Blending vegetables does not destroy fiber but reduces its shelf life, because of the oxygen that is pulled into the blender when blending. On the flip side, any time that you blend your Zucchini, beetroot, Kales, cucumber, or broccoli to make a smoothie, you will be packing your body with nutrients and you will also fill your stomach for extended periods.
Vegetables contain insoluble fiber, and you may also find it in whole grains and wheat bran. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water, so even when you digest it, it will remain more or less the same as it moves through the digestive tract. Remember that there are two main categories of fibers, the soluble fiber that dissolves in water and is found in nuts, lentils, peas, and oat bran, and the insoluble fiber.
Any time that you blend your vegetables, you make it a little easier for your body to digest the insoluble fibers. In simple terms is that you sort of chew it up for your system and it then gets easily absorbed. The benefits of the insoluble fiber found in vegetables are that when digested, it will physically fill up your stomach and intestines, making you feel fuller for longer.
Our bodies need the insoluble fiber, to support insulin insensitivity. It also helps in promoting bowel regularity and health and attracts water to your stool so that when you go to the toilet for a long call, you exert less strain on your bowel.
Advantages of blending vegetables
- You can add other fruits
If you don’t fancy taking your vegetables in the form of salads, then you can blend it and even throw in a few fruits. Besides, vegetables are not palatable when taken individually, and by blending you get to play around with the taste and the nutrient content. For example, you could add in some almond milk or the Greek yogurt to pack in more proteins and calcium.
- Vegetable smoothies are packed with antioxidants–
Vegetable smoothies are characteristic of high contents of antioxidants and nutrients. Anytime that you blend vegetables, the waste is normally minimal, your smoothie will, therefore, constitute the core and cell walls of the fruits and vegetables that are also nutritious. A combination that ensures your body is packed with all the nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants necessary for enhanced health.
- A good option for a weight loss program
Vegetables, fruit, and protein shakes are the perfect replacement for junk food breakfast, which could aid in weight loss. Besides homemade vegetable smoothies can be made to exclude ingredients that increase their caloric content, sugars among other irrelevant additives.
Consuming a healthy green smoothie will increase your metabolism thus making it easier to shed extra pounds and in the process lose weight.
- Vegetable smoothies are quick and easy to make–
All you need are clean vegetables and a perfectly working blender, and you can blend your fill in less than 15 minutes, and drink on the go.
Disadvantages of blending vegetables
- The pulpy texture is not appetizing
When it comes to consumption, juicing fruits and vegetables makes them easier to drink than blending. Many people do have a hard time getting used to a vegetable smoothie diet because of the pulp, so if you want to make it more digestible, you could make it smoother or add some sweeteners.
- Addition of high caloric ingredients
Vegetables are easily available and making the green smoothies is even easier and nutritious, but there is always that sixth sense that begs you to make your smoothie even more nutritious. If you add fruits to your vegetable smoothie, they won’t have a large impact but once you start introducing peanut butter, avocado, and the Greek yogurt, the calorie count automatically spikes.
- Must be consumed fast
Once you make your vegetable smoothie you should drink it up fast because it quickly loses its nutrients. When food is exposed to oxygen, nutrients are broken down pretty fast, which means that when you put your vegetables in the blender, oxygen is introduced when the food’s cellular structure is broken down. The introduction of oxygen depletes the smoothie of nutrients and which encourages spoilage.
Simple nutritious vegetable smoothie Recipe
Ingredient
- 10cm Cucumber
- A handful of Kales
- ½ Avocado
- A handful of spinach
- 50 g Pineapples
Additives
- Coconut water
Method
Put all the ingredients into your blender and use coconut water as your base, to make the blending process flawless.
Nutritional Benefits per serving
Nutrition |
Quantity |
Carbs |
21g |
Protein |
8g |
Kcal |
262 |
Sugars |
14g |
Fibers |
9g |
Salt |
1.1g |
Best vegetables to blend
- Carrots
Carrot is a versatile vegetable that can be blended and taken as a juice or cooked with food, or better yet used in the making of salads. Both raw and cooked carrot is highly nutritious, the vegetable is rich in Provitamin A, will furnish your body with 2 grams of fiber and 22grams of carbs among other nutrients. When consumed moderately the vegetable is known to improve eye health, boost immunity, and improves blood sugar control.
- Beetroot
Beets aren’t the best-tasting vegetables, but you can always enhance their taste by pairing them with fresh, and sweet flavors. For example, if you will be boiling them, you can add salt and about a quarter cup of red wine vinegar to the water. Aside from their earthy and bitter taste they do have a vibrant color and are packed with nutrients.
Beetroots are known to improve brain health, lower blood pressure, and enhance athletic performance. In terms of nutrients, they are a good source of folates, nitrates, potassium, and manganese.
- Kales
Kale is a good source of vitamin C and iron, and you will be surprised to find out that a cup of raw kale will furnish your body with more vitamin C when compared to taking an orange. When making the vegetable smoothies, you will mostly combine the leafy greens, the likes of arugula, and spinach and use water as the base. The combination doesn’t make for a great-tasting smoothie but you can always pair it with other fruits and juicy vegetables.
FAQ’s
Does vegetable blending destroy nutrients?
Vegetable blending does not destroy nutrients but the drink must be consumed in a short period.
What type of vegetables should not be eaten raw?
Broccoli and cabbage are high in fiber and have sugars that make them gassy. They are high in fiber thus hard to digest and that is why they are best consumed cooked.
Conclusion
Blended vegetables are highly nutritious however, care should be taken not to include a lot of sugary fruits among other additives that may end up making the smoothie innutritious. Vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage are best consumed cooked to minimize stomach complications.
