Hi friends!!
I don’t know about you guys, but as far as those New Years’ Resolutions go…it’s not even been a month and sometimes I’m ready to just order a pizza…feel me? But I know it’s important to stick with your goals, and my goal was to try to eat cleaner this year. So I’m doing my best, getting creative with recipes at home to both save money eating out, and to save my body from all kinds of junk that restaurant food has (even though is always tastes amazing) in it.
I started making these green smoothies for breakfast every single morning in the first week of the New Year, and I feel amazing. I’m not drinking coffee anymore because I want to stay away from caffeine, so I was searching for a new, healthier way to be energized in the morning when I wake up. It feels great to know I’m at least starting off the day with fruits and vegetables in case I accidentally run to Taco Bell for a crunch wrap supreme or order a pizza at night…oops. At least the morning had good intentions. :)
I’ve been learning a lot over the past couple weeks about food and the various different nutrients that the right foods have and it’s made me want to put those things in my body everyday. Did you know that kiwis give you as much as energy as a cup of black coffee in the morning? And they had more potassium than a banana? Kiwis are like a magical fruit! Did you know that spinach and kale both has protein? I mean, it’s a LEAF. Did you know that coconut milk is dairy free, soy free, AND tastes better than regular milk in a smoothie? Well, these are all things that I’m learning too. We’re 27 days into 2016 and I’ve probably consumed 24 or so, of these green smoothies and let’s just say…I feel like a million bucks. I wanted to share the simple, easy recipe with you so you guys can know exactly what I’m talking about here.
Here’s the ingredients:
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup kale
5-6 fresh blackberries (or you can use strawberries)
1 kiwi
1/2 squeezed lemon
1 tiny slice of ginger root (This stuff is STRONG, lemme tell ya!)
1 tablespoon of nonfat Greek plain yogurt (I use Chobani)
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
6oz sweetened coconut milk
Instructions:
Here's a quick little time-lapse video for you visual learners... :)
Blend ingredients together and enjoy!!
I want to point out a few things about this smoothie that make it particularly good for you. For starters, a lot of people have a few misconceptions about smoothies in general. If you’re drinking smoothies that are primarily fruit based, that’s okay, but keep in mind that fruit is chock full of sugar, and that even though it’s ‘natural’ sugar, your body still processes it like sugar, and too much can keep you from leaning down. This recipe has 2 fruits, the blackberries and the kiwi. Berry fruits are the lowest fruits in sugar. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc are your best bet to try and keep the sugar content low in your smoothies. This smoothie also contains no dairy, apart from the Greek yogurt used to add some protein. However, cultured dairy is a super food, so keeping your diet high in cultured dairy, is a GOOD thing! Cultured dairy is a probiotic, which means that it aids in digestion and stomach function. It helps keep a healthy colon. Overall, this smoothie is low in sugar and HIGH in nutrients! It’s super easy to make and I hope you enjoy it as much as Caleb and I do!!
Xoxo,
Kelsey
