If you've been following me or a while, you know I like to have a smoothie most afternoons between lunch and dinner. Part of it is my sweet tooth, the fact that I get hungry around 3:00, and they are just fun!
Life's short. If I can have a snack that is about 200 calories and tastes like a frappe, I'm IN! And I love that I can switch them up by just using different fruit, vegetables, nut butters, etc.
My favorite line of protein powders are "Life's Basics" which you can order right here from the site. They are affordable and last about a month if you're having one every afternoon like me! I recently had a friend show me how to add these live links to my blog to make shopping easier for my readers. I hope you like it!
And if you're looking for a good smoothie maker, I really love my Ninja Professional blender. It takes about one minute to make a perfect, thick smoothie (I like them thick to eat with a spoon!) It is completely worth the money, as I also use it for soups, dressing, etc. It really does the trick for basic smoothie making!
Showing posts with label Smoothies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Smoothies. Show all posts
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
What I Ate Wednesday
Welcome back to What I Ate Wednesday, where we take a look at what I've been cooking up in my kitchen!
Breakfast was a lovely bowl of shredded wheat, snappy grapes, strawberries and vanilla soymilk. Yum!
Lunch was a plate of baby spinach topped with tomato, mushroom, quinoa (plain) and some miso tahini dressing.
Snack was a very green smoothie! Ice, almond milk, spinach and frozen banana. So simple and easy to make!
Dinner was some homemade hummus, whole wheat pita chips, homemade hummus and wheatberry salad.
Dessert was some heavenly (!!!) Taza chocolate from the Taza Chocolate people in Cambridge, MA. Have you tried their chocolate? You can get it on line, at various stores around Boston and at Whole Foods. I picked up this bag on our visit to Barrels in Waterville, ME.
Breakfast was a lovely bowl of shredded wheat, snappy grapes, strawberries and vanilla soymilk. Yum!
Lunch was a plate of baby spinach topped with tomato, mushroom, quinoa (plain) and some miso tahini dressing.
Snack was a very green smoothie! Ice, almond milk, spinach and frozen banana. So simple and easy to make!
Dinner was some homemade hummus, whole wheat pita chips, homemade hummus and wheatberry salad.
Dessert was some heavenly (!!!) Taza chocolate from the Taza Chocolate people in Cambridge, MA. Have you tried their chocolate? You can get it on line, at various stores around Boston and at Whole Foods. I picked up this bag on our visit to Barrels in Waterville, ME.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
What I Ate Wednesday
Welcome back to What I Ate Wednesday, everyone's favorite posts!
Breakfast, as you know by now, is usually a variation on Rip's Big Bowl and some fruit. How great are the blueberries and strawberries right now in New England? :) Load up on beautiful fruits!
Lunch was so delicious. I toasted a corn tortilla on 350 for about 10 minutes or so, until it started to harden and get yumtastic. Then I topped with a simple summer bean salad I made and a slice of avocado. A few black corn chips for shazam factor!
My drink of choice lately is Kombucha. Have you had it. It's gingery, bubbly and delicious. Not something I can drink all the time, but when I'm craving some, I have to have it! You can find it at Whole Foods and some Targets.
Afternoons usually consist of a smoothie of some sort. This one was half a cup of almond milk (unsweetened), one frozen banana, about 2 cups of baby spinach and about 5 ice cubes, blended into a healthy frappe. How did I ever survive without my daily smoothie? Anyone else on the same page?
Dinner was so good. Remember Gardein? This is their Mandarin Orange Crispy Chicken with a side of sweet potatoes and salad. Delicious, simple and takes no time to throw together!
Breakfast, as you know by now, is usually a variation on Rip's Big Bowl and some fruit. How great are the blueberries and strawberries right now in New England? :) Load up on beautiful fruits!
Lunch was so delicious. I toasted a corn tortilla on 350 for about 10 minutes or so, until it started to harden and get yumtastic. Then I topped with a simple summer bean salad I made and a slice of avocado. A few black corn chips for shazam factor!
My drink of choice lately is Kombucha. Have you had it. It's gingery, bubbly and delicious. Not something I can drink all the time, but when I'm craving some, I have to have it! You can find it at Whole Foods and some Targets.
Afternoons usually consist of a smoothie of some sort. This one was half a cup of almond milk (unsweetened), one frozen banana, about 2 cups of baby spinach and about 5 ice cubes, blended into a healthy frappe. How did I ever survive without my daily smoothie? Anyone else on the same page?
Dinner was so good. Remember Gardein? This is their Mandarin Orange Crispy Chicken with a side of sweet potatoes and salad. Delicious, simple and takes no time to throw together!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
What I Ate Wednesday
Welcome back to What I Ate Wednesday, everyone's favorite peak into what I'm up to in the kitchen. Noticing any patterns? I like my meals quick, well-rounded and filling.
Breakfast was the usual, Rip's Big Bowl with grapes. As for the addition of grapes to cereal, don't knock it until you've tried it! I love red grapes, but they need to be really fresh and snappy. These did the trick!
I also tossed in some banana for good measure.
Lunch was typical me: an assortment of leftovers in the fridge!
Simple plain chopped kale/romaine salad, lentil sweet potato stew and wheatberry salad. All filling and really full of flavor.
Tied me over until smoothie hour:
I realize the smoothie looks a little odd, but it rocked. Frozen banana, about 5 ice cubes, 1/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened) and a whole bunch of fresh spinach, blended into a thick frappe. Topped with crushed walnuts and raisins. I'm a sucker for anything with walnuts and raisins!
Dinner was a peanuty-Asian noodle dish.
I started with some brown rice pasta (my new favorite!)
Some of the ingredients I typically use to make Asian sauce:
Add some fresh and some frozen vegetables
And the finished meal was just right on a cold (!?!?) June night!
Breakfast was the usual, Rip's Big Bowl with grapes. As for the addition of grapes to cereal, don't knock it until you've tried it! I love red grapes, but they need to be really fresh and snappy. These did the trick!
I also tossed in some banana for good measure.
Lunch was typical me: an assortment of leftovers in the fridge!
Simple plain chopped kale/romaine salad, lentil sweet potato stew and wheatberry salad. All filling and really full of flavor.
Tied me over until smoothie hour:
I realize the smoothie looks a little odd, but it rocked. Frozen banana, about 5 ice cubes, 1/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened) and a whole bunch of fresh spinach, blended into a thick frappe. Topped with crushed walnuts and raisins. I'm a sucker for anything with walnuts and raisins!
Dinner was a peanuty-Asian noodle dish.
I started with some brown rice pasta (my new favorite!)
Some of the ingredients I typically use to make Asian sauce:
Add some fresh and some frozen vegetables
And the finished meal was just right on a cold (!?!?) June night!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
What I Ate Wednesday
Welcome back to What I Ate Wednesday! The weekly post where you can take a peak at what I've been eating, and how uncomplicated (!!!) healthy eating can (and should) be.
Breakfast was a good one. Overnight oats made by soaking 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats in 3/4 cup almond milk overnight in the fridge. Topped with cinnamon (which is a great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory), raisins, bananas and walnuts. Yum.
I'm a cereal person, so you'll always see cereal for my breakfast posts!
Lunch was typical me. Meaning, an off-the-top-of-my-head salad made with whatever I had in the fridge. Today was baby spinach, a mess-load of carrots, sliced almonds, Gardein steakless tips and Whole Foods' tahini dressing from the "Health Starts Here" line. I have to say, it's a good looking lunch! And it tasted great. Filling and satisfying.
Snack shouldn't surprise you. This smoothie is a new favorite of mine. I blend 5 ice cubes, a scoop of chocolate (plant based) protein powder, 1/2 a frozen banana and about 1/4 cup almond milk. Topped it off with walnuts (my favorite!) *note: I get more than enough protein on a plant-based diet, I just love the taste of this chocolate powder and it thickens my smoothies.* Wouldn't you SO rather eat this for an afternoon snack than a little sugary-filled granola bar or bag of chips?
Dinner was a big (although this looks little, I realize!) plate of steamed vegetables topped with a delicious tahini dressing that I used from one of the recipes from the book "The Kind Diet."
Tahini Dressing:
1/4 small onion, diced
1/2 cup tahini
1 T shoyu (or soy sauce)
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of paprika
1/2 tsp basil
pinch of dried oregano
Combine onion with 2 T water in a small skillet and saute over medium-high heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add more water as needed if the onion begins to stick. Scrape the onion into a blender and add 1/2 cup water and remaining ingredients. Blend for 1 minute or until creamy.
Dessert speaks for itself. No, I didn't eat the whole thing, but I certainly could have!
Enjoy your Wednesday and thank you SO much for all the positive feedback!
Breakfast was a good one. Overnight oats made by soaking 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats in 3/4 cup almond milk overnight in the fridge. Topped with cinnamon (which is a great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory), raisins, bananas and walnuts. Yum.
I'm a cereal person, so you'll always see cereal for my breakfast posts!
Lunch was typical me. Meaning, an off-the-top-of-my-head salad made with whatever I had in the fridge. Today was baby spinach, a mess-load of carrots, sliced almonds, Gardein steakless tips and Whole Foods' tahini dressing from the "Health Starts Here" line. I have to say, it's a good looking lunch! And it tasted great. Filling and satisfying.
Snack shouldn't surprise you. This smoothie is a new favorite of mine. I blend 5 ice cubes, a scoop of chocolate (plant based) protein powder, 1/2 a frozen banana and about 1/4 cup almond milk. Topped it off with walnuts (my favorite!) *note: I get more than enough protein on a plant-based diet, I just love the taste of this chocolate powder and it thickens my smoothies.* Wouldn't you SO rather eat this for an afternoon snack than a little sugary-filled granola bar or bag of chips?
Dinner was a big (although this looks little, I realize!) plate of steamed vegetables topped with a delicious tahini dressing that I used from one of the recipes from the book "The Kind Diet."
Tahini Dressing:
1/4 small onion, diced
1/2 cup tahini
1 T shoyu (or soy sauce)
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of paprika
1/2 tsp basil
pinch of dried oregano
Combine onion with 2 T water in a small skillet and saute over medium-high heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add more water as needed if the onion begins to stick. Scrape the onion into a blender and add 1/2 cup water and remaining ingredients. Blend for 1 minute or until creamy.
Dessert speaks for itself. No, I didn't eat the whole thing, but I certainly could have!
Enjoy your Wednesday and thank you SO much for all the positive feedback!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
What I Ate Wednesday
Welcome back to "What I ate Wednesday!" I'm happy you're here. This breakfast was a big ol' bowl of the overnight oats I know some of you have also tried and are enjoying. Today I replaced the unsweetened coconut with cinnamon, raisins and walnuts. I always eat bananas in my cereal because they help keep me filled up until lunchtime :) On a side note, nice the way almond milk is actually white (not grey, like cow's milk).
And speaking of lunch, today it was a simple salad (you're onto me, aren't you? I'm a salad person!) of chopped romaine over Israeli cous cous (cooked in broth and sweetened with white raisins). Chickpeas, mushrooms and a Health Starts Here dressing. Also some stewed Swiss chard. The nice thing about the leftovers in my fridge is that they can usually be thrown on top of a salad, as you see here!
Yeah, I really do eat one of these every day, and they are usually red (strawberry banana) or green (kale or spinach with banana). What can I say? They do the trick for me! This one was straight up. No topping necessary. The glass looks small, but it's a pint glass. Nice big snack, peeps.
This is the sort of thing I could eat every single night and never grow tired of. It's a hot bowl of sweet potato black bean soup over brown rice. I topped it with a delicious avocado (is there anything better?) and then squeezed a whole lime over the whole thing. Yumtastic.
Here was my humble little fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants dessert for the day :) I ate quite a few of these little buggers and man, they are good! Simply slice a banana, bread the nut butter of your choice on the top and then dip your creation in mini chocolate chips. Pop it in your mouth and feel happy.
That's all for today! Thanks for reading and keep sharing with me what you're eating!
And speaking of lunch, today it was a simple salad (you're onto me, aren't you? I'm a salad person!) of chopped romaine over Israeli cous cous (cooked in broth and sweetened with white raisins). Chickpeas, mushrooms and a Health Starts Here dressing. Also some stewed Swiss chard. The nice thing about the leftovers in my fridge is that they can usually be thrown on top of a salad, as you see here!
Yeah, I really do eat one of these every day, and they are usually red (strawberry banana) or green (kale or spinach with banana). What can I say? They do the trick for me! This one was straight up. No topping necessary. The glass looks small, but it's a pint glass. Nice big snack, peeps.
This is the sort of thing I could eat every single night and never grow tired of. It's a hot bowl of sweet potato black bean soup over brown rice. I topped it with a delicious avocado (is there anything better?) and then squeezed a whole lime over the whole thing. Yumtastic.
Here was my humble little fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants dessert for the day :) I ate quite a few of these little buggers and man, they are good! Simply slice a banana, bread the nut butter of your choice on the top and then dip your creation in mini chocolate chips. Pop it in your mouth and feel happy.
That's all for today! Thanks for reading and keep sharing with me what you're eating!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
My favorite green smoothie!
Everyday between lunch and dinner I get a craving for a snack that will not only satisfy my sweet tooth, but will also provide me with a nice boost of vitamins and minerals. When I think that a year ago I was drinking coffee with creepy fake creamer for an afternoon "snack" I am proud of how far I've come! Never underestimate the ability to change your taste buds, dear readers!
Have you considered trying to make smoothies for yourself? Here is my simple, tried and true green smoothie "recipe." I say "recipe" because I'm always switching things up. Here is at least a general idea of how to make it. This one is topped with a little sprinkle of toasted hazelnuts. Yum!
Place about 2 cups of packed organic baby spinach into a blender, Vitamixer, Ninja, etc.
Add about 5 ice cubes.
Add 1/2-1 frozen banana (freeze some already peeled)
Add about 1/4 cup frozen tropical fruit (I like peaches and pineapple)
Add a splash of almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
Blend until all the spinach is incorporated.
I swear, you'll fall in love with this tropical treat. Especially in the dead of winter! And just last weekend I picked up some protein powder to jazz things up. More on that in a later post!
Have you considered trying to make smoothies for yourself? Here is my simple, tried and true green smoothie "recipe." I say "recipe" because I'm always switching things up. Here is at least a general idea of how to make it. This one is topped with a little sprinkle of toasted hazelnuts. Yum!
Place about 2 cups of packed organic baby spinach into a blender, Vitamixer, Ninja, etc.
Add about 5 ice cubes.
Add 1/2-1 frozen banana (freeze some already peeled)
Add about 1/4 cup frozen tropical fruit (I like peaches and pineapple)
Add a splash of almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
Blend until all the spinach is incorporated.
I swear, you'll fall in love with this tropical treat. Especially in the dead of winter! And just last weekend I picked up some protein powder to jazz things up. More on that in a later post!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Smoothies
Before I went vegan, I didn't understand why so many people went nuts for smoothies. A simple Google of "vegan smoothies" will result in videos, images and recipes for more smoothies than you could imagine! And not just a wide variety of tastes, but a wide variety of colors and pronouncements of health. I sort of considered smoothies calorie dense sweet treats and didn't give them much thought. Why bother, when I was still eating icecream and frozen yogurt? Well, here's why you should bother (you knew it was coming!)...They take 5 minutes to make, they are super good for you and you can make them as thick as those Blizzards you enjoyed as a kid.
My daughter enjoys routine and each day after school looks forward to a snack that will fill her up, but also satisfy her hunger (and sweet tooth) until dinnertime. Often kids have after school activities that require a nice dose of protein to feel full. Knowing that I was interested in trying to make smoothies, my husband surprised me with a Ninja "Warrier" kitchen tool. I was a little skeptical that I would need something so odd sounding to make a smoothie (wasn't my blender good enough?), but I LOVE the thing because it's very powerful for crushing ice. Sure, the Vitamixer is the best of them all, but I'd never complain about my Ninja! Soon enough, I was making my daughter and I a smoothie every afternoon after school. Because the options are endless, we haven't grown tired of them! I kid you not, when I whip one up, it tastes like the best homemade icecream and is completely dairy free, with no added sugar. And after you eat it you don't feel bloated or tired. The image above is one of my typical blends, consisting of almond milk, ice, a frozen banana, a handful of berries and topped with granola. That's it! Are you more a chocolate person? Do you realize you can use unsweetened cocoa powder (yes, the baking cocoa powder from the market) and it adds all the chocolate flavor without any sugar? When I figured that out I felt like I had hit the lottery. Chocolate, peanut butter banana smoothie? OKAY!
Here are a few options we love:
Start with a few ice cubes (say, 4 or 5)
Use about a cup of non-dairy milk (we love unsweetened almond). More or less, you decide.
Add a frozen banana (peel them and THEN freeze them in a zip-lock bag...keep a stash on hand!)
Then, have fun: add some frozen or fresh fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mangos, peaches)
Want it chocolatey? Add about 2 T cocoa powder (the unsweetened stuff). Chocolate goes best with raspberry, banana or strawberry.
Whirl it up and enjoy! We like ours really thick, but you can adjust to taste.
Want an extra dose of vitamins that the kids (and you) will NOT taste? Add a cup of baby spinach (fresh). It's especially yummy mixed with berries. We did this "Shrek" drink on Halloween, a simple blend of spinach, berries and almond milk. Sounds gross, but tastes great.
You can also jazz it up with a teaspoon of chia seeds or ground flax.
A lot of recipes call or a date or two thrown in for sweetness. I find mine sweet enough as is.
And last but not least, if you like a little crunch on top, add some granola (we love Bare Naked)! Later this week we'll film ourselves making one, so keep an eye out for a fun video!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)