Our sun is out. The forecast looks good for this big weekend filled with family, beer and moving. Excited!!
You know how there are fru-fru salads and entrée salads?
Fru-frus are made with mixed greens, maybe a few nuts or a cheese and a dressing. They’re light and not that filling, but perfect as an appetizer or side.
Then there are entrée salads – filled with bigger portions of lettuce and vegetables and often with a protein source like fish, chicken, egg or shrimp on top – and served with a slice of bread. That’s a meal.
Same thing goes for smoothies! If you make your smoothie out of 100% fruit or fruit juice, it’s a nice snack, but would hardly keep me feeling full for more than an hour or so.
In my house, I make entrée smoothies. Filled with bulkier ingredients that add more protein, whole grains + fat and keep me satisfied for 4 hours. Add things like yogurt, cottage cheese, soy or organic cow’s milk [almond milk has little protein], oatmeal, cereal on top, chia or flax seeds, bread croutons, nut butters, tofu and more in addition to a fruit base. Think of the smoothie in 5 parts to get about 500 calories (about 1/3 of meals for the day + snacks to get to 1800-2000 that most women need]: fruit, protein, complex carbs, fats, garnish.
Today’s Blend included:
- Banana [fruit, duh]
- Blackberries [fruit, duh]
- 1 cup milk [protein]
- 1/4 cup dry rolled oats [complex carbs]
- 1/2 tbsp chia seeds [fat/protein]
- 1 tbsp sunflower butter [fat/protein]
- Cville Crunch [garnish/complex carbs/fat]
Feeling full!
More Lipton. Mom, I think I’m drinking the stash you left here for YOU the next time you visit! Oops!
Unfortunately, I slept horribly last night. I woke up with a racing mind of all the things I have to do + manage these next few days. I’m not sure if that was the cause or side effect of insomnia, but I ended up also feeling very hungry and came down to have a little bowl of granola. When I have insomnia, sometimes I think it’s good to do something different than lying in bed – so getting up, doing something, and coming back to bed often helps me get back to sleep. The snack worked! But alas, I’m tired and headachy this morning.
Sunshine = BIKING!!!
{ 78 comments… read them below or add one }
Oy it’s still pouring here. Share some sun with us, wouldya? The color of your smoothie is beaut!!
Your smoothies are always such pretty colors. I always add spinach, which is great (you can’t taste it!) but it makes the color a little… questionable…
I like to add protein powder for some additional bulk. Definitely going to try it out with cottage cheese next!
Love the bowls! I am trying these this weekend…the whole crunch thing I mean
I always use protein powder in smoothies, but I’m going to have to try one like this! Protein powder is helpful – but sometimes it’s best to get it from real food!!! and that just looks delicious….
I love entree smoothies, that’s my ‘feel great’ breakfast
I hope you feel better today!
Thanks for breaking down how you make your entree smoothies! I can’t wait to experiment with my next one. Hope the move goes well this weekend!
What a fun little bowl/mug! I like your smoothie snack/entree comparison to appetizer/entree salads. So true!
I plan my smoothies the exact same way. If made correctly, a good smoothie can keep me full for HOURS. Love them.
I can never master the entree smoothie! I wish there was some formula to a great smoothie. Mine either come out too watery, an ugly color, or just a mehh taste!
Entree salads on the other hand I have some to a T!
where is that smoothie mug from??!! I love it!!
It’s a Ramen Bowl – former OpenSky thing:
https://www.flavourdesign.com/product.php?ProdNo=258
Oh, sorry to hear about the lack of a good nights sleep. That is such a bad feeling!
But your smoothie looks pretty delish! And it’s a reminder that I really do need to get some more chias. And maybe another cute bowl too.
That’s a neat tip about the smoothies. Because I usually don’t add anything like yogurt to my smoothies, I make sure to eat something with it that will help fill me up, like nuts or cheese. Or, I might even have a meal with it, to balance things out a bit more.
If I ever try the entree smoothies, I’ll probably try adding one bulkier ingredient first, like peanut butter, and then work my way up to adding more ingredients, like the rolled oats and chia seeds.
sun is still not out here in Fairfax, VA!! Booo!!!
That big blob of Peanut butter is making me drool, haha! It just looks amazing, love blobs of nut butters ; )
Have a great day! xoxo <3
I really love this idea of an entree smoothie and thinking of it in five key ingredients! Thank you for sharing this with us!
I just love that mug. I wish I had bought it when you had it on Opensky.
I love entree smoothies!
YUM! I always mix my nut butter into my smoothie, but it looks so pretty sitting on top like that. I love the title entree smoothie–I’ll eat them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and when it’s 115 out, sometimes I want to eat them for all three!
I had a bit of the insomnia as well last night/early this morning. But glad the snack worked and enjoy the sun!!
Now I know what we’ll be having for breakfast tomorrow morning on the ranch. Thanks for the detailed explanation and nutrition breakdown!
I was shocked when I realized my smoothies clocked in at around 4-500 calories. For some – even though they’re a full meal for me – I felt like they should’ve been lighter! But I’d rather have one chalk full of nutrient-dense stuff like soy yogurt, flax and hemp than a wimpy one that’ll leave me hungry in the hour!
Glad the sun is out for you, it’s still hiding over here
Good luck this weekend with all the move stuff, it’s nice your fam is coming to help out!
Still raining like mad in my city too….sigh! Love the green bowl btw
The smoothie looks delish!! I am not a fan of fru-fru salads – I like mine to be enormous!! YAY for sun – it’s actually managed to come out here today too! Hope your headache subsides soon.
Such a pretty purple – mine all too often are grossss colors. They taste fantastic, but …. they have a face only a mother could love.
Now I want an entree salad, lol! Size matters when it comes to salads… And smoothies!
Haha– I like that comparison between the salads and the smoothies– so true!
love that bowl!
That is the cutest mug ever! I always add more to my smoothies otherwise its just a snack!
I always load my smoothies up – protein powder, oats, peanut butter, bananas, milk – yum! I don’t often garnish mine, though, I have trouble getting them to be thick enough for the garnish to float.
Entree salads are a favorite of mine, too. Done right, they are delicious.
I slept for complete crap too. Something in the air.
Hopefully you’ll sleep well in your new home
I totally understand the mind racing syndrome, and I agree it helps to get out of bed and do something different for a few minutes before I try to go back to sleep.
The night before last I woke up at 2AM and couldn’t go back to sleep. Insomnia anyone? I enjoyed the extra morning time – got lots done. Last night I slept hard and didn’t want to get up this morning. Can you say happy medium?
I did not have a good night’s sleep either… I spent the night in a hotel room & never sleep so well in when not in my own bed! I also have been on a week’s vacation from work & will have to go back tonight (3rd shift) & am soooo not looking forward to that.
I can’t believe how many of us couldn’t sleep – lunar calendar anyone!?
Sorry You didn’t sleep well!
today is Friday, and I’m sure you’ll accomplish everything You need! 
What a GREAT analogy! That is so true… I love love love salads of any kind but those fru fru salads sometimes have super bitter/grassy/weedy/stringy greens… I guiltfully adore iceburg lettuce for its crisp crunch!
That mason jar table cloth is my favorite! The colors are just so charming.
Good luck this weekend Kath! Hopefully all the dreary weather is over and it stays sunny for you all
Sorry about the poor sleep
I hate those nights. I always do a bowl of cereal as well and it usually does the trick but sometimes it’s too late and the damage is done!
Don’t worry (I know, easier said than done) – everything will somehow, someway get done!!
PS – I’m totally on board with the entree smoothie, that’s exactly what I do to bulk up my breakfasts! Nut butters, yogurts, oats, etc
I have never put oats into my smoothies before, I may have to try this. I find that just a normal fruit smoothie doesn’t keep me full for very long!
I’m surprised to hear you and other commenters say all-fruit smoothies don’t fill you! I love the all-fruit smoothie, and find it keeps me as full if not fuller than others- but probably because I carry it with me and keep sipping for hours. I like them super thick, like a Jamba Juice but without the sherbet. I do put soaked chia seeds in, and find those usually make the full-feeling last a bit longer. Also, I only use a half cup of juice, the rest is a quarter cup of soaked chia and several cups of fruit. Maybe it’s all that fiber, and the strawberries are so low in calorie it add bulk and flavor without becoming a crazy meal. And if I have a fru-fru salad, I’ll usually have 4x the amount of everyone else! It does take volume to have any sense of hunger-quelling there.
Sipping it slowly probably does have an impact on satiety
I like tofu in smoothies to keep me full in the morning! I’ve also been putting protein powder in mine for the texture. Makes it taste like a Wendy’s Frosty
Hey Kath! I just found your blog through Open Sky. Love it! I think it’s awesome that you are able to post 3x a day and you’ve been doing it for a while! That’s a lot of bloggin’… Good luck with the move!
Welcome!!
That noodle bowl is AMAZING!
(I just had to look it up to see what all the holes were for- GENIUS)
Hope you feel better soon! At least you had a great breakfast to start the day
OMG can’t believe you posted about your snack..same thing happened to me too! I woke up at 4.30 to hunger growls so I ate a bowl of granola with milk and went back to bed…did the trick
I hope all goes well with your move, Kath! Try to hang loose and just enjoy gathering with your friends…things will fall into place. Just think about how much fun you are going to have with this new opportunity to organize and decorate…Whee!
I am jealous of your sunshine. It’s still raining here in DC.
I have to add protein powder to my smoothies. I notice a huge difference in my fulfillment when I add the powder.
I always feel like a smoothie could never fill me up if used as an entree. but now that I see your points about being sure that you have all of the necessary compenents of an entree.. in the smoothie. Smart girl!
protein powder, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt are additions I add to smoothies to make them filling, creamy, and delicious!
Kath, I would love to know what you think about the people out there who say that bread, grains, oats–even whole grain things–are bad for us. As an RD (and not just a bread & oats lover!
), what is your take? I’m not sure what to think. Thanks! 
I don’t know why a plant that provides us with complex carbohydrates, B vitamins, protein and fiber would ever be bad for us?
Thank you for saying so! I keep reading all this stuff about how grains are killing all of us slowly but I find it so hard to believe. Plus I would never want to give up oatmeal or bread! Thanks for taking a minute to answer this, I really appreciate it.
that bowl is amazing!!
Oh man I slept awful last night too!!! A nap or a walk is definitely in the works for this afternoon!
Whenever I looked to buy that mason jar tablecloth, the etsy shop was down. Can you tell me who made it again? And if you know if they’re taking orders?
it’s from Oh Little Rabbit and I think they are on vacatoin
I know what you mean about the racing mind. It was such a stressful time back when we were moving…also because the house was half torn apart, literally. haha It will be over before you know it, and I’m sure in about 5 days you will have everything unpacked and in it’s perfect spot. However, if you don’t…just think about the fact that we have not hung 1 thing on our walls yet.
So that’s why entree smoothies come in bowls or large cups. Learning something new everyday
Thanks for smoothie tips! I’ve been looking to bulk up my smoothies a little bit so I don’t always need a snack later on in the morning after having one.
Entree smoothies are the best. I love adding oatmeal to my smoothies to get that lasting power. You can’t even really taste it in there, but it does add a touch of chewiness, which I like.
I totally agree about the fru fur salads vs. meal salads and adding protein and carbs to smoothies – absolutely necessary for feeling full! Enjoy the day:)
SO true- I hate when people ignorantly say smoothies and salads “don’t fill them up”! It’s the ingredients they’re using that doesn’t do the trick. People really need to educate themselves!
that’s why I’m so thankful to be part of the blogworld and have had my eyes opened. I can see!
Although food is definitely pleasurable and a great way to bond with other people, I really like to think of the nutrients I’m absorbing as well.
Sorry you’re not feeling well
the stress gets to me sometimes too, and causes the wake-up attacks in the middle of the night!
Usually just using the bathroom and getting water or whatever helps me to feel better and get sleep.
Hope once you get into the groove of the day you start feeling better! I loved the smoothie tutorial. I think a lot of people forget about the carb aspect!
I love the pictures from today! And oh, how I wish I could have grabbed a ramen bowl thing from when it was offered!
Yes, when i can’t sleep, there’s no sense just laying there…I get up and do something! However, I usually only get about 5 hours of sleep a night so when I am laying there for my 5, usually I’m out cold, asap.
But the more stress I have, the more fitfully I do sleep…hang in there Kath!
I agree, I cannot be sustained by frou frou smoothies!! This one is much more my style
looks like a great day for the bike here, too. Can’t wait to be out of work in an hour, enjoy your day and feel better!!
Thanks for all the smoothie tips! I’ve never had one for breakfast before because I never really think of smoothies as filling. I’ll have to try this combination!
I love your bowl/mug. You have the cutest dishes. It makes me want to go to the antique shops and see what I can find.
I like fru-fru salads, but prefer more filling ones!
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Loved this post – great reminders/ideas for what to pack into my entree smoothies! Unfortunately, I’m still in weight-loss mode, so I’m only taking in about 1350 to 1500 calories per day… It’s usually a sad face when I realize what I’ve put into my smoothie or my oatmeal is more than that meal’s allotment, but worth it!
I love that ramen bowl! It’s beautiful! The smoothie looks pretty amazing as well.
I love this little primer on making smoothies more nutritious. I must admit to making fru-fru smoothies more often… probably so I can justify the half block of chocolate I eat each day in terms of balancing out, but I know deep down that’s probably not the best for me!
I love the break down of everything that went into the smoothie!
I love how you explained your formula into what makes your entree smoothie! I love me an entree smoothie too, and because of you eating it from a bowl is now my fav way to eat one! Makes me feel like I’m actually eating something, as opposed to just drinking it