We are the proud new owners of the NutriBullet…as seen on TV. Making this purchase was my husband’s idea, and he is certain he is instantly healthier now that we have this cute little blender-like machine. The accompanying user guide touts getting the most out of life we need to get the most out of our food, and includes “life nutrient extraction recipes”. The manual goes on to say the NutriBullet breaks fruits and veggies down to their most digestible form which releases nutrients that otherwise are locked inside un-chewed bits of food…hmm, that’s a shame! Using the NutriBullet ensures our bodies are absorbing all of the disease fighting compounds the fruits and veggies offer. Wow! Are you sold on your need for this wonderful invention yet?? (Perhaps I could make some money here marketing this machine.)
Actually, we are both having fun using the Bullet – though I felt my old blender was working fairly well at making my smoothies also. I’m waiting for the novelty to wear off for my husband, then finding the NutriBullet sitting idle except for my use. For the time being, however, we’re enjoying smoothies made with kale or spinach, fruit, protein powder, and chia seeds or flaxseed meal. It’s an easy way to get protein and Omega 3’s among other benefits. I do feel like I’m being very healthy when I drink one of these concoctions.
I’m a huge proponent of getting ample amounts of protein (12-18 grams) with every meal, and eating 5-6 servings of veggies and/or fruit each day. (Some nutritionists suggest you eat 9 servings of fruits/vegetables a day; I sometimes struggle to get 5.) And, I am a 3-meal a day person with a couple of snacks in between (hopefully healthy, but not always). I began focusing on including protein and the veggies/fruit in my diet after reading The Mood Cure by Julia Ross, M.A. My take-away from that book is I can control my mood (read that be happier without anti-depressant drugs) by eating a diet rich in protein, healthy fat and vegetables. The NutriBullet will help me with getting the veggies and protein into my diet if for no other reason than after reading the literature for the machine, I am pumped up and inspired to continue on this path. It’s pretty easy to throw healthy things in the machine, whir away for 15 seconds and voila, get a healthy beverage that tastes good. (I still think a blender can work as well.) Trust me, you don’t even know the dark leafy greens are in the drink, the sweetness of the fruit trumps the veggies. That’s not to say I am not a little put off by the color of the smoothie; it’s a bit odd…a weird greenish-brown shade!
I also add plain Greek yogurt to most of my smoothies to get more protein, pro-biotics, and it helps thicken the smoothie. By the way, using frozen fruit makes the smoothie nice and cold which I think makes it more like something fun to drink (imagine something with ice cream, perhaps?). You can also add ice to get that cold beverage effect. Using a banana as part of the fruit also helps thicken the drink; and I happen to enjoy the banana flavor.
I will caution that a smoothie can be calorie-laden. When I get done adding ingredients I’m guessing I have 250-300 calories in my smoothie; but, I use it as my breakfast meal, usually along with a whole-wheat English muffin. I warned my husband he had better not think of using the Bullet to make snacks unless he wanted to increase his calorie intake for the day. So, he replaces his noon meal with a smoothie from the Bullet two or three times a week, thereby not adding any calories to his day.
My favorite smoothie…
- a handful of spinach leaves or 3 or 4 kale leaves
- about 1/3 cup frozen blueberries
- 3 or 4 frozen whole strawberries
- a half of a banana
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons plain whey protein powder (I don’t like the flavored powders)
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- about a 1/2 cup water, milk, or coconut milk, etc.
A side note, hubby thought it would be fun to make an ice cream malt for our grandsons in the Bullet. He did so, the boys took a few sips, got side-tracked and didn’t finish their servings. Hubby put them in the freezer and the two of us ate them as a frozen treat a day later – YUM!
A single postscript: I don’t always pull off eating 5 or 6 servings of fruits & veggies or getting enough protein in a day. Tuesday night, for example, I had a root beer float for dinner…another yum!!
