Thread: Liquid meals

I wanted to start eating healthier and I heard about making healthy smoothies that tasted good. So I started looking for the best most convenient appliance to buy and use on a daily bases. It turned out to be a Vitamix 7500 Blender. It definitely costs more than I wanted to pay for a blender, but I found a company that would allow you to pay it off in 5 payments which I could handle. Below is a picture of the unit I bought.



This model has a large 64oz mixing container that has a low profile so that it will fit under the standard kitchen shelves (and it does).

In any event I've been making breakfast smoothies that are very good for me. Many of those good for me ingredients I would never eat any other way, so yes it serving the purpose I bought it for.

Now that I have it I was wondering how many others have and use blenders to eat healthier? If any of you do, please describe how and why you use it and what recipes you've used and like a lot.

raw eggs from my own free range chickens, whatever fruits and/or vegetables and greens are handy, appropriate spice(ginger is a default), some cold coffee and yogurt, and a little olive oil, and maybe some milk.

My ex-helper Jules introduced me to smoothies 3 or 4 yers ago. Darned nice of him.

Originally Posted by sculptor

raw eggs from my own free range chickens, whatever fruits and/or vegetables and greens are handy, appropriate spice(ginger is a default), some cold coffee and yogurt, and a little olive oil, and maybe some milk.

My ex-helper Jules introduced me to smoothies 3 or 4 yers ago. Darned nice of him.

I like eggs almost any way you can fix them except raw and I'm not sure cold coffee and vegetables go together very well. At least it doesn't sound appetizing to me. But I'll keep it in mind.

I have one of those Vitamix units, the Professional Series 300 and it looks identical to the one in your OP, save that mine is black. I made a recipe yesterday that was awesome, in my opinion. It tastes just like apple pie without the crust and so few ingredients. Here is what I created...

2 Gala apples, quartered and cored
8 Medjool dates, pitted
1 small avocado
6 ounces of apple juice
8 ounces of water

Blend until smooth and then chill or you could substitute some ice cubes for part of the water to hasten the process.

I'll post some of my other favorites as this thread progresses.

Liquid meal = beer

Originally Posted by MacGyver1968

Liquid meal = beer

I've been thinking of a bacon recipe in your honor, but you grossed me out by suggesting a beer meal.

I have had them in the past....fresh strawberries, blueberries, a little papaya, apple banana and mango.

just hard to make it for one. SO I don't.

I usually have 1/2 a papaya, stuffed with strawberries, blueberries and apple banana and an egg, prepared in some way.

When preparing crepes, I use only the egg whites in the crepes
so
i have lots of egg yolks (which are best eaten raw) for the smoothie.
coffee is a powerful antioxident, so adding a little to a smoothie makes sense.
certain spices have healthy benefits----basically anything in the ginger family and
parseley, etc----------some have anti inflamatory properties, some aid lung function, some are good for blood sugar, some for arteries----etc...

I rarely use recepies----(except as general guidelines)
mostly, I go by taste--and an attempt toward "healthy"---add a little of this or that to round off the taste to my liking.....and by traditional pairings(eg cinnamon and apples)

.....spices are a real wild ride some days, as adding just a tiny bit of one can kick off the flavor of another that would otherwise remain subdued------

This is a recipe that uses beets. For the sake of convenience, I used canned beets. The color of this smoothie was absolutely gorgeous and the taste of the beets was subdued to a mild, earthy flavor.

Blueberry Beet Smoothie

1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup seedless green grapes
½ Avocado
1/3 can sliced beets, drained
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon Real Lemon juice

I put any excess smoothie into a small jar or container with lid and use it within 24 hours. I often take a serving for my night lunch. Many of then are quite thick and easier to eat with a spoon.

Originally Posted by scheherazade

This is a recipe that uses beets. For the sake of convenience, I used canned beets. The color of this smoothie was absolutely gorgeous and the taste of the beets was subdued to a mild, earthy flavor.

Blueberry Beet Smoothie

1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup seedless green grapes
½ Avocado
1/3 can sliced beets, drained
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon Real Lemon juice

I put any excess smoothie into a small jar or container with lid and use it within 24 hours. I often take a serving for my night lunch. Many of then are quite thick and easier to eat with a spoon.

I've never been very fond of beets, but that's the great thing about smoothies. You can pad the flavor anyway you want.

Twice you've made a point of either removing the seeds (coring the apples) or selecting seedless grapes, but from every thing I read about the 10 speed Vitamix blenders is they can chop up the seeds as though they were never there. Seeds contain trace amounts of nutrients that the fruit itself does not have and would be good for you if you only ate them. Sometimes you just have to let the blender run at full speed for at least a minute or more.

I've been putting flax seeds (2 teaspoons) in my breakfast drink, and I would never know it if I hadn't put them in myself.

Originally Posted by sculptor

When preparing crepes, I use only the egg whites in the crepes
so
i have lots of egg yolks (which are best eaten raw) for the smoothie.
coffee is a powerful antioxidant, so adding a little to a smoothie makes sense.
certain spices have healthy benefits----basically anything in the ginger family and
parsley, etc----------some have anti inflammatory properties, some aid lung function, some are good for blood sugar, some for arteries----etc...

I rarely use recipes----(except as general guidelines)
mostly, I go by taste--and an attempt toward "healthy"---add a little of this or that to round off the taste to my liking.....and by traditional pairings(eg cinnamon and apples)

.....spices are a real wild ride some days, as adding just a tiny bit of one can kick off the flavor of another that would otherwise remain subdued------

I've been experimenting with vegetable recipes. I just figured it's like a liquid salad so I added some Italian dressing and it was quite spicy or if you don't have a dressing of your liking try a few drops (really don't overdo this) of Tabasco sauce for a real kick.

Originally posted by Bad Robot:
Twice you've made a point of either removing the seeds (coring the apples) or selecting seedless grapes, but from every thing I read about the 10 speed Vitamix blenders is they can chop up the seeds as though they were never there. Seeds contain trace amounts of nutrients that the fruit itself does not have and would be good for you if you only ate them. Sometimes you just have to let the blender run at full speed for at least a minute or more.

I am well aware that the blender can puree almost anything. The reason for my preferences are as follows:

1) When I eat a plain apple, I do not eat the core. I give it to my horse. The sharing thing, you know.

2) The flavor of grapes varies greatly. For the recipe that I posted, the taste of the seedless green variety compliments the beet flavor in a better way than some other types, for my taster.

This morning, I got around to making gluten-free pancakes. I added 1/3 cup of fresh cranberries to this recipe and after hubby ate his share, he commented, "Good. You can be the official pancake maker in this house now." He is our offical omelette maker from his days as a short order cook and until now, he is the one who also made the pancakes so the fact that he enjoyed this gluten-free recipe sufficiently to not only eat it again, but to turn over his title is a pretty good endorsement, I figure.

Recipe for Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes - Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

I followed the recipe exactly, adding Xanthan gum to my flour mixture and making 'buttermilk' by using evaporated 40/60 with water and adding the white vinegar. The only change was the addition of the 1/3 cup of wild harvested low bush cranberries. It is not a blender recipe but I thought you might enjoy it. I would half the recipe if I was cooking for one myself.

I was talking with my friend at the gym a couple months ago, and the topic of smoothie recipes came up. She told me she started making smoothies using Shakeology and can never make a smoothie without using it now. She raved about it so much that I decided to try it out myself, and she was totally right. You still make your smoothie the same exact way and you just throw in a scoop of the mix. It helps you lose weight and curb cravings, which really holds me over for lunch. I also find myself having wayy more energy while I'm at the gym. My favorite flavors are tropical strawberry and of course chocolate! They post new recipes to their site daily which helps me come up with new smoothie ideas. There is also a workout program along with it that I would like to try soon. Shakeology Shake - Shakeology Doctor Reviews - Healthiest Meal of the Day - beachbody.com - Shakeology

Originally Posted by bthatch

I was talking with my friend at the gym a couple months ago, and the topic of smoothie recipes came up. She told me she started making smoothies using Shakeology and can never make a smoothie without using it now. She raved about it so much that I decided to try it out myself, and she was totally right. You still make your smoothie the same exact way and you just throw in a scoop of the mix. It helps you lose weight and curb cravings, which really holds me over for lunch. I also find myself having way more energy while I'm at the gym. My favorite flavors are tropical strawberry and of course chocolate! They post new recipes to their site daily which helps me come up with new smoothie ideas. There is also a workout program along with it that I would like to try soon. Shakeology Shake - Shakeology Doctor Reviews - Healthiest Meal of the Day - beachbody.com - Shakeology

Welcome to the forum bthatch, and thank you for the link. I did a search on liquid meals and found a forum like site to help with the planning of daily meals made with a Vitamix blender and liked what I saw there and ordered a new Vitamix 7500. I've been using it for my breakfast smoothie every day and then got a recall notice that they needed to replace my blade. I put it in the recall box they sent me and put it in the mail last Saturday and I can't hardly even talk about how much I've been missing my morning smoothie. What you said (now highlighted) is so true, and it doesn't take long to know that once you've been on the smoothie diet.

Anyway I look forward to sharing recipes with you.

Originally Posted by bthatch

I was talking with my friend at the gym a couple months ago, and the topic of smoothie recipes came up. She told me she started making smoothies using Shakeology and can never make a smoothie without using it now. She raved about it so much that I decided to try it out myself, and she was totally right. You still make your smoothie the same exact way and you just throw in a scoop of the mix. It helps you lose weight and curb cravings, which really holds me over for lunch. I also find myself having wayy more energy while I'm at the gym. My favorite flavors are tropical strawberry and of course chocolate! They post new recipes to their site daily which helps me come up with new smoothie ideas. There is also a workout program along with it that I would like to try soon. Shakeology Shake - Shakeology Doctor Reviews - Healthiest Meal of the Day - beachbody.com - Shakeology

One of the 'miracle' ingredients will be Konjac Root. This is basically a high fiber protein powder with some exotic and some very ordinary ingredients. Looks like a strong marketing platform. A healthy amount of fiber will prevent hunger pangs and cravings while the protein will contribute to having more energy. That is my analytic take on this product, not to be considered an endorsement. The same results can be obtained without buying a 'product', IMO.

*How-To-Get-Diarrhea*

Originally Posted by Bad Robot

Originally Posted by bthatch

I was talking with my friend at the gym a couple months ago, and the topic of smoothie recipes came up. She told me she started making smoothies using Shakeology and can never make a smoothie without using it now. She raved about it so much that I decided to try it out myself, and she was totally right. You still make your smoothie the same exact way and you just throw in a scoop of the mix. It helps you lose weight and curb cravings, which really holds me over for lunch. I also find myself having way more energy while I'm at the gym. My favorite flavors are tropical strawberry and of course chocolate! They post new recipes to their site daily which helps me come up with new smoothie ideas. There is also a workout program along with it that I would like to try soon. Shakeology Shake - Shakeology Doctor Reviews - Healthiest Meal of the Day - beachbody.com - Shakeology

Welcome to the forum bthatch, and thank you for the link. I did a search on liquid meals and found a forum like site to help with the planning of daily meals made with a Vitamix blender and liked what I saw there and ordered a new Vitamix 7500. I've been using it for my breakfast smoothie every day and then got a recall notice that they needed to replace my blade. I put it in the recall box they sent me and put it in the mail last Saturday and I can't hardly even talk about how much I've been missing my morning smoothie. What you said (now highlighted) is so true, and it doesn't take long to know that once you've been on the smoothie diet.

Anyway I look forward to sharing recipes with you.

My mixer was on the list as well. I had better whip up the last of the avocados in the house because my recall kit just arrived at the depot yesterday and I am sending my machine en route in the morning, immediately after shift. I think that I will do something with mango and banana and avocado...hmm...what else might go well with that...

Later...I'm off to scour the fridge for combinations...then a ride on a horse...then dinner...then a nap...then a quick change in a phone booth into my 'Labelwench' costume.

where's the phone booth?

Originally Posted by scheherazade

Originally Posted by bthatch

I was talking with my friend at the gym a couple months ago, and the topic of smoothie recipes came up. She told me she started making smoothies using Shakeology and can never make a smoothie without using it now. She raved about it so much that I decided to try it out myself, and she was totally right. You still make your smoothie the same exact way and you just throw in a scoop of the mix. It helps you lose weight and curb cravings, which really holds me over for lunch. I also find myself having wayy more energy while I'm at the gym. My favorite flavors are tropical strawberry and of course chocolate! They post new recipes to their site daily which helps me come up with new smoothie ideas. There is also a workout program along with it that I would like to try soon. Shakeology Shake - Shakeology Doctor Reviews - Healthiest Meal of the Day - beachbody.com - Shakeology

One of the 'miracle' ingredients will be Konjac Root. This is basically a high fiber protein powder with some exotic and some very ordinary ingredients. Looks like a strong marketing platform. A healthy amount of fiber will prevent hunger pangs and cravings while the protein will contribute to having more energy. That is my analytic take on this product, not to be considered an endorsement. The same results can be obtained without buying a 'product', IMO.

I found a site where Konjac root can be ordered cheaply Discount Vitamins, Supplements & Natural Health Products | Piping Rock Health Products

I hope to get my blender back early next week. I did look at that blade and it looked quite substantial especially when compared to other blender blades. I can't imagine any part of it breaking, but what do I know.

What's up with shlunka?

Originally Posted by sculptor

where's the phone booth?

2 miles from here, along the way to work. Most convenient, wouldn't you say?

Originally Posted by Bad Robot

Originally Posted by scheherazade

Originally Posted by bthatch

I was talking with my friend at the gym a couple months ago, and the topic of smoothie recipes came up. She told me she started making smoothies using Shakeology and can never make a smoothie without using it now. She raved about it so much that I decided to try it out myself, and she was totally right. You still make your smoothie the same exact way and you just throw in a scoop of the mix. It helps you lose weight and curb cravings, which really holds me over for lunch. I also find myself having wayy more energy while I'm at the gym. My favorite flavors are tropical strawberry and of course chocolate! They post new recipes to their site daily which helps me come up with new smoothie ideas. There is also a workout program along with it that I would like to try soon. Shakeology Shake - Shakeology Doctor Reviews - Healthiest Meal of the Day - beachbody.com - Shakeology

One of the 'miracle' ingredients will be Konjac Root. This is basically a high fiber protein powder with some exotic and some very ordinary ingredients. Looks like a strong marketing platform. A healthy amount of fiber will prevent hunger pangs and cravings while the protein will contribute to having more energy. That is my analytic take on this product, not to be considered an endorsement. The same results can be obtained without buying a 'product', IMO.

I found a site where Konjac root can be ordered cheaply Discount Vitamins, Supplements & Natural Health Products | Piping Rock Health Products

I hope to get my blender back early next week. I did look at that blade and it looked quite substantial especially when compared to other blender blades. I can't imagine any part of it breaking, but what do I know.

What's up with shlunka?

I think perhaps his constitution suffers deleterious effect when confronted with too much fiber?

Originally Posted by scheherazade

I think perhaps his constitution suffers deleterious effect when confronted with too much fiber?

Time to get the training wheels out again.

PS - It's been years since I've seen a phone booth.

Originally Posted by scheherazade

Originally Posted by sculptor

where's the phone booth?

2 miles from here, along the way to work. Most convenient, wouldn't you say?

don't forget the cape

Originally Posted by babe

Originally Posted by scheherazade

Originally Posted by sculptor

where's the phone booth?

2 miles from here, along the way to work. Most convenient, wouldn't you say?

don't forget the cape

Jackets are now in vogue, rather than capes. They are less likely to become entangled during fast movement.

Well I've got my Vitamix blender back and am using it daily. Instead of looking for a lot of different recipes to keep up a variety of different meals, I've come up with a method that works very well. I built up a core ingredients list that I use most every day and each group of ingredients can be varied a bit for taste and variety.

For now the meals I've been doing are morning and early afternoon.

Cereals
Oats (every meal)
Raisin brand
Shredded Wheat

Note: I normally use only 2 cereals at a time, and will be looking into other cereal types to use. Cereals are a good source of fiber

Nuts & seeds
walnuts
pecans
almonds
whole flax seeds (every meal)

Note: Again I've only been using 2 for any meal, but there's a long list of different nuts I want to try. I don't believe any nuts makes much difference to the taste, but they provide a high level of nutrients and essential oils.

Fruit
Costco frozen pineapple (every meal)
Costco frozen three berries (mix of blueberries, blackberries & raspberries) (every meal)
Fresh bananas but frozen works well also (every meal)

Note: Plan to try other fruit types, but anything I can buy frozen is very convenient because I don't have to worry about spoilage.

Vegetables
Costco frozen stir-fry

Note: Frozen for the obvious reasons and a good variety of vegetables.

Other additives
Whey protein powder (every meal)
Sometimes vitamin C powder 5 grams ( gives it a heightened fruit flavor )

Note: I've been using the chocolate flavored because that's what I had and didn't want it to go to waist and it taste just fine in the mix.

Mixing liquids
Fruit juices (natural or low sugar)
soy milk (phasing this out due to soy products not recommended)
Bottled water (sometimes a cup of juice is not enough liquid and I prefer not to use more juice or milk)

Note: I plan to try both rice & almond milk when I find a good source for those products.

I've never been able to make up just one large glass of liquid meal, so I usually do two and put one in the frig for later. This means I do two large glasses per day and then have a regular dinner of my choice. I still eat all I want but have lost 10 lbs in the last month.

I’m into weight lifting, and I follow a 6 ‘macro’ meal plan,two of those ‘meals’ are protein shakes. I noticed you have whey on your menu—nice!Myofusion is my favorite protein powder…you should try it, if you are lookingfor a good quality protein, that tastes good.

Originally Posted by wegs

I’m into weight lifting, and I follow a 6 ‘macro’ meal plan, two of those ‘meals’ are protein shakes. I noticed you have whey on your menu—nice! Myofusion is my favorite protein powder…you should try it, if you are looking for a good quality protein, that tastes good.

I looked it up and it does come in some interesting flavors, but if you want a 10lb bag you are still limited to chocolate or vanilla. Plus while I am going to the gym daily, I'm now mostly working on cardio and just to do some physical activity every day. Any diets worth while all recommend some protein with every meal and protein powder is a very good way to add fat free protein to the menu.

My Vitamix Jug is also returned from the warranty depot, complete with an additional year on the warranty and a nice little hard cover book by Kim Haasarud titled 101 Blender Drinks. They are mostly cocktails and dessert type beverages but I can pick up some more ideas about combinations for adapting to my liquid meal menu plan as per yourself, Bad Robot.

I use almond milk as a liquid, and yogurt and cottage cheese are other ways to add protein. Avocados go well also and add a delightfully creamy texture to a smoothie. Medjool dates are a great sweetener and I have also used pumpkin puree and carrots in several of my recipes. Canned fruit in juice or water is another way to get fruit and liquid into a mixture although I use as much fresh produce as I can. In winter the number of fresh options can be reduced so canned fruit will substitute in a pinch, especially canned apricots or pears.

I'll have to post any recipes I contrive that I think others might enjoy now that I have my big beauty back on the counter.

Liquid meal... heh, sounds like the first time I tried to make chocolate mousse.

Originally Posted by shlunka

Liquid meal... heh, sounds like the first time I tried to make chocolate mousse.

Well a good smoothy should be drinkable, but I did put a glass in the frig overnight to have in the morning and it solidified and I had to eat it with a spoon.

I usually have a smoothie for brekkyt every other day.....of apple banana, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, papaya, mango, orange juice, acai juice, and greek yogurt...

Originally Posted by babe

I usually have a smoothie for brekkyt every other day.....of apple banana, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, papaya, mango, orange juice, acai juice, and greek yogurt...

What! No passion fruit? When I vacationed in Hawaii on Maui I really liked picking and eating yellow passion fruit that seemed to grow wild all over the place. Also, I couldn't seem to eat enough guavas that grew on trees every where too.

Originally Posted by Bad Robot

Originally Posted by babe

I usually have a smoothie for brekkyt every other day.....of apple banana, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, papaya, mango, orange juice, acai juice, and greek yogurt...

What! No passion fruit? When I vacationed in Hawaii on Maui I really liked picking and eating yellow passion fruit that seemed to grow wild all over the place. Also, I couldn't seem to eat enough guavas that grew on trees every where too.

I am a passion fruit!! *GLARE*.....yes sometimes passion fruit, lilikoi.....and guava.....don't see it enough at the market!

I made a Pineapple, Banana, Avocado smoothie this morning, using the recipe at the posted link with minor alterations.

I used vanilla yogurt in place of the plain, omitted the vanilla and ice and used Coconut Almond breeze in place of water.

The result was a very pale green, light textured smoothie with very subtle combination of flavors. Definitely one that I will add to my regular list.

Pineapple, Banana, Avocado Smoothie Recipe - The Lemon Bowl

I rarely do. I eat healthy and am mostly a vegetarian. I like to eat fruit and vegetables in their whole state. I'm more of a grazer than a gulper. Like a crisp apple, juicy orange, etc.

Re Maui...sort of weird. Usually spend 10 days or so there in March ( my limit for an island). Super delicious fresh bananas, tomatoes, etc. at roadside stands. However, in the grocery stores the bananas were from Ecuador and the tomatoes from Mexico.

Re coconut almond milk....my favourite. Use it on my cereal.

Originally Posted by Fossilborealis

I rarely do. I eat healthy and am mostly a vegetarian. I like to eat fruit and vegetables in their whole state. I'm more of a grazer than a gulper. Like a crisp apple, juicy orange, etc.

Re Maui...sort of weird. Usually spend 10 days or so there in March ( my limit for an island). Super delicious fresh bananas, tomatoes, etc. at roadside stands. However, in the grocery stores the bananas were from Ecuador and the tomatoes from Mexico.

Re coconut almond milk....my favourite. Use it on my cereal.

Speaking of apples and oranges, last night I made an interesting juice mix.

2 large red apples
1 orange
1 packet of cinnamon apple cider mix
1 17 oz bottle of purified water

Let blender run for 1 minute on high. The end result was a lightly clouded frothy drink with a great arroma to it and it tasted great.