Smoothie-making is stupid popular right now. I'm not one that typically jumps on bandwagons & so I feel guilty for even giving smoothies the time of day to post about them here. But, y'all. Hear me out.
Five Reasons Why Smoothies are More Awesome than you Thought
#1 Utensils: Ain't Nobody Got Time for That
With a new baby in the house, smoothies have been a God-send. Even before baby, I put off lunch most days until I was desperate & would just throw together something quick like a PB&J. Mama cleans up this joint & don't wanna dirty the place cooking 3x a day. I wish I had tried smoothies sooner! You can't beat the amount of nutritive, high fiber foods packed into one small tote-able meal. With a new babe, I don't have time for flatware or utensils. Cup in hand, ready, set, drink.
#2 It's Fast (Real) Food, Y'all
I'm a big advocate for eating real foods. I think food propels (or inhibits) every aspect of our lives & plays a part in almost all our problems in some fashion. That said, unless I spend a day prepping pre-planned meals & stocking the fridge & freezer, I will voraciously eat whatever is at hand & easy (that's also why I won't buy junk food) in order to avoid cooking. Smoothies are awesome because they can sit pre-packaged in the freezer until you're ready to grab & go & it doesn't take much time or effort. I can literally get one ready, make it & clean it up in under 5 minutes... And it also takes about that long to eat which is great since I have better things to do- like baby snuggles.
#3 Budget
Smoothies are great if you are looking for healthy food that is also easy on the wallet. Frozen fruit & bulk bags of greens are the basics to any smoothie and both go a long way. For most smoothie recipes, you will just need a couple handfuls of both. Plus, you will stay full longer and crave less junk because your nutrition needs are being met instead of just your caloric needs or your cravings. Here's a good post about just how many smoothies you can get on a budget.
#4 They're Custom-Made
Who doesn't like custom-made? Custom-made clothes. Custom wall art. Custom food. Food is healthier for you when it is used correctly for your body's specific needs at that time. Everybody's different. Consider your physical goals & demands when you determine what to eat. It's much easier than it sounds. Long day ahead? Make sure you pack in some quick sugars from fruit to get you going & some protein to stabilize blood sugars & keep you full longer. Ate lots of crap food over the weekend? It's all good, just do a few detox smoothies with some ginger until you feel better. Pinterest is full of recipes for different goals & demands. Try a few until you find what works for you. (P.S. I'm no doctor so you should talk to yours before implementing any dietary changes)
#5 The Mason Jar Trick
I'll make this short & sweet. A regular Mason jar will fit onto your blender's blade attachment. Y'all. That can't get any easier. Put all your ingredients in the jar except your liquid, pop a lid on it & freeze as many as you want to grab & go when you're ready. You won't even have to clean your blender's pitcher because you can make the smoothie & eat the smoothie in the same dang jar. Y'all, come on. It's almost too easy.
So that's pretty much it. I was hesitant to get onboard, but I'm happily never looking back. & when I find something I like, I just have to share. What do y'all think? To smoothie, or not to smoothie? Have you tried any good recipes?
-BrittLeah
