"Nutrition Expert Contribution to an article posted on www.SheKnows.com"

Relying on extra-large coffees to make it through your day? Despite the instant energy boost, consuming copious amounts of caffeine can ultimately sap you to exhaustion. Perhaps a better approach to soaring through the afternoon is to nourish yourself with a healthy, refreshing, energy-boosting smoothie. Before you reach for that next double shot espresso, consider one of these flavorful sips.

Smoothies provide an instant lift that lasts

In the article Caffeine-free tips to boost your energy, certified nutritionist Angela Pifer, Nutrition Northwest Co, extols the virtues of smart snacking and recommends smoothies as a healthy alternative to coffee.

She suggests smoothies made with rice, almond, cashew, soy or regular dairy milk, with the addition of another protein to ensure your smoothies satisfy your hunger and keep you full. Drinking a smoothie instead of coffee will raise your blood sugar levels and keep them on an even keel. You won’t have the instant surge of energy and eventual crash that often comes with caffeine.

Healthy smoothie recipes

Here are smoothie recipes, courtesy of Angela Pifer, nutritionist with Nutrition Northwest Co. and guest contributor to Caffeine-free tips to boost your energy.

For the following smoothie recipes, place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth or your desired consistency.

Pumpkin-Banana Smoothie

1 serving vanilla flavored rice protein
1 cup vanilla soy milk, light
1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 medium banana
Dash of pumpkin pie spice
4 ice cubes

Chocolate Raspberry Shake

1 serving chocolate flavored soy protein
1 cup vanilla soy milk, light
1 cup frozen raspberries
1/8 teaspoon orange extract
4 ice cubes

Very Berry Shake

1 serving vanilla flavored soy protein
1 cup vanilla soy milk, light
1 cup frozen mixed berries
A few drops pure vanilla extract
4 ice cubes

Orange Julius Shake

1 serving vanilla flavored soy protein
1 cup vanilla soy milk, light
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ice cubes

Apple Pie Shake

1 serving vanilla flavored soy protein
1 cup vanilla soy milk, light
1 cup frozen apple slices
A few dashes each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ice cubes

 ABOUT ANGELA PIFER, CERTIFIED NUTRITIONIST

Angela Pifer is a Certified Nutritionist, with a MS in nutrition from Bastyr University, in private practice, specializing in food sensitivities, emotional eating, digestive conditions & weight loss. She founded Nutrition Northwest Co in 2005; the premier provider of sound nutrition and wellness advice in the Northwest with offices in Seattle and Kirkland. Angela has a unique approach to helping her patients create new healthier habits: offering customized nutrition programs that inspire & educate along with a high degree of support & accountability to help them become fit & fabulous from the inside out.

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