Now this is my forte! lol. A smoothie is a great way to get in several servings of fruit/veggie. I make them for breakfast to take to school; and I make them for lunch (not on the same day) after workouts and add extra protein.
http://greenmonstermovement.com/ is where I learned about adding spinach to smoothies. Prior to reading about it there, I thought the idea of adding spinach, a veggie.. was really disgusting. But to be honest, I don't even taste it in there, and feel like something is missing when I make them without. Not to mention it helps keep things "regular" (if you know what I mean). Oh, and people tend to say eating/drinking a green monster regularly may increase in your energy, decrease cravings for sweets, clear up skin, and might even make hair and nails grow better.
My basic recipe (4 points & makes like around 20 ounces so get a big cup) is:
.5- 1 frozen banana (0 points)
some kind of berry (0 points)
1/4 cup plain, nonfat greek yogurt (1 point)
1- 2 handfuls of baby spinach (regular spinach works fine, too) (0 points)
1 tbsn peanut butter (3 points)
add water, a little bit at a time, to loosen things up
I got a whole bunch of spotted bananas (on clearance from my local fruit stand), peeled them, threw them in freezer quart-size baggies, and froze 'em. They're handy to grab, as-needed. Peeling beforehand is also key- peeling a frozen banana is one hot mess.
I got a giant bag of frozen strawberries & giant bag of fresh baby spinach and made pre-portioned freezer baggies to grab for individual smoothies. I put 1- 2 handfuls of spinach (2 handfuls makes a LOT) and 1-3 strawberries per bag. It's also reduces waste by freezing everything, because I would never go through that much produce before it went bad. I also add whatever fresh berry I've picked up at the fruit stand that week- I like everything but blackberries because it adds a ton of seeds. If I could strain them out it would be great cuz the flavor is awesome and it turns the smoothie a beautiful purple.
Costco sells a pretty big tub of Fage 0% (nonfat) plain greek yogurt for a good price. I like greek because it has more protein, and way less sugar than, say, Yoplait. Fage is my favorite of the greeks- best flavor and texture, imo. You could use other brands, and flavors, but it will change your point value (not by a whole lot).
Peanut butter. Yum.. I love it, and am willing to take the high points for it. You don't need it in the smoothie, but it adds a bit of the flavor, it makes the smoothie creamier, and I like the added protein (the yogurt adds some, too). You can use other nut butters, but make sure to calculate the points, not all nut butters are the same.
AND finally.. my after-workout protein smoothie- I add 1/2 a scoop of chocolate whey protein powder for extra protein to aid muscle repair. I got a gigantic bag from Costco, it's by the makers of Muscle Milk Light (which is another great protein, but I wanted one without many chemicals). The half scoop is 2 points. (Chocolate peanut butter banana smoothies are YUMMY!)
You could add sugar / splenda / honey for sweetness, but I don't find that it needs it- the fruit is sweet enough for me. Make sure to add in the points.
Oh, sometimes I add a couple tablespoons of lowfat granola on top.. it adds a nice crunchy texture, and the carbs help you stay fuller longer. The smoothie, in general, keeps me nice & full for hours regardless, tho.
Have fun making your own creations, options are limitless! I use a magic bullet, too, so you don't need any fancy equipment. Warning tho, the frozen banana is fine, but you might want to defrost the spinach and strawberries because it will probably freeze up your blades (and possibly burn out the motor) otherwise.
Smoothies / Green Monster
