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15 Reasons why you should start a blended food diet today

Here are 15 surprising reasons why I blend up my food into green smoothies and eat a mainly blended food diet. If this doesn’t convince you, nothing will!

15 Reasons Why You Should Start a Blended Food Diet Today

I was recently asked why I would bother blending up my water, berries, greens, fillers, nuts, and seeds into a green thickie (filling green smoothie) rather than just enjoying eating the foods on their own.  There are a number of reasons I blend up my food into smoothies and eat a mainly blended food diet.

I share my own personal reasons first of all, and then I share some of the science that backs up why blended food is so good for you.

UPDATE: The first time this post was shared by someone I got a lot of feedback, mainly positive but also some negative feedback.  One person called me a ‘lazy parent’ who can’t be bothered to cook proper meals.  (smoothies are not the only thing I make for my kids by the way – but I make sure they do get them daily, and if I can find something to make sure we all get healthy food in the easiest way possible, then why not?).  Anyway, I’ll let you decide for yourself what you think about blended food diets after reading this.

15 Reasons to eat a blended food diet

1) Faster to eat your meals

I don’t have time to sit down and enjoy my food as I have an active baby who takes about 2 minutes to finish her breakfast, so it’s much better for me to drink sips in between getting on with other jobs.

** Please note that this post may contain affiliate links which means that I can receive a small payment if you make a purchase through my links.

2) Fruit and vegetables are very chewy

I’m a very slow eater and like to chew my food thoroughly so it can take me an hour to eat a salad and I don’t have the luxury to be able to do that at every meal.

15 Reasons why you should start a blended food diet today3) Greens have a bitter taste

I don’t really enjoy raw broccoli, kale or spinach so it’s a great way for me to get my greens if I don’t notice they are there in a smoothie.  You will gain much more benefit by eating the raw greens rather than cooking them.  (Unless you have a problem with raw greens)

4) Nutrients are absorbed much more quickly into the body

After I’ve drunk a green smoothie I feel light and full of energy, however, I don’t feel so light after eating a meal that hasn’t been blended.  Most of the ingredients in a smoothie are raw which means the nutrients are preserved instead of being destroyed during the cooking process.

5) It is much easier for the body to digest blended food

I find it much easier to digest all foods in a smoothie.  I never have any digestive trouble after a green thickie, whereas I still sometimes have digestion problems if I eat food in the wrong order, for example, if I ate oranges after my main cooked meal I would usually get a stomach ache.

6) Smoothies taste delicious

I prefer the taste of a smoothie instead of eating the items separately as you can add herbs and spices which make smoothies taste amazing.  For example, take some forest fruits, oats, pecans, spinach and mango and throw in some dates, pecans and vanilla and you’ve got yourself a Black Forest Fruit Cake Dessert Smoothie.  This smoothie tastes so amazing like an indulgent dessert.  I can’t imagine enjoying any of the raw ingredients anywhere near as much as I adore this smoothie.

7) Easy to digest 

When you drink blended food the body doesn’t waste energy digesting it so it actually gives you more energy. The body can use this extra energy for healing so it’s more beneficial for people with health problems.  I always feel more alert and awake when I eat mainly blended foods even after a bad night sleep.

8) Eat a truckload of greens without noticing

You can pack many more greens into a smoothie than you would normally eat.  Green are so amazingly good for you, but we don’t eat anywhere near enough.  Adding a couple of large handfuls to your morning smoothie will help you more than you’ll ever realize and let’s face it, would you ever normally eat spinach for breakfast?

9) Faster meal preparation

It’s quicker to blend up a smoothie than make other meals with the same ingredients.  It takes much more planning and preparation trying to work out what you are going to cook for lunch or dinner.

10) No cooking time

You don’t have to wait for smoothies to cook.  They are ready straight away.

11) Less washing up to do

Just rinse your blender with water straight away and it takes seconds.

15 Reasons to eat a blended food diet12) Eat less fat

Most people cook with some added fats whether it’s oil on a salad dressing or in a stir fri.  They add butter to their bread or potatoes and sauces.  With a smoothie people are more likely to get healthier fats or can avoid high-fat foods completely if they choose to.

13) Better for your teeth

When you drink your food you avoid food getting stuck in between your teeth which can cause a lot of problems especially if you don’t floss.

14) Get more liquids with your blended food

You have to add water or another liquid to your smoothies and as most of us suffer from chronic dehydration, it’s no bad thing to have an excuse to get some more liquid.

15) Easily use up leftovers

Smoothies are a great way to use up leftover fruit and greens in the same way as you might put your leftover veg in a soup.

Does Science Support A Blended Food Diet?

Studies show the release of carotenoids from plant foods only occurs when the cells of fruit and veg are disrupted.

We can’t break down food by chewing as well as a blender can, which doubles carotenoid availability.

We actually get 3 times as many nutrients by blending our food as we do from chewing it.

Pretty amazing huh?

And for me personally, I have had a never-ending stream of teeth problems during adulthood which has left me unable to chew properly for the most part. I have never been more thankful for my blender as it’s led to me inadvertently being way healthier than I would have been if I had been making myself standard meals.

Have you tried green smoothies yet?

I actually make complete meals out of them by putting ALL of my required nutrients for the day in my smoothies. I call these Green Thickies. Blending ALL of my ingredients has the same powerful effect on my health. I do actually make a healthy dinner and chew that as we do need some chewing action in our days to keep the teeth and jaw in good condition. But I usually make a nice healthy blended sauce made out of raw peppers to go over the top of my meal. Then I get the best of both worlds! You can get my Basic Green Thickies recipe by clicking here.

So if that doesn’t convince you to get your blender out, nothing will!  How much blended food do you usually eat?  Why do you eat blended foods?

If you would like to start incorporating more blended food into your diet, why not join my FREE 7 Day Lean Green Smoothie Challenge, and start by adding either 1, 2 or 3 Green Thickies to your diet for 7 days, watch the weight fall off and your energy soar!  Click this link to join the FREE challenge.  

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15 Reasons Why You Should Start a Blended Food Diet Today

 

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I have lost 6lbs, do not feel like I need more my morning coffee, the flushing of my facial skin from rosacea has dramatically reduced and I am so excited to wake up each morning and make a green thickie for breakfast!!

I am a stay at-home, homeschooling momma of 3 littles and at times so busy I would forget to feed myself!

I would go most of the day without eating and then snack on random things.

I gained 60 pounds the last 6 years during pregnancy.

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Katherine Kyle @ Green Thickies
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Comments

  1. Love this post! It’s great. I’ve been checking out some of your recipes and look fantastic. I’ve haven’t tried anything yet – as I’m not sure about the oats – are they considered RAW. I am currently toying with going Fully RAW or at the least HIGH RAW.
    My son just turned 1, so I understand eating on the RUN! Good luck on your challenge, I might have to join you!
    Lia

    Reply

    • Hi Lia, thank you! No the oats that you buy from normal shops would not be considered raw as they have been heat treated, but you can buy raw oats that need to be soaked before eaten, but they can be expensive. I would consider myself high raw as most of my diet is raw fruit or veg. The reason I don’t eat fully raw anymore is because 1) I don’t have the time as I had to eat more food to get enough calories and would often spend all day eating or drinking smoothies. And 2) It’s more expensive. I save money by adding oats to increase my calories. Also sometimes I like to have the option to have occasional treats and not beat myself up about it as I found I was getting too pure about my diet when I was fully raw.

      Yes eating on the run is a must with a 1 year old! My baby is just over 1 too, not walking yet but still into everything. Thank you, my challenge is going really well so far. I’m feeling very good on it. I’ll be reporting more on Wednesday.

      Thanks for visiting Green Thickies.

      Reply

  2. What a great article! I love it and totally agree. We do try to do alot of green smoothies, but I do enjoy cooking and baking too. Thank you SO much for this, it does help to have into when people ask. :)

    Reply

    • Hi, thank you. Yes I’m the same. I love my green smoothies/green thickies but I’ve realised during this week’s challenge of eating nothing but green thickies how much I do enjoying chewing my food too. I think it’s great to do both but a blended food diet is great to do for regular detoxes. Thanks for visiting.

      Reply

  4. Great list of reasons! I can’t wait to reintroduce them back into my life :) And you’re right- they sure are tasty! I can personally vouch for how tasty your are- that ginger cookie one is amazing!

    Thanks for sharing this on HVF :)

    Reply

    • Aww thanks Gabby. I hope you can get back to fruit based smoothies again at some point. I just love trying new smoothie recipes every day. I do love the ginger sparkle smoothie too. In fact I’ve not made that for a while, I need to revisit a lot of my old recipes.

      Reply

  5. Hello, I’m new to your blog, I have just read up on everthing :-) We have for years been having smoothies for breakfast, but just with fruit. I miss them on those days, where I don’t get any. I would like to try adding greens and oats, but my husband don’t fancy them. The other day I gave him his part and added one dl soaked to my part. And I was, as you say, not hungry for hours. I like your list of reason! :-)

    Reply

    • Hi Oly, Welcome to Green Thickies. Thank you for taking the time to have a good read. Yes I don’t feel the same if I don’t get my green smoothie for breakfast. My husband didn’t fancy a green smoothie for years either. I had to dare him to take a sip and when he did he loved it and drinks them every day now. You could always add dark berries to the smoothie to turn it purple or a bit of beetroot to turn it pink. I often say ‘try it first and then I’ll tell you what’s in it’ as a lot of things he thinks he won’t like but actually can’t taste. I made him a ‘pina colada’ green smoothie with dandelions in which he didn’t like the thought of but absolutely loved. I’m so glad you found it filling too. If you have any questions just let me know.

      Reply

  6. I am addicted to your posts! I love the blend of information and recipes! You are just what this mamma needs ;) Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays recipe party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :) We are building a great set of gluten free recipes so far! Its making my meal planning easy :) How about yours? See you next Friday! Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

    Reply

    • Aww that’s so kind Cindy. I’m so glad you are enjoying my posts. Thank you so much for tweeting and pinning my entry. Yes I’m loving the gluten free recipes too. I eat gluten free most of the time so it’s great to have more inspiration for meals as it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Let me know if you need anything. See you next Friday, Katherine

      Reply

  7. I found your post really interesting, and it’s wonderful that a blended diet works for you. Your smoothies always sound so delicious, and they are definitely full of goodness. I don’t eat that many blended foods to be honest, as I love the experience of sharing a meal with my family as well as the individual taste and texture of the foods. But I always enjoy a good smoothie for a healthy and nutritious treat!

    Reply

  8. What’s “forest fruit?’

    Love the fullness factor. I plan to check out more of your recipes for the speed factor. I race around all day for my job, and like you, it takes forever for me to eat my salad. I chew carefully for pleasure, to slow myself down and to protect my less than youthful GI tract. On to read more of your recipes.
    THanks!

    Reply

  9. The green smoothies diet was made by Robyn Openshaw, who is an expert in nutrition and a health educator. The diet doesn’t just involve drinking green smoothies, as you can continue to have other nutritious foods during the day to ensure you get a number of nutrients. Leafy green vegetables are the most nutritious foods, only one of the hardest foods to include into your diet simply because they aren’t so tasty. The green smoothies diet was made to help you incorporate these foods to your diet by blending vegetables with fruits along with other sweeteners to make them more fun.

    Reply

    • Yes I love The Green Smoothie Girl and her book is excellent. That’s right she doesn’t just involve drinking green smoothies. I don’t just drink green smoothies either, but often have them for breakfast and lunch unless I’m on the challenge. I feel better drinking smoothies and Robyn admits that she will just drink green smoothies if she needs to lose weight or have a detox. The Green Smoothie diet is a great book which I recommend on this website too. I’m glad you had so much success with green smoothies. They really are amazing aren’t they.

      Reply

  11. Your blog is awesome! I have been having fruit smoothies as my bfast for years! I recently started adding greens and have really enjoyed knowing I’m adding all the extra goodness without having to chew through it as well. Keep it up!

    Reply

  12. I’m becoming a huge fan to blended meals. I am trying to improve my eating habits and eat less processed foods; and doing these blended drinks has been helping me to not reach for things like chips, and cookies and all those other snacks that really shouldn’t be in my home.

    I’ve been drinking more fruits than veggies still. – I’m increasing the veggie content but, there’s still way to much sugar in my drinks – but still, I’m expecting that there’s lots of good nutrition there, regardless. An example – my drink this morning was plums, spinach, grapes and strawberries with water.

    (yes, I have a sweet tooth.)

    I’m just happy I don’t have to chew all that. :)

    I’m finding that I get hungry a lot. I have a mid morning snack to hold me to lunch. A yogurt, or eggs w/salsa when I’m craving protein (like this morning).

    But, I’m realizing that if I don’t let myself go to late at night (or get to hungry first) – an evening shake kills my craving for things like ice-cream.

    What a relief that this can give me a healthier choice to snacking that doesn’t cause acid reflux. (Yes, since I began the evening drink routine, I haven’t had one episode.)

    Reply

  13. I love your idea of your calling this blended vegetable drink a ‘Thickie’; I’ve been drinking thickies for several years now. In mine, it’s been all vegetables, though. Baby spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomato paste, EV olive oil and a few seasonings. It’s surprisingly tasty considering the lack of any added sweet foods or sugar. I usually have two servings of these concoctions a day for many of the reasons you’ve stated here. Being I’ve been doing this for several year now it’s a safe to assume I’m hooked!

    With all that’s good comes a tidbit I’d run across earlier today and that had to do with blending vegetables and its possible negative impact on nutritional value with rapid oxidation being mentioned as a byproduct of the blending process. Depending on the validity, that could make me rethink how I’m going about creating thickies, particularly in terms of the amount which is usually a 56 oz. blender pitcher’s size worth which would last me a little under three days.

    Regardless, I’m sticking with it!

    Reply

  14. Food for thought:

    These could easily be combined into one reason:
    1) Faster to eat your meals
    10) No cooking time
    11) Less washing up to do

    So could these:
    4) Nutrients are absorbed much more quickly into the body
    5) It is much easier for the body to digest blended food
    7) Easy to digest

    And so could these:
    2) Fruit and vegetables are very chewy
    3) Greens have a bitter taste
    6) Smoothies taste delicious
    8) Eat a truck load of greens without noticing

    See how those could easily BLEND together (ha-ha)? Add them to the other 4, and you’d have an awesome, tight list of 7 reasons. Good list, but a more efficient one would be even better!

    Reply

  16. Interesting lists of reason why we should try blended smoothies. I certainly agree, that it’s easier to digest that’s why I won’t worry if I need to lose weight. This is actually my way of detoxification. It is healthy and at the same time it helps me lose weight easily. :)

    Reply

  17. Thank you for your information.
    I am unable to tolerate oats, have tried substituting quinoa flakes, limited success. Do you have suggestions please?

    Reply

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