question re: addition of spinach to IP choc shake
 

Do you use raw or cooked spinach when you add it to the shake?
Do you find that it makes you stay fuller than without using the spinach?
If you use this at breakfast, then do you decrease the amt of veggies at lunchtime?

I find that I get hungry before lunch with whatever IP product I use, so this might be a trick that would help with that.

Hi Josiestone,
I use raw spinach and yes I decrease the amount for the rest of the day. Sometimes I only use 1 cup at breakfast; sometimes 2. Depends on the rest of my day and what I'm doing. It does help with the hungries through the morning. I also find it helps with (ahem) bowel movements.
Good luck!
also - i've used it in the chocolate, vanilla and wildberry mixes - all turn out great.

Use raw spinach. It takes me forever to drink it and it does keep full longer. I throw one cup in my breakfast shake. You can eat your veggies when you want just make sure that you always have 4 cups no more and no less.

I put ~2 big handfuls of loose leaf raw organic spinach in my blender, and also 2 handfuls of lettuce (optional, i like the extra 'bulk' and dont do salads). Then i put in 2-2.5 cups chilled coffee, sweetener and blend on high 2 minutes then add my ip and blend 15 seconds to mix through. I count it as 1 cup veggies. I adjust my lunch veggies down to 1 cup.

I was getting hungry before lunch AND having a hard time getting all of my veggies in. My morning coffee was making me jittery too. This shake solved all three problems for me :) I like mine with ice and the chocolate drink. You will not taste the spinach and it makes a LOT. I look forward to it every morning! Enjoy!

I need to pick up some raw spinach then! What a great idea especially since you can't taste it! Thank you!!!

I agree with all the other posts on the raw spinach. I make smoothies for my two kids and put the spinach in and they don't know either! They are crazy picky eaters.

I had problems with being super hungry in the morning. I found I need a larger proportion of my food between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. than after 2 pm. I sometimes have a large salad w/ 1-2 oz of tuna mid morning, lots of veg, 1 tsp oil in my homemade dressing. I then reduce my dinner protien by 1-2 oz. This carries me through to 1:00 pm or so for my lunch.

Also the scrambled egg mix is really filling and holds me over for longer than anything else (thanks USMVet for this one). The added egg white to the crunchy cereal pancake is filling too.

Good luck!!!

I, too, use raw spinach. I start with 1 scoop of protein powder (using Jillian M's brand because it has no artifical sweeteners) and 8 oz. of water and a little bit of Equal (cannot do Splenda) and blend that up. Next I add the raw spinach--add it loosely to the top of the blender and blend that until it's smooth. Then I add ice cubes and blend that until it's all smooth. Very filling and it gets veggies in as well. I used to eat a lot of salad but found I couldn't handle the WF products or anything with too many sugar alcohols or sucralose so doing a spinach smoothie with protein powder is a great breakfast for me and keeps me full for a long time.

I really need to try this.

Aren't two big handfuls about two cups? Why do you count it as one cup? Just curious, I've been counting it as two... Don't want to mess up! :p

I love the smoothies with either spinach or romaine lettuce for breakfast, and they do keep me more satisfied until lunch. I usually only put one cup in, then adjust the other meals accordingly. I've made both chocolate and butterscotch. I usually add a dash of either vanilla or almond extract in mine, and sometimes a tabs of WF choc or caramel syrup. I don't like coffee, so have never added that in.

OK I have been hearing about the spinach smoothies for awhile and really have been reluctant to try. Just doesn't sound at all appealing .... BUT I am going to the store today for some spinach and I am giving it a shot.

LizRR I hear you raving about them - and really you can't argue with your results so that will be breakfast tomorrow (lol ... I still need a day to gear up ) I have found myself counting down until lunch lately so hopefully this will help.

Spinach loose leaf is such a hard one to gauge. My blender gets filled a little more than half way with spinach using my 'handfuls', i was able to successfully shove it in a 1 cup measuring cup once, so i now count it as such. I do fill up, and pack it a little, with lettuce..cant taste that either.

And fyi, i was SO SCARED to try it the first time. I find cold liquid preblended with the spinach for the 2 minutes helps to liquefy it all down. I use chilled coffee, but water or flavored herbal teas are good to.

I tried this again, following LizRR's recipe and it is awesome! I actually love raw spinach in a salad, or cooked spinach. But was having a hard time getting my veggies in so this does really help!

See, i dont like raw spinach or cooked spinach, and not really a salad person either. I guess thats why i am so amazed by how much i love the spinach +lettuce smoothies.