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Cherry smoothies...
I. Love. Smoothies. Lately, I have been making smoothies like crazy: breakfast smoothies, post-workout smoothies, or lunch replacement smoothies. Occasionally, I will make one to replace a desert craving- I know that if I have one of these, I will not be crazing anything else. Making smoothies with fresh, gluten free, wholesome food is fun and quick. It is an excellent way to get lots of fresh and healthy ingredients into your diet. So easy to make, just take fresh fruit, frozen fruit, almond milk, greek nonfat plain yogurt, spices, vanilla, protein powder, veggies, anything! Whirl them around in a blender or Magic Bullet and you have a meal in a cup. So good, so healthy, and very filling. Its a great way to get in some extra protein, fiber, vitamins, and a sneaky way to hide some fruit or veggies in the kids diet. Sometimes, as I create a smoothie, I think about what I would like to get out of it, for example: my banana muffin smoothie ingredients gives me prebiotics, probiotics, fiber, protein, potassium, magnesium, to just name a few things!)
Creating a healthful smoothie is also a great way to spoil your appetite before going to a party or out to a restaurant (so as not to overindulge in less than ideal food later)! Just be mindful of what you are putting into your smoothies so you use them appropriately (ie: high protein for breakfast or post-workout, fresh fruit smoothie as a snack) so you do not wind up thinking you are having a snack when you actually created a whole other meal!
Creating new smoothie recipes is really fun! Here are a few of my very favorite combinations:
My "Banana Muffin" Smoothie:
3/4 c. Almond Milk, original flavor
1/4 c. Plain, nonfat Greek Style Yogurt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (or more, to taste)
1 frozen banana (medium)
1-2 Tablespoons Almond Meal
Dash of sea salt
Sprinkling of cinnamon (to taste)
dash of nutmeg, optional
pinch of raw or brown sugar, optional
My Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Pie Smoothie (Yes, it is that good!):
3/4 c. Almond Milk, original flavor
1/4 c. Plain, nonfat Greek Yogurt
1 frozen banana (small)
dash of salt
1 Tbsp Almond Meal
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
sprinkling of cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch (less than a tsp.) raw or brown sugar
Cocoa Powder (2 tsp or to taste)
Unbelievable!!! Smooth, rich, thick, delicious!
Mixed Berries and Cream Smoothie:
Greek Yogurt
Milk
Frozen Strawberries
Frozen Blueberries
Frozen Raspberries
Vanilla Protein Powder
Vanilla extract
Strawberry Mango Smoothie:
Frozen or fresh Mango
Frozen or fresh Strawberries
water
squirt of lemon juice
(Can add anything to this: OJ, Veggies, Fruit, etc.)
All natural, gluten free, and so fun!
Blend and Enjoy!
