Simply Strawberry Smoothie

When I am in a rush in the morning, and I want to have a balanced breakfast,  I make me this easy smoothie.  This is the smoothie I always turn to when I need something fast and tasty.  My husband has to wake up extra early during football season, so making a full breakfast where you must sit down is near impossible.  Instead I make him smoothies and put them in to-go cups for the road.  He can drink them on the way to work without wasting any time.

So how do you make this easy smoothie?

In a blender add 1 cup of frozen strawberries, 2 scoops of protein powder, 1 6oz container of yogurt (I normally use vanilla),  and 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk.  Blend, Pour, and Go!

Low Fat Strawberries and Cream Popsicle

It is so hot outside! During this weather everyone loves a delicious frozen treat.  However most ice creams are loaded with fat and calories.  If you want to cool down you don't want to put on a few pounds while doing it by eating high fatty foods.  Try these delicious popsicles instead.  They use Greek yogurt instead of whole milk to help cut the fat.  It is a delicious treat that your whole family will love!

Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles

Servings 6-12 (depending on popsicle size)

Ingredients

2 cups fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
1/2 cup crushed Reduced fat Nilla wafers
2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt

In a bowl combine vanilla wafers, and yogurt.

Put strawberries in a blender or food processor to form a puree.

In popsicle trays fill 1/3 full with yogurt mixture, 1/3 with strawberries, and the remaining 1/3 with yogurt mixture.

Freeze.

Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie

 

 

Start your day with a tangy sweet kick with this delicious strawberry lemonade smoothie.  Raspberries are a delicious fruit that your body will love.  Did you know that there are over 200 species of raspberries that exist.  The most popular are black raspberries, purple raspberries, and red raspberries1 cup of raspberries provides almost half of your total days serving of vitamin C and manganese.  It is also an excellent source of fiber with 8g of fiber per cup.  Other nutrients found in raspberries include pantothenic acid,  vitamin K and E, biotin, magnesium, folate, omega 3s, and potassium.

 

Raspberries are full of antioxidants that help fight inflammation and has an anti-cancer effect.  It is also one of those fruits that won't spike your blood sugar to high because of all the fiber it contains, which makes it a great food to help with unhealthy weight.

 

 

 

Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie

 

Ingredients

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 cup low fat/fat free yogurt

1 cup lemonade

1-2 scoops of protein powder

 

Blend in blender, and enjoy. 

 

 

 

Very Berry Banana Smoothie

 

 

Try this delicious smoothie to jump start your day.  This recipe is easy and delicious.  It is a great option for breakfast or for post workout.  This smoothie is jam packed with nutrients from strawberries and blackberries.

 

Strawberries are full of vitamin C and trace minerals including chromium, zinc, and selenium.  They are full phytochemicals that fight cancer and heart disease.  It contains ellagic acid which deactivates cancer compounds in the body.

 

Blackberries, also called brambleberries, dewberry, and thimbleberry, are really high in fiber and antioxidants.  The dark color indicates a large amount of antioxidants. One serving of blackberries provides half of your daily requirements of vitamin C.  It also contains potassium, iron, calcium, and phosphorus.  Blackberries are good for building blood.  It is beneficial for females to slow down excessive menstruation.  The boron content in blackberries help prevent bone disorders such as osteoporosis.  Blackberries have also been used to help with indigestion, heartburn, colitis, and urinary tract infections.

 

Very Berry Banana Smoothie
In blender add:

1 cup frozen strawberry

1 cup frozen blackberries

1 banana

½ cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup milk

2 scoops of protein powder

Purple Rain Blueberry Smoothie

Purple Rain Blueberry Smoothie

How about you start your morning of right with a healthy smoothie that will leave your tongue dancing for joy.  Smoothies are a great way to start your day full of nutrients.  It is a balanced meal in a cup!!  This smoothie contains 3 of the 5 major food groups. The main ingredient is the blueberries. Blueberries are considered a super food becare they are full of vitamin C,  potassium,  phosphorus,  and iron.  They contains more antioxidant power than most fruits and vegetables.  Antioxidants work by protecting our cells from damage from the environment.

Ingredients

1 cup of frozen blueberries

6 oz of low fat or fat free vanilla or plain yogurt

1 cup of white grape juice

1/2 banana

1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I used Muscle Milk) 

Blend in blender and serve

We loved drinking the smoothie and didn't feel guilty about drinking it.  Because of the fiber and the protein it satisfied our hunger and kept us full longer.  This is a smoothie I will definitely be making again in the future.  It's quick, easy, and  yummy for my tummy.

 

Make your own Muesli

Make your own Muesli

Every time I go visit my family in Germany I always ate some Muesli for breakfast.  Muesli is a type of cereal with raw oats, dried fruit, nuts, and seeds.  I went to the grocery store and saw that they started selling the cereal here in America, however it is very expensive and many of the cereals had wheat in it, an ingredient I can't eat because it makes me breakout.  I then realized that I can easily make this cereal at home and customize it to have the ingredients I want.

This morning I decided to make the cereal with the following ingredients.

1/2 cup of rolled oats

tbsp of dried cranberries

4 dried apricots, chopped

tbsp of chopped walnuts

sprinkle of flax seeds

Almond milk

Oats are  great in the morning.  It is a whole grain that contains 3 grams of fiber per serving.  Fiber is essential for digestive and immune health.  Most people do not get enough fiber each day.  We need 25-38g of fiber each day, however most Americans only get 12g.  What is a better way to start your day than with some fiber! Oats also naturally contain many essential B-vitamins which help aid in metabolism.  It is high in iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and has a good amount of copper and zinc. 

The dried fruit adds a sweet taste to your breakfast without adding extra sugar.  I have used many different dried fruits in the past such as raisins, mango, papaya, and pineapple.  Dried fruit also has vitamins and minerals in it, however be careful of too much added sugar.  Some dried fruits are crystallized with sugar which adds extra calories and carbs to your meal.

Nuts and seeds give the cereal a nice crunch.  I decided to use walnuts and flax seed today, however you can use a variety of different nuts and seeds.  I have used almonds, pecans, and sunflower seeds in the past.  Nuts provide a great source of healthy fats.  Walnuts and flax seeds provide omega 3 fatty acids.  This fat is normally found in fish.  I don't know about you but I don't like eating fish in the morning, so eating nuts provides a great alternative to get some of the omega 3s in.

1

I I used sweetened almond milk to make the cereal a actual cereal.  I also have unsweetened almond milk in the frig, however today I wanted something a little sweeter to go with my meal.  Regular milk will also work fine and is loaded with other nutrients that are not found in almond milk.  I just prefer almond milk over regular milk because regular milk sometimes makes my stomach hurt.  If you are choosing regular milk, I suggest skim or 1% milk.  Whole and 2% milk is loaded with fat and we tend to get plenty of fat with the other foods we eat during the day.  Save your fat for those things instead of your beverage.  

All About Dairy

 

Dairy is a very important food group that needs to be consume each day.  The average person needs 3-4 servings a day.  Growing children need 4-5 servings a day. One serving = 1 cup of milk or milk substitute or 3/4 cup of yogurt.

Benefits of Dairy

• proper bone growth in childhood years
• provides a good source of protein (there is more protein in one serving of dairy than in meat)
• it contains a variety of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, Vitamin D,  riboflavin, Vitamin B12, niacin, and of course calcium!
• it is considered the perfect food because it contains a little bit of everything.
• bone maintenance in  adult years
• prevention of osteoporosis and osteomalacia
• muscle function
• nerve function
• hormone function
• used in some of our bodies enzymes
• helps with blood pressure
• lowers your risk of heart disease and diabetes
• aids in weight loss

Sources of Dairy: milk (skim or low-fat), yogurt, cheese, goats milk

Dairy Alternatives: soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, leafy green vegetables, broccoli,fortified foods such as fortified orange juice and cereals

Watch out for!

•  High fat and sweetened desserts such as ice cream.  These should be eaten only on occasion,  not everyday.
• Cheese can be a big culprate in weight gain due to its high fat content.  Choose cheese from part skim or reduced fat options.  Always read the food label!
• Milk with added hormones and chemicals.  If possible try to purchase milk from a credible source.  Organic milk or milk from the farmers market are great options.
• Coconut milk is not a good dairy alternative due to its large fat content and lack of calcium.
• If using milk substitutes try soy and almond milk first.  If you do not like the flavor try other brands until you find one you like.  Rice milk is for those individuals who are allergic to milk, nuts, and soy; and should not be used by others if possible because it spikes your blood sugar much higher than all other dairy sources.

Check out my latest video-- All About Dairy!