Tag: Smoothies

Try This---Add a Little Heat to Your Shake: Mexican Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie

Try This—Add a Little Heat to Your Shake: Mexican Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie

I never thought I’d say this, but I’ve been getting really bored with smoothies lately. I feel like I’ve run the gamut when it comes to all the healthy add-ins. Chia seeds, flax seeds, oats, peanut butter, you name it, I’ve thrown it in my smoothie. I’ve been feeling the need for something different. I don’t know about you, but when the weather is this cold, I crave nothing but warm things. Even though smoothies are the perfect breakfast, it’s so hard for me to get excited about a frothy cold drink in the Winter.

I started to think of drinks that make me feel warm and toasty. Of course there’s always alcohol, but I can’t very well start my mornings with a shot of smoothie. It’s too soon in my relationship with liquor to take that step, plus day-boozing totally defeats my fitness goal purposes. Then I started to think of this deliciously spicy hot chocolate that I got at the Chocolate Room in Park Slope. Um, the combination of sweet hot chocolate and chili peppers… seriously?! It’s delicious and I was determined to bring that warm, spicy flavor to my icy breakfast smoothie.

Solution: Cayenne pepper! Cayenne pepper promotes circulation, speeds up the metabolism, and improves digestion. This powerhouse spice also adds an unexpected kick of heat to your otherwise ice cold smoothie. This recipe is the perfect blend of sugar and spice. You absolutely must try this!

Mexican Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie

ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup milk (I use vanilla almond milk)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 of a ripe (preferably frozen) banana
  • 2 tbsp cacao powder
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • a pinch of ground cayenne pepper, to taste (but I suggest you start really small)
  • extra ice, if desired

Directions

  • place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth
  • garnish with cacao nibs and coconut shavings, if you’re super fancy

Creamy, sweet, and spicy. This recipe is everything! If you haven’t paired chocolate and chili peppers before, this is the perfect recipe to start with. You won’t regret it!

Source: betterwithcake.com

14 Infographics to Help You Plan Healthier Meals

The following simple diagrams are a great resource to anyone looking for a healthier diet. With tips ranging from the grocery store to your kitchen table, these infographics provide you with the visual reference that you’ll need to make healthier choices at home.

Grocery Lists:

Image Credit: http://greatist.com/eat/healthy-grocery-list-for-one
Image Credit: http://greatist.com/eat/healthy-grocery-list-for-one
Image Credit: http://www.grocerylists.org/ultimatest/
Image Credit: grocerylists.org
Image Credit: http://www.changeinseconds.com/clean-eating-grocery-list/
Image Credit: http://www.changeinseconds.com/clean-eating-grocery-list/

Food Storage:

Image Credit: David Bertozzi/BuzzFeed. Design by Jenny Chang/BuzzFeed
Image Credit: David Bertozzi/BuzzFeed. Design by Jenny Chang/BuzzFeed

Spices:

Image Credit: http://www.cooksmarts.com/articles/ultimate-infographic-guide-spices/
Image Credit: http://www.cooksmarts.com/articles/ultimate-infographic-guide-spices/

Healthy Recipe Substitutions:

Image Credit: Melissa Harrison via buzzfeed.com
Image Credit: Melissa Harrison via buzzfeed.com

Building the Perfect Salad:

Image Credit: http://greatist.com/health/healthier-salad-infographic?crlt.pid=camp.BKAiquOhO4E9
Image Credit: http://greatist.com/health/healthier-salad-infographic?crlt.pid=camp.BKAiquOhO4E9
Image Credit: http://eatwithinyourmeans.com/simple-mason-jar-salad-review-conscious-cleanse/
Image Credit: http://eatwithinyourmeans.com/simple-mason-jar-salad-review-conscious-cleanse/

Smoothies and Fruit Infused Water:

Image Credit: https://www.nicoleantoinette.com/green-smoothie-formula/?utm_source=feedburner
Image Credit: https://www.nicoleantoinette.com/green-smoothie-formula/?utm_source=feedburner
Image Credit: foodclubkitchen.com
Image Credit: foodclubkitchen.com
Image Credit: standouthealth.com
Image Credit: standouthealth.com

Simple Recipe Formulas:

Image Credit: womenshealthmag.com
Image Credit: womenshealthmag.com
Image Credit: cooksmarts.com
Image Credit: cooksmarts.com
Image Credit: dontlosethecow.com
Image Credit: dontlosethecow.com

 

Our Healthy Kitchen: The First Five Foods

Healthy Foods

I really like cake. Seriously. I can finish off an entire two-tiered, gooey, chocolate-y, decadent cake by myself in less than 48 hours. It’s bad, y’all. I feel like crap after it’s all gone and no matter how many cavities I get or how sick my stomach feels, I just can’t help myself. There’s good news though. I’ve discovered that if I don’t have cake in the house to “snack” on, I won’t eat it. Groundbreaking, I know.

Clean eating begins at the grocery store. The ingredients you pick up at the store are the blueprint of your diet at home. Unless you’re as determined as Harold and Kumar were to get to White Castle, whatever you have in the kitchen is what you’re going to eat. So in the spirit of new beginnings, and a healthier me, I’ve started compiling a list of some of the foods every healthy kitchen should have.

1 Yogurt

Yogurt

In a previous post, I sang the praises of yogurt. Packed with probiotics, calcium, and vitamin B-12, yogurt promotes a healthy digestive system, and in turn can improve the function of your immune system. Look for yogurts that contain live cultures. If yogurt isn’t your thing, try other fermented foods like kimchi or sauerkraut.

2 Honey

Honey

Refined sugar is a monster. It’s super high in calories and super low in nutritional value. Honey, on the other hand, is amazingly nutritious and extremely versatile. Not only can you sweeten up your morning tea or your afternoon salad dressing, you can also use honey as a face wash.

3 Whole Grains

Whole Grains

Protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber are just a few of the benefits of whole grains (pasta, rice, oats, quinoa, tortillas, whole grain breads). They’re easy to prepare, definitely stick to your ribs, and they have a long shelf life for storage in your pantry. Oatmeal, brown rice, tortillas, and Quinoa are rapidly becoming my favorites (it took me a while to start liking quinoa, so don’t beat yourself up if you think it’s gross).

*try making a quick tortilla wrap for lunch or dinner

4 Vegetables

Seasonal Vegetables

I guess this one goes without saying. We all NEED veggies. I try to stick to vegetables that will keep fresh in the fridge, and that will freeze well. Carrots, broccoli, avocados, and bell peppers are all pretty long lasting. Some leafy greens like kale, collard greens, and spinach last a little longer in my fridge than other salad greens do. They also freeze really well without losing their texture so much in the thawing process.

5 Fruit

Fresh Fruit

You already know I have a giant, cavity riddled sweet tooth, so if I tell you that fruit can tame my cravings, you really have to believe me. Fruit is a sweet, and insanely nutritious, alternative to all the processed sugar that I have a tendency to binge on. I like to get fruit that’s in season as much as possible, but frozen fruit is a must have for the best smoothies of your life.

This list is in no way complete. It’s a work in progress, and I need your help to flesh it out.

What are some healthy foods that you have in your kitchen? I promise that as we check on each other throughout the year, this list will grow, as will the list of tips and tricks I learn from you along the way.

*******I purposefully didn’t provide a link to the movie trailer for “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.” I think it might be a little too raunchy for some readers, and I didn’t want to force my sophmoric taste in humor on an unsuspecting population 🙂

 

 

 

 

Fruit and Smoothies for Beginners

Banana Smoothie

Spring has finally sprung! Thank goodness for that. Longer days, warmer weather, and of course a new wave of seasonal fruit.

Take the guess work out of figuring out which fruits are currently in season by checking out this nifty chart at Chasing Delicious.

If your favorite fruit isn’t on the list, don’t despair. Even though fresh fruit is always better, Smoothies are a year round treat that allow you to enjoy frozen fruit without compromising taste.

Simple Smoothie Recipe:

1/2c liquid base (orange juice, apple juice, soy milk, or whatever)

+

frozen fruit (blueberries, strawberries, peaches, the possibilities are endless)

=

smoothie heaven

I personally love for my smoothies to be a little bit more on the thicker side of things, so I always add yogurt or a banana.

Add a Banana

The smoothie pictured above is simply orange juice and a banana. However, my go to smoothie formula is 1/2c almond milk, a small ripe (frozen or fresh) banana, and 1tbs nut butter. I promise, you’ll thank me later. You may have to tinker around a bit with the proportions to suit your taste, but that’s part of the fun.

***Public Service Announcement: Any regular mouth mason jar fits perfectly on a blender base, so you can whip up single portion smoothies without having to clean that huge blender carafe. Just drink your smoothie straight out of the mason jar!

For more smoothie recipes check out this link.