For almost a year now, I have been having a blended breakfast. Originally it consisted of milk, banana, frozen strawberries and frozen yogurt. Because I was trying to eat healthier, I was using frozen yogurt. However, my husband pointed out all the sugar in the frozen yogurt, questioning how that was healthy. I decided to replace the frozen yogurt with chocolate ice cream.
I know ... chocolate ice cream isn't healthy at all, but because we're always thinking cost along with eating healthier, I decided to go with the lesser of two evils. Plus, I love the taste of the chocolate ice cream over the frozen yogurt anyway. Gradually I cut the ice cream down to one small scoop.
I use the larger bananas as I love a banana taste. This is a great way to use up those bananas that are becoming overripe.
Along the way, I wondered how to make it even healthier and questioned how a bit of oatmeal would affect the taste? I started out with about a half a cup of the whole oats and absolutely loved it! It makes the texture thicker. I've since upped the amount to about two-thirds cup. Mmmmm ...
Wait, it doesn't stop there ... almond milk is healthier than cow's milk ... Not bad. Not bad at all!
And, cup for cup, almond milk has more nutrition than cow's milk. A great source of calcium.
After enjoying my smoothie this way for awhile, I started reading about "green smoothies" and how extremely beneficial they are for you. What do you think? Should I add a few stalks of celery to my concoction?
Sure enough, I blended it altogether and absolutely loved it! Occasionally, I even add a couple cauliflower flowerets along with the celery.
Always trying to improve on things, I've recently added chia seeds and flaxseed into my smoothie but found that the chia seeds tend to stick to the side of the blender container and the sides of my cup. If I'm not consuming them, there's not much benefit in them for me. Plus they are rather spendy and not easily found in my area.
Now I add them afterward by pouring a little on the top of my smoothie and eat them with a spoon for a little crunch before drinking down the rest.
Of course the taste and texture will vary depending on the size of bananas and strawberries you use, how many celery sticks or cauliflower flowerets you add, and the amount of oatmeal and milk you pour.
What started out as a somewhat unhealthy shake has turned into a much healthier breakfast smoothie that I love!
My Breakfast Smoothie Update:
I did it! I've discovered how to make this breakfast smoothie completely healthy. I was having some issues with my digestion and was not sure if it was from intolerance to the celery or possibly I was becoming lactose-intolerant, or both. I needed to come up with some way to remove them from my smoothie and still enjoy the taste. Eliminating the celery was easy enough, but what about the chocolate ice cream? I have tried this drink without the ice cream and do not care for it at room temperature.
After a lot of consideration, I replaced the chocolate ice cream with chocolate almond milk. For the same consistency, I needed the almond milk in a frozen state. Problem is, if you freeze almond milk in the carton or a bowl, it would be impossible to scoop it out for single servings. I decided to try freezing the almond milk in an ice cube tray overnight and bag them for quick use. Two cubes per smoothie is the right amount.
A tip to get the cubes out of the tray is to flip the tray upside down and run water on the bottom, then twist the tray back and forth just enough until the frozen cubes drop out.
Turned out I had become lactose-intolerant so I was able to keep adding the celery to my smoothie. Now it's perfect! I actually love the taste even better than before!
Disclosure: The Excalibur Dehydrator link under "Other Sites" is an affiliated link. If you make a purchase using this link ~ you will receive free shipping, along with other specials. I also earn a small percentage to help support my blog. Thank you, your support is appreciated!!
No comments:
Post a Comment