Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Apple Pie Smoothie

We're all on as much of a health-kick as we can stand to dedicate ourselves to this summer. There are some tricks that help to beat those icky cravings that come when the weather heats up, so that we can avoid the cookout food {mmm hot dogs!} and tasty adult beverages {TABs as I like to call them}. One thing that I have found works wonders, is making sure I have a protein-packed breakfast - as close to waking up as I can. 

Most days, I get up, shower, and then drink a cranberry lemon and ACV detox/energy drink to take my vitamins {women's multiV with added iron and calcium; probiotic for digestive health; vitamin D which no one gets enough of in the northeast; ginko biloba, because I have the worst memory in life; fish oil because why not; biotin for skin/nails/hair; and newly added evening primrose oil for a wealth of things} and then I have a smoothie for breakfast. I typically stick with a green smoothie, so that I can get that one extra dose of veggies, even though I eat a ton of vegetables anyway. I got the recipe for the one I make from Iowa Girl here. It's Dole's Green Monster Smoothie and it's delicious {you would NEVER guess that it is chock-full of spinach and goodies!} BUT I have discovered a new smoothie that I'm mildly obsessed with this week: Apple Pie! 

No greens, unfortunately, but it has a ton of protein filled yummies that keep me full until lunchtime, even though I've been forcing a mid-morning snack since I don't get to eat lunch until 2:00 these days. And let me tell you - this really tastes like a liquid apple pie! {although not nearly as weird as that sounds}

Recipe of the day
Recipe spotted on FitSugar.com
Ingredients:
5 raw almonds
1 red apple
1 banana {I use frozen, sliced bananas that I always have on hand in my freezer}
3/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt {I prefer 0% Vanilla Chobani}
1/2 cup non-fat milk {I use unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze... for everything}
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:
  1. Place ingredients in high-powered blender.*
  2. Blend on medium-high speed until everything is mixed. 
Notes:

  • *Most recipes I have seen recommend jumping on the Vitamix bandwagon. I'm avoiding it as long as I can for budgetary reasons. I find my Kitchen-aid is plenty strong to cut thru most smoothie ingredients.
  • I honestly think part of the reason I am able to use my regular every day blender is because I typically do the pulsing "crush ice" first - to break thru any frozen items and/or the nuts, and get the fruit on its way. Then I go to puree, then I increase to liquefy at the end, and let that go a good 20+ seconds depending on what's in there and how it looks. 

Get the original recipe by clicking here
And seriously... if you haven't signed up for FitSugar's daily emails... do it. Really good stuff. 






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