This weekend I had the privilege of hosting a booth at the North Carolina Potato Festival. I was especially lucky to be two booths down the free French fries, which were WONDERFUL! As I chatted with people and checked their blood pressure, I realized how much I am looking forward to getting my office up and running. I have missed “doctoring” these past few months.
At my booth, I was doing a drawing for a Nutribullet and 4 sessions of integrative health coaching by Nutrition Pair. It was fun to hear people say that they have a Nutribullet, or other blenders, but it was more fun to hear whether they use it or not, which reminds me of the many treadmills around the world that are now clothes hangers. Surprisingly, more people than I expected admitted they were using their “smoothie makers,” to my delight. I love my Nutribullet. I am not always consistent with getting my daily veggies in, so I feel less guilty knowing I started my day with some fruit and veggies in a delicious smoothie. But I know it is a challenge to eat healthy in this busy, fast paced world we live in. I struggle daily. But here are some things I’ve found to be helpful:
1. Buy your veggies (kale, spinach, zucchini, etc.) in bulk. Wash them, put them in 2 cup servings in zip-lock bags, and throw the bags in the freezer. Take out as much as you need when you are making your shake.
2. Use frozen fruit from the grocery store. I always have mixed berries, pineapple, and mixed fruit/tropical fruit in my freezer. Once again, I just take out what I need.
3. Keep your smoothie protein nearby. I keep my flax seed and chia seed in the cabinet above my Nutribullet. I add 1 tablespoon when I need some protein to my smoothie. You can also add nuts or a nut butter.
4. Sneak in power protein. I have grown to love Greek yogurt, so I always have that in the fridge and I add ½ cup to my shakes. This adds my probiotics, calcium, and protein in one shot. If you don’t like yogurt, another easy way to get the protein in is to use your favorite protein powder.
5. Make the smoothies ahead of time. On days when I am drinking 2 or more smoothies, I make them up the night before and just keep them in the fridge. I’ve had good results making them up to 2 days in advance. Less mess, less dishes, less time spent in the morning.
Here are a couple of my favorite smoothie recipes. I don’t make mine very sweet, so you can add banana, pineapple, maple syrup, or honey to get them to your liking.
Berries and Kale
1 cup water
½ cup Greek yogurt (I use whole milk yogurt, but you can go lighter)
¾ cup frozen mixed berries
1 cup frozen kale
Blend to your liking and enjoy!
Pineapple and Kale
¾ cup frozen kale
1 cup water or coconut water (you may need to add a little more if you don’t like your shake thick)
Squirt of lime juice
½ zucchini
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 tb chia seeds
Blend and enjoy!
So, get out that blender and try getting some healthy stuff in you! Do you have any smoothie or shake recipes you love? Please share them with us!
Next time I’ll spend some time talking about the other prize I offered at the Festival: 4 sessions of integrative health coaching. Have a healthy day!