Smoothie, smoothie, smoothies

Yum, yum, yum... I love smoothies!  And so do my kids and husband!  Smoothies are a great way to get in an extra serving of fruits and vegetable (yes, I said vegetables) every day.  You can get as creative or be as simple as you would like.  The trick to keep them really healthy, is to avoid adding extra sugary juices.  Natural fruits can add enough sweetness to your smoothies.  Here are my steps for the perfect smoothie!

1. Pick 1 or 2 veggies: spinach, romaine, celery, kale, carrots, or cucumber.
2. Pick 1 or 2 fruits: apple, grapes, melon, mango, berries, pineapple, pear, banana, kiwi, peaches, or oranges.
3. Select a liquid base: water, coconut water, unsweetened almond-rice-soy milk, non-fat plain yogurt (or Greek), or fresh squeezed juice (not from concentrate).
4. Add some extras(optional): flaxseed, protein powder, almond-peanut butter, juice from a lime/lemon, avocado, coconut oil
5. Blend, and enjoy!

Here are some other helpful tips: put veggies in first, cut up hard fruits & veggies, add liquid to loosen veggie/fruit purée, spinach is a great veggie to add bc of all of health benefits but in a smoothie its virtually tasteless, add protein & healthy fats to get more bang for your sip, make enough for 2 glassfuls and store extra in fridge for next day snack, and stay away from fast food smoothies- they are just sugar loaded, with processed/unknown ingredients that only increase your calorie count.

Stay tuned to Self Soul Space for some fun smoothie recipes that are Kid tested- Husband approved!



Check out my post on Dr. Oz's 3-day cleanse, they're some great smoothies even when not on the cleanse!