F

100ml almond, oat or milk of your choice
1 Frozen Banana
1.5 scoop White Chocolate Protein Powder
20g Peanut Butter
Toppings: Chia Seeds, Granola and Desiccated Coconut

Method

Place your milk into the blender.
Add frozen banana, protein powder and 1 tablespoon peanut butter. Seal and blend until smooth.
Pour out into a bowl.
Add desired toppings and tuck in

The Skinny PB&J

Calorie Profile: 390 Kcals 30% C 37% P 33%F

Ingredients

100ml almond, oat or milk of your choice
150g frozen blueberries
150g cup frozen sliced strawberries
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp peanut butter

Method

Place your milk into the blender.
Add frozen fruit, protein powder and 1 tablespoon peanut butter. Seal and blend until smooth.
Pour out into a bowl.

Mint Chocolate Aero

Calorie Profile: 388 Kcals 46%C 34%P 20%F

Ingredients

100ml almond, oat or milk of your choice
1 scoop mint chocolate whey protein
1 Frozen Banana
Toppings: Chia Seeds and Granola

Method

Place your milk into the blender.
Add frozen banana, protein powder and 1 tablespoon peanut butter. Seal and blend until smooth.
Pour out into a bowl.
Add your toppings and tuck in

We hope these healthy smoothie bowl recipes give you some new and healthy options to try to mix up that breakfast regime!

Huel: Fitness Fad or Fitness Necessity?

Huel: Fitness Fad or Fitness Necessity

If you aren’t big on meal planning and cooking then Huel might just be the answer you are looking for. Huel bills itself as the ultimate meal replacement shake and a convenient way to manage your weight and improve your nutrition. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits and drawbacks of Huel from a fitness and finance perspective.

What is Huel?

Huel is a nutritionally complete meal replacement shake that claims to provide all the essential nutrients your body needs to function. Checking out their website throws up three core products. Powder, ready to drink and bars all of which contain a balanced ratio of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. So from a nutrition perspective, it certainly seems to live up to the hype. Let’s delve a little deeper shall we?

Essential Powder – At roughly £1.11 per meal the Huel Essential powder is certainly the cheapest option. Each serving will provide 400 Kcal in a 50/20/20 macro split (Carb/Protein/Fat) so it is hardly a nutritional template and we would certainly like to see a little more protein per serving. It could certainly be worked into a target set of macros though!
Black Edition Powder – The Black Edition powder comes in at £1.86 per serving. With the same 400 kcals the black edition squeezes in some extra protein and reduces the carbs significantly. This transforms the profile into a 17/40/40 split (Carb/Protein/Fat). We certainly like the higher protein profile and on a cost per gram of protein basis this option actually saves you money.
Bars – Coming in at 200 Kcals per bar with a 36/24/35 (Carb/Protein/Fat) macro profile the bars certainly aren’t the most nutritionally optimal option. At a cost of £1.44 per bar it also isn’t really going to save you any money on a gram for gram or calorie for calorie basis. So yeah, the bars keep up the usual trend of supplement bars in being sub-optimal nutritionally and over-priced…They do however taste delicious!
Ready to Drink – If you have deep pockets and don’t fancy the inconvenience of having to mix your own protein shake you can delve into the ready to drink option. 400 Kcals per bottle in a 35/40/22 (Carb/Protein/Fat) macro split it is practically template, but at £2.88 it is also 6x as expensive as a fresh chicken breast on a per gram of protein basis!

Is It Good for Losing Weight?

Huel can be a helpful tool for weight management due to its calorie-controlled servings. Each of which contains around 400-500 calories, making it easy to track your calorie intake. With its nutrient dense profile and lower GI it can also help you avoid overeating. This is because the slower release of energy will have you feeling fuller for longer. As we have mentioned before though, it is calories in versus calories out when losing weight. If you plough through 2000 Kcals of Huel then you just ate 2000 Kcals. Therefore with a maintenance of 2000 Kcals you aren’t going to lose weight!

Is Huel Good for You?

Huel can be a healthy option if used correctly. It provides a complete nutritional profile and is suitable for vegans and people with food intolerances. Huel can also be helpful for people who struggle to eat enough fruits and vegetables and get enough vitamins. However, it’s essential to note that it should not replace whole foods entirely. It’s important to eat a variety of foods to ensure you’re getting all the essential nutrients your body needs.

What is Actually in Huel?

Huel is made from a blend of oat flour, pea protein, brown rice protein, flaxseed, sunflower oil, and a vitamin and mineral blend. With such all-natural ingredients and no artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives, it certainly fits the bill of a good healthy shake! There are a plethora of flavours available too meaning there should be an option to suit every palette.

What are the Side Effects of Huel?

Like any dietary change, some people may experience side effects when first introducing Huel into their diet. Common side effects include bloating, gas, and changes in bowel movements. However, these side effects typically subside after a few days as your body adjusts to the new diet. If you experience persistent side effects, it’s essential to consult your doctor.

Is it OK to Just Eat Huel?

While Huel provides a complete nutritional profile, it is still just a meal replacement shake. We recommend eating a variety of foods to ensure you’re getting all the essential nutrients your body needs. Besides, a diet needs to be sustainable and I can’t imagine the impact on my mental health if I ended up consuming only liquid meals for the rest of my life!

Conclusion

Overall, Huel can be a helpful tool for weight management and improving nutrition. However, it’s essential to remember that Huel should not replace whole foods entirely. It’s important to eat a variety of foods to ensure you’re getting all the essential nutrients your body needs.

If you’re considering incorporating Huel into your diet, it’s essential to consult your doctor or a registered dietitian to ensure it’s a safe and suitable option for you. By combining Huel with a balanced diet and regular exercise, you can reap the benefits of improved nutrition and sustainable weight loss.

The best diets to lose weight.

What is the best diet to lose weight?

The fitness and health market is rife with various fad diets to lose weight ranging from carbs being good to carbs being the devil, intermittent fasting and variable eating windows, 5:2, vegan, paleo, weightwatchers…The list goes on and on.

The underpinning factor to all of these diets however is simple. A reduction in calories consumed.

Should you limit your eating windows or eliminate food groups based on macronutrient profile it goes without saying that you will reduce your overarching calorie intake. For instance, Keto, a now very popular method of losing weight goes by the principle of eliminating carbohydrates and instead focusing on protein and fats. This is designed to put our body into a state of ketosis which will support weight loss. Whilst scientifically this does occur, the requisite weight loss is not primarily attributable to the state of ketosis. You’re losing weight, because under the diet you have restricted a macronutrient which is extremely common in calorie dense foods. Ketosis is a factor, but minimal in comparison to the fact that under the diet you can now no longer drink alcohol, eat cake, snack on crisps or sweets and pile your steak dinner high with chips and an extra helping of diane sauce.

That is not to discredit such diets, these do work as a calorie reduction versus normal eating habits will inevitably result in requisite weight loss. However, the diet is only truly effective if it is something you can adhere to all of the time (or at least the majority of the time). Consistency is always key, so going on a keto diet for 2-3 months may yield results, however as soon as you revert to a “normal” diet you will regain the weight lost. Keto is therefore useful if it is going to be your normal, otherwise it is simply not sustainable.

So what diet is best for me?

The best diet for you simply depends on personal preference therefore and what you think you can stick to long-term. If you are happy not eating carbohydrates then go for Keto, if you are happy to limit eating windows then go for intermittent fasting, if like me you prefer a little more flexibility adopt a calories in vs calories out approach (calorie tracking).

Your ultimate goal to lose weight with any diet is a reduction in overall calories. Such a reduction needs to be significant enough so as to put you in a calorie deficit for the day. Once you hit that calorie deficit consistently over a period of time you will start to enjoy weight loss results.

5 Reasons why you are not losing weight.

What are 5 key reasons you aren’t losing weight.

The not so calorie conscious calorie counting:

You’re in and you’ve committed, you have downloaded that calorie counter you have heard so much about and you are ready to start losing weight by scanning labels and plugging in data like a pro. However, the key to calorie counting is specifics. One mans bowl of cereal is another mans 1000 calorie meal. That is, a bowl of cereal could be 300ml of milk and 60g of cereal or 120g of cereal and 600ml of milk depending on how liberal you are with your freeloaded pouring motion. If you had chicken and rice for dinner did you measure out 300g of chicken and 40g of cooked rice and track that? Or did we just freeload a bunch of rice in a pan, bang it on a plate and throw a random amount of chicken on top? If you are going the calorie counting route you really need to focus on specifics and get accurate measurements of the food you are consuming day to day

The weekend blowout:

Unfortunately, calories do also count on weekends. Working really hard and being strict through the week to build your calorie deficit only to go out on the weekend plough through a pizza, 6 pints and finish with a kebab means your weekly deficit quickly evaporates and probably becomes a surplus. Weekend eating also needs to be managed unfortunately.

The its healthy so its fine:

When it comes to energy and energy storage within our bodies, calories are I am afraid calories. Sure fruit and vegetables have more nutrients and will fuel your day far better than a Mcdonalds burger, but if you eat 2000 kcals of fruit and veg or 2000 kcals of Mcdonalds you’ve still eaten 2000 kcals. If you are eating maintenance at 2000 then you aren’t going to lose weight.

Restaurants and takeaways:

Restaurants and takeaways make some extremely tasty food, but to make such food taste so good they often use copious amounts of sauces and overzealous portion control. If you make a habit of restaurants and takeaways (once per week religiously is still a habit I am afraid) then you are on a sure fire route of blowing your weight loss goals.

The exercise over estimator:

I hate to break it to you, but that smart watch is a liar. It might say you burnt 3000kcals today, but this is based on averages and estimates of activity. Gym equipment also lies, the treadmill might say you have earnt that Greggs sausage roll after 15 minutes of light jogging…However to put some perspective on it you would actually need to complete around 700 burpees for such a treat.

Summary

So there you have it. 5 key reasons why you are not losing weight. We hope this article proves useful and has you speeding much faster toward your weight loss goals.

Hitting your Protein Macro on a budget

How to Hit you Protein Macro on a budget

We at VT2 Fitness know those budgets are tight, so in order to help you hit that protein macro on a budget we have done the leg work for you and broken down the cost per gram of protein across the 3 main UK supermarkets for the most popular lean protein sources.

With rents sky high and the cost of living an what seems like an ever increasing spiral, we hope this gives you that little helping hand to meet those protein macros without breaking the bank!