Why Smoothies are AWESOME!

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite smoothie recipes and why smoothies are so awesome.  And aside from being healthy it's also so good that my almost 1 year old has been chugging it from her sippy cup this morning only stopping to breath and say "mmmmm". THAT's when you know it's good!
Here's my favorite smoothie recipe-
ice
water
a splash of milk
3-4 strawberries
1 banana
a handful of spinach

Now lets talk about why smoothies are so awesome.
Smoothies are a great way to have your daily fruits and veggies.  Yes, I did say veggies as well!  You can get one or more servings of either or both in a smoothie that tastes great!  Jamba Juice and  Orange Julius aren't the only ones that can make a great smoothie!

When I'm working on eating more fruits & veggies I always start with smoothies.  Mostly because I have a horrible habit of not eating breakfast and since that is my #1 bad health habit I need to change smoothies are a great place to start.  I've found that having a lot of fresh or frozen fruits & veggies available make it easy to throw together smoothie combinations.

My ultimate favorite veggie for smoothies is spinach!!  Spinach has a very high nutrient count and although it may turn the color of your smoothie green, you can't taste the spinach.  So why not add this super food to a drink that tastes good?!? Plus it's a great way to get your kids to eat it.

Speaking of kids, smoothies are also a great way to get them to eat their fruits & veggies.  My oldest son refuses to eat ANY (literally not one) fruit or veggie.  He will however drink a fresh fruit smoothie.

You can also experiment by making smoothies with the same ingredients (or similar) as the famous smoothie places make- but at a fraction of the cost.  Most of those places will use either juice or sherbet & water as the base for the smoothie.  My personal favorite is pineapple. But water works too and will create a slightly less intense flavor.  Then just add in your favorite fruits.  Trial and error is sometimes the way to go until you find combinations that you like.  Pay attention to the ingredients listed on some of your favorite smoothies and drinks and then experiment at home.

One of my favorites from a smoothie store that I have copied and make at home is:
pineapple juice (or water)
pineapple chunks
banana
and ice

Also, if you're afraid of fresh fruits & veggies spoiling, buy frozen ones.  The added bonus to the frozen ones is you may not need to add ice at all to your smoothie.

*CLEANING TIP- when making smoothies your life will be a MILLION times better if you rinse out the blender right after pouring out your smoothie!!*