Give Your Team a Whirl!

GIVE YOUR TEAM A WHIRL!

CELEBRATE YOUR TEAM WITH A SMOOTHIE SOCIAL Easy, fun and refreshing, Smoothie Socials are a healthy way to celebrate your team on a special occasion – or no occasion at all! Just gather all the fresh goodness of juicy fruits and vibrant greens, top off with a nutrition boost, and give the blender a whirl. Then raise a glass to the team and enjoy!

Here are some tools to help you plan your event: • Healthy smoothie tips

• Smoothie Smackdown calorie/sugar comparison chart

• Ingredient sign-up sheet

• Smoothie recipes

• Email template

• Customizable flyer

HEALTHY SMOOTHIE TIPS Getting started is easy as 1…2…3 Planning a Smoothie Social is easy. Schedule for mid-afternoon so the smoothies don’t take the place of a regular meal. All you need are a couple blenders and a variety of healthy ingredients. Start with an unsweetened and low- or non-fat liquid base, then add fresh or frozen fruit. You can also give your smoothies a boost with some bonus nutrition like healthy fats, proteins, and greens. Ask team members to sign up to bring one or two items from the ingredient guide below. Or invite them to make their own favorite recipe. Feel free to add in a dash of creativity (any fruit or flavor booster you choose).

INGREDIENT GUIDE Step 1: Liquid Base Step 2: Whole Fruit Step 3: Boosters - Low- or non-fat milk (fresh or unsweetened frozen) - Green (kale or spinach) - Unsweetened almond milk, low-fat - Apples - Mangoes - Protein (plain Greek yogurt, coconut milk, hemp milk, soy milk silken tofu, nuts or nut butter - Bananas - Peaches or rice milk - Healthy fats (ground flax or - Blueberries - Pineapple - Water chia seeds, avocado) - Cherries - Strawberries - Coconut water - Flavor boosts (cinnamon, vanilla extract, unsweetened cocoa - Crushed ice powder, fresh ginger, lemon, - Low- or non-fat plain yogurt lime, mint)

Ingredient watch list You may think all smoothies are healthy, but don’t be fooled. There can be a lot of calories and sugar hiding in the blender. In fact, some smoothies have more than 500 calories and over 100 grams of sugar! Here are some ways to keep your smoothie ingredient list in check.

1. Serve in moderation: 8-12 ounce cups (8 ounces = 1 cup)

2. Avoid fruit juices or sweetened beverages: Use low- or non-fat plain milk, unsweetened milk alternatives, or a vegetable juice as a base.

3. Omit sweetened yogurts: Use low- or non-fat plain yogurt.

4. Consider diabetic or pre-diabetic conditions: To be on the safe side, make sure your smoothies have no more than 15-30 grams of total carbohydrates per serving and are made with high-fiber foods, like whole fruits. Adding protein and healthy fats can also help balance blood sugar.

Still feel like you need a little more sweetener? Just add a teaspoon of maple syrup or honey, or a few drops of calorie-free stevia.

©2016 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. Smoothies may seem like a healthy snack, but don't be fooled by their image. Even though they are made with fruit, there can be a lot of calories and sugar hiding in the blender — more than a large soda or blended coffee drink. See how your favorite brand measures up. SMOOTHIES

Jamba Juice® Banana Berry Smoothie Orange Julius® Mango Pineapple Smoothie

510 calories Large (32 oz) 420 calories Large (26 oz) 26.5 23 teaspoons sugar teaspoons sugar (106g) (92g)

McDonald’s® Banana Strawberry Smoothie Starbucks® Strawberry Banana Smoothie

330 calories Large (22 oz) 340 calories Venti (24 oz) 17.5 14.5 teaspoons sugar teaspoons sugar (70g) (58g)

COMPARE TO SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGES

Coca Cola® Starbucks® Vanilla Frappuccino®

240 calories 20 oz 530 calories Venti (24 oz) 16.25 22 teaspoons sugar teaspoons sugar (65g) (88g)

One teaspoon sugar = 4 grams (g) TIPS TO KEEP YOUR SMOOTHIE HEALTHIER Avoid fruit juices or sweetened beverages: Use low- or non-fat plain milk, unsweetened milk alternatives, or a vegetable juice as a base. Omit sweetened yogurts: Use low- or non-fat plain yogurt. Consider diabetic or pre-diabetic conditions: To be on the safe side, make sure your smoothies have no more than 15-30 grams of total carbohydrates per serving and are made with high-fiber foods, like whole fruits. Adding protein and healthy fats can also help balance blood sugar.

INGREDIENT SIGN-UP SHEET

DATE TIME LOCATION

Check out the list of healthy smoothie ingredients below and sign up for 1 or 2. If you’d like to share your own favorite recipe with the team, please bring the ingredients you will need.

NAME INGREDIENT

INGREDIENT SIGN-UP SHEET continued

NAME INGREDIENT

RECIPE IDEAS Bursting with berries or packed with superfoods, here’s a variety of smoothie recipes designed to be as healthy as they are delicious. Enjoy!

TROPICAL GREEN PB & BANANA SMOOTHIE SMOOTHIE

1 cup ice 1 cup unsweetened coconut water 1 cup ice ½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt 1 large banana ½ cup low-fat plain yogurt 1 large frozen banana 1 tablespoon peanut butter 1 cup chopped dino (lacinato) kale 1 cup unsweetened almond milk ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup unsweetened frozen or non-fat milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract pineapple Blend together on high for 1 minute or until smooth. Blend together on high for 1 minute or until smooth. Nutrition Facts (per 8 oz. serving): Nutrition Facts (per 8 oz. serving): 120 calories; 4.5g fat; 1g saturated fat; 5mg cholesterol; 95mg sodium; 90 calories; 0.5g fat; 0.5g saturated fat; 0mg cholesterol; 45mg sodium; 14g carbohydrates; 7g sugar; 5g protein 20g carbohydrates; 9g sugar; 3g protein

BERRY BLAST FROZEN COFFEE SMOOTHIE (v) BREEZE

1 cup frozen strawberries 2 cups unsweetened coconut 1 cup cold/iced coffee ½ cup dry pitted dates 1 cup frozen raspberries milk beverage 2 cups ice ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup silken tofu 1 teaspon vanilla extract 1 cup unsweetened almond milk ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups ice 10 drops stevia extract (optional) or non-fat milk

Blend together on high for 1 minute or until smooth. Blend together on high for 1 minute or until smooth.

Nutrition Facts (per 8 oz. serving): Nutrition Facts (per 8 oz. serving): 100 calories; 4.5g fat; 2.5g saturated fat; 0mg cholesterol; 20mg sodium; 90 calories; 1g fat; 0g saturated fat; 0mg cholesterol; 65mg sodium; 9g carbohydrates; 3g sugar; 4g protein 21g carbohydrates; 14g sugar; 1g protein

* Serving Size = 1 cup (8 oz.) (v) = Vegan

RECIPE IDEAS continued

PEACH MANGO CHOCO-AVO SMOOTHIE SMOOTHIE (v)

1 cup unsweetened frozen peaches 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups ice 1 medium avocado 1 cup frozen mango 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 1½ cups unsweetened coconut 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt or non-fat milk milk beverage 2 tablespoons unsweetened ½ cup dried pitted dates cocoa powder

Blend together on high for 1 minute or until smooth. Blend together on high for 1 minute or until smooth.

Nutrition Facts (per 8 oz. serving): Nutrition Facts (per 8 oz. serving): 130 calories; 2.5g fat; 1g saturated fat; 5mg cholesterol; 115mg sodium; 150 calories; 9g fat; 3.5g saturated fat; 0mg cholesterol; 5mg sodium; 22g carbohydrates; 19g sugar; 5g protein 21g carbohydrates; 11g sugar; 3g protein

SUPERFOOD STRAWBERRY PINEAPPLE SMOOTHIE GRANITA (v)

1 cup frozen blueberries 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt 2 cups honeydew chunks 1 cup ice 1 cup frozen strawberries 2 tablespoons ground flax or 1 cup frozen strawberries ½ cup water 1 cup chopped dino (lacinato) kale chia seeds 1 cup frozen pineapple Juice of 2 limes 1 cup unsweetened vanilla 8 drops stevia extract (optional) almond milk

Blend together on high for 1 minute or until smooth. Blend together on high for 1 minute or until smooth.

Nutrition Facts (per 8 oz. serving): Nutrition Facts (per 8 oz. serving): 100 calories; 3.5g fat; 1g saturated fat; 55mg cholesterol; 65mg sodium; 70 calories; 0g fat; 0g saturated fat; 0mg cholesterol; 20mg sodium; 12g carbohydrates; 7g sugar; 6g protein 18g carbohydrates; 10g sugar; 1g protein

* Serving Size = 1 cup (8 oz.) (v) = Vegan

Looking for more inspiration? Watch this KP recipe video for a Mixed Berry and Beet Smoothie. Find even more smoothie recipes on Go KP and KP’s Food for Health blog.

INVITATION: LET’S CELEBRATE OUR TEAM WITH A SMOOTHIE SOCIAL

Join us on at for a Smoothie Social! We’ll provide the blenders and ice. You just need to bring one or two ingredients on the sign-up sheet posted in the .

Or bring the ingredients for your own favorite smoothie and take part in our recipe challenge! We will be voting on who whirls up the tastiest AND healthiest smoothie. To help improve your chances of winning, here are some quick Healthy Tips (including ways to “go green” beyond kale and spinach).

It’s also a good idea to keep it light so our Smoothie Social doesn’t take the place of dinner. Bonus points for BYO (bring your own) glass or mug.

Let’s celebrate our team!

©2016 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. LET’S CELEBRATE OUR TEAM WITH A SMOOTHIE SOCIAL! Time to gather all the fresh goodness of the season and get together for a fun and refreshing Smoothie Social!

Mark your calendar for [INSERT DATE and TIME]. Blenders and ice will be on hand. All you need to bring are one or two ingredients from the sign-up sheet we will post in advance of the event.

Let’s celebrate our team!

If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, please contact [INSERT NAME] at [INSERT PHONE OR EMAIL].