5 Smoothies for 5 College Lifestyles
“Putting aside an extra two minutes in the morning to make a smoothie is the best thing you can do for yourself and the entire student body.”
College is a period of constant change and new discoveries. By your senior year you’ll look back at your freshman year photos and hardly recognize yourself. You’ll change your major a couple of times, try out a new nickname or a new boyfriend. Yet there’s one reliable drink that can nourish you while you transition between different roommates, jobs, and classes.
Learning how to create a smoothie that is both easy to drink and creamy is so satisfying. I’m convinced the first sip of a rich smoothie in the morning can set a good tone for the rest of the day. Putting aside an extra two minutes in the morning to make a smoothie is the best thing you can do for yourself and the entire student body. A smoothie will help ease your hunger and hold you over until lunchtime with the help of a snack. That 20-minute wait for parking is going to be a little bit more bearable, and you won’t lose it when someone bumps into you as you’re trying to make your way through the human stampede to get to your Tuesday morning class.
If my previous explanations haven’t convinced you to start making your own smoothies hopefully this list will. To prove that any college student can add a smoothie into their diet, I’ve chosen five different lifestyles and paired them with their best smoothie.
1. The Vegetable Cynic
Let’s start with the freshman who eats cereal for dinner every other night and gets a little too excited with his meal plan. OK, I’ll admit it that was me as a freshman. I pretty much ignored everything that was green and good for me. If I had to make a smoothie during that period of my life I would make sure to add dates and kale. Yes, kale. It’s high in protein and nutrients.
Although commitment issues are prominent among some college students. There’s good news for you freshmen, you don’t have to commit to a green and bitter veggie smoothie. Instead you can make your smoothie like Roxanna Torres does. “I add a date and a whole bunch of kale,” says Torres, a nutritionist at Vibe Health Bar, “Dates are an extra boost of sugar. They’re really sweet naturally so you can’t really taste the kale. It’s healthier but you’re still getting the taste of your smoothie. You can tweak ingredients here and there to make your drink more healthier.” Just try it — your healthier sophomore self will thank you.
2. The Shopaholic
Before you know it it’s round two. Sophomore year has rolled around; you’ve moved out of your dorm and into your first apartment. No more meal plan. You’re a big girl now and it’s time to shop for your own groceries. You open up the Notes app on your phone to your very first grocery list. While grabbing your shopping cart you realize you have the freedom to fill it to the brim. You figure, “Why not? — a girl’s gotta eat.”
Next thing you know, most of your organic fruit is hugging its expiration date. To avoid your precious Trader Joe’s dollars from going to waste, grab a Ziploc bag and freeze your fruit. The next morning you will have one of the most essential ingredients to produce the perfect textured smoothie. “Frozen fruit is better,” says Vanessa Epperson, an assistant manager and trained smoothie maker at Vibe Health Bar. “It gives smoothies that cold texture without having to add ice to your smoothie which can definitely water it down quickly.”
Learning to be frugal during your college years is a good life lesson and nothing hammers home the value of money than throwing away good food that you spent an entire shift working for. Bruised bananas can easily become an eyesore, but instead of tossing them freeze them as well.
When blended frozen bananas provide that creamy texture we’re looking for in a noteworthy smoothie. Bananas are also sweet and complement other fruits and vegetables that may not have as much flavor but are high in nutrition. These qualities make bananas my go-to base. Think of a base as the foundation of your smoothie. All of the other ingredients are additives that create distinct flavors and can increase the drink’s nutritional value. Bananas can be paired with any milk of your choice or coconut water to create a reliable and healthy base for your smoothie.
So we’ve taken care of the fruit. Now what do we do with that jar of coconut oil you bought? It’s been sitting untouched in the pantry for two months now. Pinterest said you could use coconut oil for almost anything, but you’re still trying to figure out its purpose. Put it in your smoothies.
“Coconut oil helps with hunger; it’s good for fighting bacteria and infections,” Torres says. “It actually helps with energy because it’s a good source of healthy fat your body needs. With coconut oil in smoothies I recommend in general having small amounts. No more than a teaspoon even to a tablespoon, depending on the amount of healthy fats you’re trying to ingest.”
3. The One with the Sniffles
Our next student is your sick roommate. You know, the one with the weak immune system who has the sniffles and a sore throat every other month. Next time your roommate makes a smoothie make sure it’s high in Vitamin C by adding oranges. Epperson also suggests adding ginger. “It gives your smoothie a nice kick,” she says. “It also helps clear your sinuses and makes your feel better altogether.” Just like your mother’s hot tea and honey these little additives can soothe your roommate’s symptoms.
Speaking of honey, if your bedridden roommate lives in Sacramento she most likely suffers during allergy season. Luckily, there are ingredients that can help give her nose a break while flowers are in full bloom. “Bee pollen is helpful with allergies in the spring,” Epperson says. “You can always blend it into a smoothie or use it as a topping. Our bee pollen is local and getting it in your system helps you fight allergies.” If you don’t have access to bee pollen, don’t worry: Local honey will work just as well. This ingredient can be found online or at a nearby farmers market.
4. The Student On the Go
After being sick you’re going to need a boost of energy to help you catch up on all of your assignments. You’d drink coffee but you don’t want to risk having coffee breath because your campus crush sits next to you in your following class. A Red Bull might do the trick, but you’re a little concerned you can’t pronounce half of the ingredients listed on the nutrition facts. You’re also running short on time and stopping by the store might result in your third tardy of the semester, not a good look.
You decide to play it safe and make your reliable two-minute ready smoothie, but there’s good news. You can have both your smoothie and a boost of energy. “A good add on is the maca powder,” Torres says. “You can add it to anything and you can’t taste it. It’s great for energy especially if you don’t want the crash or the negative side effects of caffeine. It’s amazing, super healthy on so many different levels.”
Here’s a recipe of my go-to two minute smoothie;
1 frozen banana
1 spoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 spoon of almond butter or peanut butter
2 cups of milk
The simple ingredients work well together to create a nutritious drink that tastes more like a dessert. The smoothie is easy to make and great for beginners . After making it a couple times add some ingredients of your own to customize it to your lifestyle and needs.
5. The Athlete
Don’t forget to schedule your smoothie into your meal plan after your workout. “I prefer to drink my smoothies 20 minutes to an hour after my workout because that’s your body’s optimal time to absorb nutrition,” says amateur UFC Fighter and fitness blogger, Mikaela Grace.
After an exhausting workout you might not have the energy to whip up a protein rich meal. Roasted chicken and brown rice will have to wait until after you take that hot shower; making smoothies your go-to drink after your workout. In less than two minutes you can make a nutrient dense drink that will help your body recover. “When it comes to athletes it’s really important to have something that is high in protein, has a good amount of fat, and a good source of calories so that it helps your body recover and absorb all the nutrients right after your workout.” Roxanna also shares some ingredients you can add to your post workout smoothie, “Protein with added fat from almond butter and coconut oil work great as a meal replacement or when you’re on the go and need your body to absorb nutrients quickly.”
After reading these five different smoothie ideas I hope you can incorporate this drink into your diet. Have some fun while making this beverage and play around with different ingredients to come up with your signature drink.
