Smoothies!!!

I visited with a dietitian this week to discuss healthy eating, and as part of my cardiologist's plan. We talked a lot about things I already knew- broccoli has less calories per cup than gummy bears- WOW!!  Who'd have thought, right?  But we also had a talk about probiotics!  

She explained to me there are bacteria all throughout our bodies that help us absorb the nutrients from what we eat.  From our mouths to our lower intestines, these tiny bacteria break down our food so we can take advantage of all the iron, potassium, and minerals our bodies need!  The absence of these bacteria can lead to a host of issues including depression, weight plateau, headaches and anemia!  Not to mention the myriad of benefits probiotics have for children!!  (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/27-probiotic-benefits-children).  Just one problem.  I hate yogurt.  Like really hate it.  SO, she recommended I put it into a smoothie for a morning breakfast- something I usually skip anyway.  

On day 3, my smoothie included kale, something I'll go into depth about at a later time!  It was DELICIOUS.  I couldn't taste my yogurt OR the leafy greens I threw in!  It was so good, my kids have started eating these health packed "milk shakes" for breakfast every morning too!  I'm including two recipes on this post I've tried and loved.  Feel free to experiment.  I've been buying frozen fruits, but I'm also using whatever I can find at the farmers market and freezing what we don't eat day one.  My rule of thumb to avoid bitterness is two fruits per veggie I add.


Kale and Strawberry Smoothie (pictured)

1/2 cup organic greek yogurt -live cultures- that's important
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 handfuls frozen strawberries
1/2 banana
1/4 frozen peach
2 leaves kale

Blend until mixed well.  Enjoy!


Banana and Almond Smoothie
1/2 cup organic greek yogurt with live cultures
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 banana
8 dry raw almonds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 frozen peach
handful organic baby spinach

This one was a less sweet than the strawberry version, but it had a nice robust nutty flavor!

No matter what you decide to blend, just remember to throw in a dark leafy green!  The darker, the better!  And in the cases of spinach and kale, fresh beats frozen for nutritional content!

ENJOY!!