The Blood Sugar Balanced Smoothie

Hi and Happy Mother’s Day! Today’s newsletter is not Mother’s Day centric (see Issue No. 15 for that), but I’m sending love to moms everywhere. I hope they’re feeling appreciated, loved, and celebrated today.

I’ve been writing The Lacey List weekly for almost four months now(!) and Issue No. 03, Blood Sugar for Beginners, is still my most widely read and shared post. That insight, coupled with a question I got from my friend Colbert in the subscriber chat(!!!) asking for savory breakfast ideas, inspired today’s topic.

In case you missed it, what is “savory breakfast” all about? One of the Glucose Goddess’ cornerstone hacks for better blood sugar is having a savory breakfast (vs. a sweet one). This helps us avoid a glucose rollercoaster first thing in the morning. Ultimately, a sweet breakfast leaves us feeling tired, hungry, and craving more sugar throughout the day. A savory breakfast does just the opposite – keeps us satiated, focused, and energized. To achieve a balanced savory breakfast, protein should be the centerpiece, paired alongside healthy fat, fiber, and optional starches (i.e. a modest amount of whole fruit).

So, when we think about a traditional morning smoothie – often jam packed with blended fruit – it usually sits squarely in the sweet breakfast category. But, as you’ll see in a second, this doesn’t have to be the case! All it requires is a little invention to make sure your smoothie has the right balance of protein, fat, and fiber (alongside optional carbs).

When I first tried wearing a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) last January, one of the patterns I noticed immediately was that, when eaten on their own, high glycemic fruit (think: apples, bananas) spiked my blood sugar through the roof. And if I blended them into a smoothie? Forget about it. Full rocket ship. (Please enjoy the graphic Levels used to display when your blood sugar spiked more than 30 points. They have since done away with this emoji and thankfully so – it was stressful).

image from the Levels app circa Jan 2023

So, for about a year and change, I avoided smoothies altogether. I assumed they would almost always be a blood sugar bomb. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I revisited, following the below “basics” to make sure I was balancing the ingredients for optimal blood sugar.

adapted from Beth Bollinger’s guide

I’ve mentioned her before – Beth Bollinger is a nutritionist and recipe developer I discovered through, you guessed it, the Levels app. She is focused on recipe development for optimal blood sugar (her desserts are especially drool worthy). She recently published a guide to perfecting green smoothies for balanced blood sugar, which I found pertinent to this conversation!

And then, there’s Sarah Wragge…

The smoothie recipe below, adapted from this one by Sarah Wragge, is what got me back on smoothies after my year+ hiatus.

If you told me this was dessert, I’d believe you! It’s nutritious, creamy, and satiating, while still being light and energizing. The best part? The chocolate masks any veggie taste whatsoever. Perfect if you’re making this for a kid or, um, a husband who avoids vegetables… :) I like to keep it on the thicker side (with less water) so I can eat it with a spoon. I don’t know why, but it feels more decadent that way.

Serves 1

4 ounces filtered water (add more as needed)

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (protein! this, this or this work well)

1/2 ripe avocado (fat! you could also do a nut butter instead)

1 large handful baby spinach (fiber!)

1/3 frozen banana or 1 pitted medjool date (carbs! optional for taste/consistency)

1 tablespoon raw cacao powder

1 tablespoon raw cacao nibs

It was Marlien Rentmeester, author of Le Catch, who first turned me onto Sarah Wragge Wellness. Sarah’s nutrition program is a serious investment, but she shares a wealth of recipes here for free. Her sister is a chef in Italy so their combined knowledge is exceptional.

Incidentally, Marlien (alongside Molly Sims and Meg Strachan) hosted a really nice gathering of Substack writers at her house this week, which left me feeling more energized and optimistic about this newsletter than ever before! Thank you, Marlien! And thank you to all of you (if anyone is reading this).

I improvised to come up with this one on my own, using the “balancing basics” above. It consistently scores a 10 on my levels (the best score you can get!), meaning it causes a stable glucose response, rather than a big spike and subsequent dip.

Serves 1

4 ounces filtered water (add more as needed)

1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (protein! this works well)

1/2 ripe avocado (fat!)

1 large handful baby spinach (fiber!)

1/4 zucchini (fiber! can use fresh or frozen)

1 teaspoon spirulina (this turns the smoothie the prettiest color green and packs a nutrient-dense punch)

1 sachet of matcha (Pique is my go-to)

1/3 frozen banana or 1 pitted medjool date (carbs! optional for taste/consistency)

*if you like your smoothies cold, I would add a large ice cube to this

Glucose response from the above smoothie! A 10 on Levels is the best score you can get, meaning it causes a stable glucose response.

On this note, if you’re intrigued by Levels, you can use this link here to sign up and enter the code HEALTHPRO during checkout for 20% off membership. This is absolutely not sponsored (I wish). I basically begged their team for this because a handful of my closest friends have wanted to try it.

So there you have it! If you’re on the hunt for a savory breakfast other than eggs, why not try giving a balanced smoothie recipe a try?!

Happy Mother’s Day to moms near and far. Wishing everyone a smooth(ie?) week ahead! Until next Sunday :)