going to get ICE CREAM.
we like ice cream. a LOT.
ice cream...
more ice cream...well, frozen yogurt but still...
you get the picture.
We love it. We love to pile in the car as a family and go to Andy's or Shake's after dinner and even our extended family loves it. We eat with my in-laws and grandparents-in-law (or however you say it) at a minimum of once a week....every Friday night and after we eat dinner, we pile in our cars and head to Braum's and get ice cream. Every. Time. So, while we can't cut out ALL of the ice cream stops, we can at least stop going so often as a family of three and eating frozen custard SO often. But, what about dessert? While I have been trying to make "healthier" desserts (previously posted brownies, graham cracker crust, etc), what else can we have? And then it hit me....what about a smoothie? It's cold, it's sweet, it's yummy....so I thought, let's give it a whirl! (no pun intended on the blender there..) On my first "getting healthy" grocery trip, I focused on fruits and vegetables and some lean meats. I picked up fresh and some frozen fruits for snacks and have been making smoothies that consist of bananas, mangoes, strawberries, pineapple, etc and man, they are GOOD! Not only are they good, but they are good for you! The fruit is sweet enough that I don't have to add any sugar which is a definite plus in this momma's book! No more sugar hangovers or stomach aches from over indulging in sugary desserts.....just good, fresh, yummy stuff.....if you think I am starting to lose is here, just get ready for this next item I am about to show you:
yes, it is green. I did it. I made a green smoothie.
and, you know what??
IT WAS GOOD!
Are you still there? Did I run you off with my glass of green gunk that looks like only the Hulk himself could love it?
For those of you that have not abandoned me thinking that the next thing I am going to tell you is to eat only organic, go hop on a love bus and move to a commune, let me explain what this is. It is a strawberry banana smoothie with spinach. yep, you heard me right, fresh spinach. but, do you want to know what it tastes like? JUST STRAWBERRIES AND BANANAS!?!?!?!? I kid you not. You don't believe me? Ask my toddler.....every time I have made one of these, he hears the blender, RUNS into the kitchen, and asks for a straw and wants to drink it with me. So, if you have kiddos that aren't big fans of munching on fresh green leaves (and, seriously, I don't know many kids who are...or adults, really!) PLEASE give this a try. and try it for yourself too. I have been having one of these green shakes a day for about 4 days or so and I feel AWESOME! More energy, I am drinking less coffee (if you know me really well you are either laughing uncontrollably at this statement or you have fallen out of your chair with shock...are you ok? hope you didn't hit your head!?) I kid you not. This thing is loaded with vitamins and I can tell a noticeable difference in my body and my energy level since I started making these. Want to give it a try?
Strawberry Banana Green Smoothie
1/2 medium banana, fresh or frozen (a side note here-have you ever had frozen bananas as ice cream? see below)
1/2 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
a big handful (about 1 1/2 cups) of fresh spinach, washed
1/4 cup of skim milk (this is optional! they are good without the milk as well)
about 8 ounces of water
ice cubes
Place all items in blender and mix well! I will tell you that I add a packet of sweetener to my smoothie yesterday (Splenda or Equal) just because I wanted a little sweetness with the tart strawberries. As I make more of these, I am going to be experimenting with different fruit combinations and hopefully not use this in the future. I have done every "diet" under the sun and have done the "South Beach" where they limit your amount of sugar or sugary fruits, etc. But, something to think about here is that sugar from fresh fruits and sugar added to a cookie or cake are NOT the same thing. I just am not a fan of any diet that says you can't eat fruits and vegetables. I just don't consider that to be very healthy. Everyone has a very different opinion of what "healthy" is but to me it's not just about losing weight. It is about the long term. I don't want to cut out all my carbs, feel terrible and lose 5 pounds only to gain it back (and more). In our house, we are going to be eating plenty of yummy fruits and veggies along with lean meats, etc. and the occasional splurge...because something I have learned is that sometimes you just gotta have something like a burger. It is ok to eat those things sometimes...it is just not ok to eat them ALL the time. Anyway, this has been a long rambling post so I will leave it at that and just say, please give this a try...at least for a few days and let me know if you notice any difference in how you feel/look, etc!!
I almost forgot!! Frozen bananas!!! So, next time you have some bananas that are getting ripe fast then you can use them, slice them up and stick them in the freezer. When you want something sweet, take your frozen bananas and mash them up with a little cocoa powder and make "ice cream"! You can also add some peanut butter to it as well! Delicious and healthy!
No comments:
Post a Comment