Green Goodness

I haven't checked in all week!

I've been doing great about sticking to my allotted calories.  I've even managed to get all my water in this week (pretty much).  The veggies goal has been harder.  I just don't like them.  There are a few I like, and I enjoy a good salad piled high from a good salad bar, but that's not practical for at home veggie cramming.  When I'm hungry for a snack I just don't reach for the cherry tomatoes or a cucumber, you know what I mean?  Sauteed zucchini takes effort.  I love jicama, but chopping a jicama into edible pieces is something that is way too easy to put off.  So I eat a lot of baby carrots, but there's only so many of those I can eat in a day before my digestive system is quite messed up, if you catch my drift.

A good green smoothie helps get at least one veggie serving in, and I've found one that I can make pretty easily at home.  The trouble is finding the right balance between taste and a reasonable amount of calories.  The better tasting the green smoothie, the more likely that it's sky high in calories (sugar-- including any kind of fruit-- tends to do that).  After experimenting a bit, here's the recipe I use the most:

Heidi's Green Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1 6 oz. container Greek yogurt (I like to use strawberry or peach or raspberry)
1/2 c. frozen mixed fruit (I use a store brand mix that includes strawberries, peaches & mangoes)
8 oz. unsweetened soy milk
1 1/2 c. raw baby spinach

Blend them all together and add a little water to get the desired consistency (if you don't want it like a thick shake).  Really blend it well because chunks of frozen fruit and spinach that aren't pureed are kinda hard to choke down.


Every so often my husband will want some so I'll double the amount of frozen mixed fruit, soy milk, and spinach.  Comes out well that way too.  Right now I also toss in a few leaves of butter lettuce from my friend's garden (but don't do too much of this or your smoothie will be bitter!)

Tomorrow I'm planning on my 2nd 12 mile run.  I'm dreading it already, but I'm not giving up!  That's the lesson I needed to learn last week.  Never give up!  (With my diet changes and my running).  I can do this!