Surhoor is that time of day when we know that we need to set ourselves up strong for a day of fasting, but we are tired and don’t have the brain power to come up with nutritionally dense ideas that are super simple to make! That’s all about to change as the lovely Lila Baig has shared her amazing tips for power packed smoothies!
What’s great about smoothies for Suhoor is the simple process and ingredients that you might already have lying around in your kitchen. It’s the perfect healthy and filling way start to your day when fasting in Ramadan.
Most smoothies can be classified into one or two of the following categories
- Fruit smoothies. Contains more than one fruit blended with fruit juice, water, milk, or yogurt.
- Green smoothies. Green smoothies pack leafy green vegetables and fruit blended with water, juice, or milk. They tend to be heavier in veggies than regular smoothies, though they often include a little fruit for sweetness.
- Protein smoothies. Protein smoothies usually start with one fruit or vegetable and a liquid, as well as a major protein source like Greek yogurt, cottage cheese or protein powder.
The nutritional value and calorie count of smoothies depend on the choices you make for ingredients. For example, using whole milk instead of low-fat milk adds sugar and calories to the smoothie.
- If drinking smoothies for weight loss, be sure to select low sugar, low carbohydrate, and low-fat ingredients
- Measure ingredients carefully so you can calculate an accurate nutritional content
- Balance the sugar in fruits with dark leafy green vegetables, like kale or spinach, which can deliver a healthy dose of fiber, vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, and other nutrients; usually, you would limit fruit to one.
- Remember that flavored yogurts have higher sugar content than plain, unflavored yogurt that only contains the natural milk sugar lactose
- Healthy homemade smoothies are best made with nutritional options like one-percent milk, unsweetened soy milk or unsweetened almond milk; can also use antioxidant-rich green tea or no-calorie water
- Breakfast smoothies should be high-fiber and high-protein
- Snack smoothies should be low sugar and low calorie.
I like to include some of the following ingredients in my Suhoor smoothies.
Chia seeds health benefits include one of the richest plant-based sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, excellent source of fiber, rich in antioxidants, helps you feel fuller longer, good source of protein, and many more!
Peanut butter is popular with people who work out as it contains a good mix of essential nutrients.
Spinach and Kale are rich in antioxidant vitamins, like vitamin A, but kale packs a bigger punch of vitamin C. Kale also boasts more fiber and calcium. Spinach holds its own with higher doses of magnesium, iron, and potassium.3
Coffee is great for boosting your energy levels.
Here are some amazing smoothie recipes, to keep you well hydrated and energised throughout the day in Ramadan.
Peanut butter and coffee smoothie
- 1 Banana
- 1 handful Spinach
- 1tbsp Peanut butter
- 1tbsp Chia seed (soaked or raw)
- 250-300ml Almond milk
Strawberry smoothie
- 1 handful Spinach
- 1 Banana
- 3 Strawberries
- 1tbsp Chia seeds
- 250-300ml Almond milk
Apple and spinach smoothie
- ½ an Apple (Green)
- 1 Cup Cucumber
- 1 Handful Spinach
- ½ Lemon (Juice)
- 1 Tsp Chia Seeds
- 1 Cup Water
- 4 Cubes of Ice
You can watch videos of Lila’s simple recipes on Youtube here and here.
You can follow more of Lila’s amazing recipes on here Instagram page here.
