The Anatomy of a Healthy Smoothie - Fab 4 Smoothies

When you want a quick, easy, and vitamin-packed breakfast, nothing beats a smoothie; but I’ve often found myself feeling hungry earlier than usual after a smoothie breakfast. Most store bought smoothies and recipes also contain an alarmingly high amount of sugar from an overload of fruits like bananas, berries, and mangoes; at which point your breakfast stops being healthy, and is leaning towards dessert. In her second post for us, Mili Kale tackles both issues of this Instagram-favourite breakfast: The correct way to make smoothies really satisfying (to keep you full for longer), and not cause a spike in your blood sugar; which lies in celebrity nutritionist Kelley LeVeque’s “Fab 4” formula. Mili breaks down what Fab 4 smoothies stand for, and gives us three delicious recipes to try out.

In an attempt to begin #shreddingforthewedding, my Google searches of late have been dominated by the following key words: healthy, superfoods, protein, abs, weight loss, and breakfast (given that I know my healthy habits last until about noon). These searches have yielded a single dominant answer–smoothies; more specifically the Fab 4 Smoothie formula developed by celebrity nutritionist, Kelley LeVeque.

Reading about Beyonce’s strict maple syrup and lemon water regimen or Gisele and Tom Brady’s no coffee, no sugar, no fungus, no dairy, no everything diet, has always made me believe that ‘celebrity’ anything, especially related to nutrition, is not for me.

However, as I read more about @bewellbykelly and her Fab Four Smoothies, I realized that I could do this and be able to make it through the day– just like Jessica Alba (a loyal client).

The formula is simple:

Protein + Fiber + 1 TBSP Fat + Liquid + (Optional: Superfoods) + (Optional: Handful of Greens) + (Optional: ¼ Cup Fruit)

** All optional items don’t need to be added, but I would recommend one or two.

The formula has been developed to turn off the eight hunger hormones in your body and replace a balancing meal (with enough protein, fat, and fiber to keep you full) that is both satisfying and easy/quick! And unlike most store bought smoothies which are loaded with an excess of sugary fruits, the fructose here is limited to ¼ cup – AKA no banana & mango or berry smoothies.

I can confidently say after 7 mornings of Fab 4 Smoothies, I am feeling a lot better than just making it through the day. I am full, don’t constantly feel snack-y, and crave far less sugar (ignoring my constant need for chocolate–a craving no one will ever be able to curb). Waking up every morning and emulating what I feel Kate Walsh and Emmy Rossum’s (more of Leveque’s celebrity clients) do to start they day, really gets me going, and hopefully does until D-Day (aka the wedding)!

Here are some of my favourite recipes for Fab 4 smoothies so far:

Peanut Butter Cacao Smoothie

Protein: 1 serving (20 g minimum) vanilla protein powder

Fat: 1 TBSP peanut or almond butter

Fiber: 1-2 TBSP chia seeds

Superfood: 1 TSP Cacao (nibs or powder)

Liquid: 2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Blueberry Muffin Smoothie

Protein: 1 serving (20 g minimum) vanilla protein powder

Fat: 1 TBSP peanut or almond butter

Fiber: 1-2 TBSP chia seeds

Liquid: 2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Green Machine Smoothie

Protein: 1 serving (20 g minimum) vanilla protein powder

Fat: 1 TBSP peanut or almond butter

Fiber: 1-2 TBSP chia seeds

Greens: Handful of your choice (spinach or kale)

Liquid: 2 cups unsweetened almond milk

Superfood: 1 TSP Ashwaganda, MGM Powder, Collagen (all optional)

Mili Kale is an education consultant in Delhi with a passion for all things health and wellness, who grew up between Singapore, LA, and New York. As an ex-competitive swimmer, fitness has been something that has always been a part of her life, but thanks to the abundant acai bowls, almond milk lattes and gluten-free toasts on both coasts, using diet as a form of wellness, became a priority! Mili loves all things matcha, avocado, and HIIT (training that is), and hopes to bring her passions to India! Feel free to reach out to her at kale.mili91@gmail.com.

If you liked this post, you might also like: Green Detox Smoothie, Blueberry Smoothie Bowl, Vanilla Chia Pudding with mixed berries.