Calories in smoothies.

Can someone please tell me how best to cut down the calorie content of a smoothie I made this morning. The ingredients were:- a banana, 10 raspberries' 8oz semi skimmed milk, 6tablespoons of oats. MFP says it comes to 529. I know I could make it healthier by adding seeds and nuts but this was a trial one with my new stick blender thingy, and it did taste nice also filled me up til lunchtime. X

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Bobbivee,

That sounded like a lot of calories to me, so I just put those ingredients into MFP, and it gave the following result:

Banana - 105 calories

10 raspberries - 10 calories

225ml (8oz) skimmed milk - 100 calories

I wasn't sure the equivalent of 6 tbsp oats, but I put in 20g oats and it said 75 calories,

Therefore total calories = 290.

Lowcal

p.s. It would leave you plenty of scope to add those healthy seeds and some nuts!

[Hidden in reply to Zest]

Yes it would. Thank you I am still trying to work out the app so perhaps I entered them in the wrong place. I wonder if I should go premium with it it may be easier. X thanks for checking this for me x

[Zest Healthy BMI in reply to Hidden]

HI Bobbivee,

I always use the free version of it, as it really does work quite well.

I can see that Ruth has worked out the grams in a tablespoon of oats, and I think using about 20 or 25g of oats in a smoothie is probably about right.

Enjoy!

Lowcal

[Diana in reply to Zest]

A teasp of mixed seeds is 25 cals

[Hidden]

I think the amount of oats that you are using is quite high. 1 tablespoon of oats equals about 10g, which means you're using 60g oats. In contrast my breakfast porridge only uses 25g oats. Maybe soak a smaller amount of oats (and any additional nuts/ seeds) in the milk overnight so they soften and expand before whizzing it into a smoothie in the morning. I recommend adding 1 tbsp of ground almonds. It's quite high in calories but is a great filling and nutritional addition, I love adding it to my banana porridge

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you, I'll try that tomorrow. X

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Hidden]

I was just going to say that!! I find 25g oats plenty 😊

[Chefmel]

banana is 105, 10 raspberries is 20kcals, 8 oz semi skim is 115kcal, 6 tbsp oats if roughly so 40g oats, which is 150kcals, so you end up with 390kcal- I think perhaps the calculator is considering your "tbsp" of oats to be 15g, and not more realistically that a tablespoon of oats is about 6g (weights and measures/cups a bit odd on calorie counting mechanisms).

If you are having this as a breakfast on its own, then you don't need to reduce the calories, 390kcal for a breakfast containing oats, fruit and dairy is perfectly acceptable. But if you having this as PART of breakfast or as a snack then I would halve the oats, and add some strawberries into it instead.

[Hidden in reply to Chefmel]

I had it on its own it was plenty for me . X

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Hidden]

Very healthy and nutritious breakfast 😊😊😊

[Hidden in reply to Chefmel]

I think oats could easily only be 6g per tablespoon, you're right they're very light. I was estimating the 10g on the basis of them being lighter than 1tbsp of things like ground almonds, sugar etc, which are more like 15g. Goes to show the importance of knowing the right conversions!

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

So is it better to measure in spoons or grams or does it not matter?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Personally I try to do whatevers easiest. I measure my oats in a 'dry measures tala cone', as I find it makes things quick and easy. But if you know the correct calories for a tablespoon of oats now, then maybe carry on as you are

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Will do thanks x

[Diana]

I'm not a fan of liquids in foods, one of my fav breakfasts tho, is egg and banana pancakes.

1 soft banana

2 med eggs

Blend together, fry little puddles ( I use an olive oil spray, not fry light tho)

till cooked, I add red fruits to this, and little honey, very filling too, works out at 336 cals too

[Anon-E-Mouse in reply to Diana]

Thanks for this Diana

I have several eggs and get fed up using them in savoury dishes, e.g. boiled, scrambled, fried etc. I was wondering if there was a way of adding something to make them into a sweet dish - but not cakes. Something else for me to try at the weekend 😄👍😄

Mouse 🐭

[Hidden in reply to Diana]

Thanks for this. I will try this too tho sounds like a lunch to me as I'm usually rushing around in the morning. I wonder if I can make a batch and freeze them ? X

[Diana in reply to Hidden]

Well you could try, and see, tho I'd mix up at night and rewhisk in the mornings.

[Diana in reply to Hidden]

I would only freeze the uncooked mixture tho

[Hidden in reply to Diana]

I'll try with a small amount and see what happens. Thanks x