Winter Smoothies by Cindy Weinberger, MS RD CDN

Health & F tness Winter Smoothies

By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN

The winter is the perfect time to cuddle up on the sofa with a good book under a cozy blanket sipping a hot chocolate. However, hot chocolate has zero health benefits, so I cannot in good conscious rave about hot chocolate. Yes, there are sugar-free and fat-free options available, but the hot chocolate itself still offers zero nutritional value. A smoothie, however, while not as warm and cozy, has plenty of nutrition to offer. During the winter months, when our body requires utmost nutrition to avoid catching the flu, or the common cold, or even variants of COVID-19, a nutrient-packed smoothie should be the beverage of choice.

Smoothies are an increasingly popular trend, often marketed as a health food. These beverages are extremely versatile, portable, family-friendly, and can be modified for any taste or preference. You can purchase them from a smoothie counter at a store, buy them ready made in the dairy aisle, or make them at home yourself.

A smoothie is a blended drink combining any fruits, vegetables, nuts, or seeds with a water, juice, yogurt, or milk base. These combinations create a thick, creamy beverage loaded with vitamins and minerals. Depending on your mood, what nutrients you want to gain, or what you have in the fridge, you can create a delicious smoothie. Many people opt for a smoothie as a morning meal or as a snack. It’s a great way to incorporate healthy foods into your diet. The combinations of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds in your smoothie can help reduce inflammation, improve digestion, lower one’s risk of chronic diseases such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, as well as boost one’s immune system. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends consuming 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables into a smoothie is a great way to mark that off the checklist.

A smoothie not only provides essential vitamins and minerals to keep your immune system strong and at its best during the winter months, it is also nourishing and a great snack which provides lots of fiber. Fiber helps keep you fuller for longer, aiding in weight loss. Fiber also helps ease digestion and bulks up the stool. Another key function of fiber is its cholesterol-lowering effects. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends women consume 25-35grams of fiber daily and that men should consume 30-38 grams of fiber daily. Fruits and vegetables are a great source of fiber. Whichever combination of fruits and vegetables you choose to throw into your smoothies will help you achieve your fiber intake goal.

All year long, our body needs adequate levels of vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E to keep our immune system up to par. This holds true especially during the winter months when the germs are trapped indoors, and the common cold and influenza get generously passed around.

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is famous for shortening the duration of the common cold. Vitamin C cannot be made by the body and therefore must be taken in through foods on a daily basis. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant and a major contributor to immune defense. It supports the barrier of cells from allowing pathogens to enter. It also functions to prevent any pathogens from entering the body through the skin. Vitamin C deficiency results in impaired immunity and increased susceptibility to infections. While some fruits have more vitamin C than others, each fruit and/or vegetable you add into your smoothie has an array of nutrients to offer. Sources of vitamin C are abundant and extend well beyond the ever-popular orange. Many fruits and vegetables supply this vital vitamin,, such as berries, beets, pineapple, mango, carrots, and of course, oranges. These fruits and vegetables can be mixed and matched in your smoothie recipes to supply you with ample vitamin C.

Vitamin D is another key component of our immune function. Vitamin D receptors are present in many immune cells including T-cells, B-cells, antigen-presenting cells, and monocytes. Vitamin D has been shown to increase all types of immunity. Vitamin D has also been found in many studies to lower one’s chances of contracting COVID-19 and helping fight off the virus if infected. Those with higher levels of Vitamin D had better outcomes after contracting COVID-19. Green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach as well as milk are excellent sources of vitamin D. These are key ingredients in many smoothie recipes and will definitely impact your immune system for the better this winter season.

Vitamin E is another essential vitamin for our immune function. Vitamin E modulates T- cell function. Deficiency of vitamin E has been linked to impaired immune function. Sources of vitamin E include nuts and seeds, as well as wheat germ, which all make great additions to a smoothie. They add a nutty flavor, a thicker texture, and many key nutrients to your smoothie.

By blending fruits or vegetables, you are not losing any nutritional value. Freezing fruits and vegetables also preserves its nutrition. Don’t worry about consuming sugar from the fruits. The sugar in fruit is natural and is paired with fiber and is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. In addition, you are not consuming an entire portion of each of the ingredients. The more fruits and vegetables you add, the smaller the portion size should be. If you are simply having an orange-banana smoothie, then feel free to use a whole orange and a whole banana. You can either follow a recipe for a precisely measured and thought-out, delicious smoothie, or be creative and use your judgment and preference to invent your own personal smoothie.

Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and

Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. She is currently a private nutritionist. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com or at 917-623-6237.