I have a new found love interest. It's food related of course. I had been keen to learn more about making smoothies. When I first started going over to my boyfriends place I would watch him get a smoothie ready in his little blender. We would walk to the health food store and I'd see him buy hemp hearts and chlorella. It peaked my interest and I figured there was more to making smoothies then what meets the eye. Well there is a lot in the over-all goodness and healthfulness to these wonderful drinks however there is nothing much to making them. All you need is a blender really. My parents had gotten me a magic bullet knock off a few years back that was still sitting in the box in the basement. I pulled it out the first time when I made homemade raw coconut milk. This blender comes with 2 different sized pitchers that you can actually put a lid on and store in the fridge. Anyway, I am not here to sell anyone a freakin' blender, however I can say any old blender will do.
I signed up for a 30 Day Smoothie Challenge with the folks at Young And Raw. There are prizes to be won so I thought it couldn't hurt to sign up. They email participants a grocery list for the month, putting in detail everything you would need to grab at the market every 5 or 6 days. At my house, we are always stocked with veggies and fruits, often being kept in the cold seller when we buy bulk. We were already juicing but I was feeling guilty about all the pulp and fiber that had to be thrown out afterwards; I felt like there was still some good vitamins left in that pulp.
The idea of the challenge is to commit to making a smoothie everyday. I feel like this is such a fantastic way to not only learn a whole months worth of smoothie recipes, but to also be able to try them all so that you can decide what tastes best for you. Secondly, the best part is getting into the habit of making a smoothie everyday. The challenge is over for me, but I have still made a smoothie everyday since and I plan on doing this for the rest of my life. I love fruits and veggies so much, but I can find it rather boring nowadays to sit there and eat a whole apple and then munch on a stalk of celery and a chunk of cucumber; to make a spinach or kale salad everyday can be discouraging. The great thing about smoothies is you get to mix your fruits and veggies together which was surprisingly tastier then anything ever.
I guess I am lucky that I have a taste for such good foods. That I genuinely love plant based foods. I also love mushy textures. I love soup, apple sauce. pudding, yogurt, milk shakes and even baby food. Speaking of baby food, when i have kids one day they are going to live off smoothies, what an easy way to get kids to eat fruits and veggies.
I must take the time to KILL the notion that eating healthy is expensive. I think that is absolutely absurd and an excuse. A bunch of kale that lasts me a week or even longer costs less then a bag of chips that one will polish off in one sitting. I bag of oranges in bulk cost less then a box of cookies. Look for the sales. Blueberries the other week were going for 99 cents for a container. We stocked up at home and froze them. My smoothie today consisted of a nice handful of those wonderful frozen blueberries. A container of strawberries cost about as much as a chocolate bar. Bananas are just about the cheapest fruit in the world. You can get a whole hand (the individual banana is actually called a finger) for like a dollar or two. Most people can't even finish a whole bunch of bananas in a week, well peel them and freeze them. Bananas are also better for you when they start having those black spots on the skin. I personally dislike eating mushy ripe bananas; I often gag before I am even half way through. However, in a smoothie they go down so easy and they also help to sweeten it. The texture of a frozen banana in a smoothie is remarkably delectable.
When I got the grocery list I noticed that within the next few weeks I was going to need peaches and nectarines. I know those particular fruits have not been on sale for some time. I was going through the flyers on Thursday night and I noticed that they were a dollar a pound at no frills. So I bought a bunch, washed them, cut them up and froze them for later. I grew up scouring the flyers. We get excited at my house on the night they come in the mississauga news. The flyers tell us what we will be eating for the week. I grew up in a house where we buy things when they are on sale. On any given day I can tell you what the best sales are at that time and for which grocery store. Test me, I dare you. Maybe I am too frugal for one's liking, but that is just me. It all stems from taking pride in your work and treating your earnings from that work like gold.
One thing about smoothies that has pleasantly surprised me is how absolutely fantastic green leafy veggies taste and blend in with the sweeter fruits. In fact, for the most part my smoothies are about 80% veggies and the rest fruit. Kale, spinach, and bok choy are my utmost favourite. I also love parsley and ginger. However, I have found that cilantro and avocado ruin a smoothie. This is why the challenge was so beneficial for me, I was able to try 30 different recipes and found out exactly what I like. I am now able to make up a recipe on the fly by seeing what is available in my fridge, which is based on what is on sale that week. Top priorities are those fruits and veggies that are about to hit their expiration time. Both juicing and smoothies are a fantastic way to use up older produce.
I always add a spoonful of some super seed/grain/powder to my smoothies. I've read many articles and I have found that these 3 are the best there is right now:
Hemp Hearts: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/03/01/hemp-seeds-a-superfood-you-need-in-your-diet/
(yes the stuff that comes from marijuana plants)
Chia Seeds: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2012/04/24/chia-seed-superfood-superseed-ch-ch-ch-chia/
(yes the seeds from your beloved chia pet)
Spirulina: http://myscienceacademy.org/2013/01/13/spirulina-explained-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-this-healing-superfood/
(yes the stuff you find in the ocean)
I first tried hemp seeds at the Greenbelt Harvest Picnic last summer. This hippie dude was handing them out like candy! You can find them in bulk at the bulk barn usually right next to the Chia Seeds. Chia is a tad more expensive but it goes a long way. Think of it more as an investment. I bought a bag of hemp and chia two months ago, spent about 12$ and I still have a lot left. To put things in perspective, 2 beers at a bar can pay for your superfoods for two months. Now tell me, what is expensive about healthful eating? My beautiful adventurous friend forever, Pame, gave me a whole container full of Spirulina because she was leaving to Puerto Rico and wasn't sure when she will return. I am sure it will last me well into the summer.
The Young and Raw smoothie recipes has coconut water as an option instead of using just regular water. Coconut water has way more electrolytes and therefore refreshes and hydrates better then even Gatorade. Hey I didn't know what the hell electrolytes were either but once you see the word you will start hearing it everywhere, like in Tropic Thunder when Ben Stiller's character yells for electrolytes when he runs out of water. Raw coconut water with no added sugar is harder to find at regular grocery stores. Lucky for me, I live in a multicultural city. Coconut water can be found easily at Oceans, which is a fantastic grocery store that leans towards the cooking styles of South Asians and West Indians. You can find amazing deals on produce there as well. Also, they have a food counter that sells little sushi trays for half the price that you would find at metro or loblaws.
To wrap this up, I will share some smoothie recipes to give an idea of what goes into these things if you feel the urge to jump up and throw your fridge contents in a blender by all means please do!
I signed up for a 30 Day Smoothie Challenge with the folks at Young And Raw. There are prizes to be won so I thought it couldn't hurt to sign up. They email participants a grocery list for the month, putting in detail everything you would need to grab at the market every 5 or 6 days. At my house, we are always stocked with veggies and fruits, often being kept in the cold seller when we buy bulk. We were already juicing but I was feeling guilty about all the pulp and fiber that had to be thrown out afterwards; I felt like there was still some good vitamins left in that pulp.
 |
| Pulp from juicer |
I guess I am lucky that I have a taste for such good foods. That I genuinely love plant based foods. I also love mushy textures. I love soup, apple sauce. pudding, yogurt, milk shakes and even baby food. Speaking of baby food, when i have kids one day they are going to live off smoothies, what an easy way to get kids to eat fruits and veggies.
I must take the time to KILL the notion that eating healthy is expensive. I think that is absolutely absurd and an excuse. A bunch of kale that lasts me a week or even longer costs less then a bag of chips that one will polish off in one sitting. I bag of oranges in bulk cost less then a box of cookies. Look for the sales. Blueberries the other week were going for 99 cents for a container. We stocked up at home and froze them. My smoothie today consisted of a nice handful of those wonderful frozen blueberries. A container of strawberries cost about as much as a chocolate bar. Bananas are just about the cheapest fruit in the world. You can get a whole hand (the individual banana is actually called a finger) for like a dollar or two. Most people can't even finish a whole bunch of bananas in a week, well peel them and freeze them. Bananas are also better for you when they start having those black spots on the skin. I personally dislike eating mushy ripe bananas; I often gag before I am even half way through. However, in a smoothie they go down so easy and they also help to sweeten it. The texture of a frozen banana in a smoothie is remarkably delectable.
When I got the grocery list I noticed that within the next few weeks I was going to need peaches and nectarines. I know those particular fruits have not been on sale for some time. I was going through the flyers on Thursday night and I noticed that they were a dollar a pound at no frills. So I bought a bunch, washed them, cut them up and froze them for later. I grew up scouring the flyers. We get excited at my house on the night they come in the mississauga news. The flyers tell us what we will be eating for the week. I grew up in a house where we buy things when they are on sale. On any given day I can tell you what the best sales are at that time and for which grocery store. Test me, I dare you. Maybe I am too frugal for one's liking, but that is just me. It all stems from taking pride in your work and treating your earnings from that work like gold.
One thing about smoothies that has pleasantly surprised me is how absolutely fantastic green leafy veggies taste and blend in with the sweeter fruits. In fact, for the most part my smoothies are about 80% veggies and the rest fruit. Kale, spinach, and bok choy are my utmost favourite. I also love parsley and ginger. However, I have found that cilantro and avocado ruin a smoothie. This is why the challenge was so beneficial for me, I was able to try 30 different recipes and found out exactly what I like. I am now able to make up a recipe on the fly by seeing what is available in my fridge, which is based on what is on sale that week. Top priorities are those fruits and veggies that are about to hit their expiration time. Both juicing and smoothies are a fantastic way to use up older produce.
I always add a spoonful of some super seed/grain/powder to my smoothies. I've read many articles and I have found that these 3 are the best there is right now:
Hemp Hearts: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/03/01/hemp-seeds-a-superfood-you-need-in-your-diet/
(yes the stuff that comes from marijuana plants)
Chia Seeds: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2012/04/24/chia-seed-superfood-superseed-ch-ch-ch-chia/
(yes the seeds from your beloved chia pet)
Spirulina: http://myscienceacademy.org/2013/01/13/spirulina-explained-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-this-healing-superfood/
(yes the stuff you find in the ocean)
I first tried hemp seeds at the Greenbelt Harvest Picnic last summer. This hippie dude was handing them out like candy! You can find them in bulk at the bulk barn usually right next to the Chia Seeds. Chia is a tad more expensive but it goes a long way. Think of it more as an investment. I bought a bag of hemp and chia two months ago, spent about 12$ and I still have a lot left. To put things in perspective, 2 beers at a bar can pay for your superfoods for two months. Now tell me, what is expensive about healthful eating? My beautiful adventurous friend forever, Pame, gave me a whole container full of Spirulina because she was leaving to Puerto Rico and wasn't sure when she will return. I am sure it will last me well into the summer.
The Young and Raw smoothie recipes has coconut water as an option instead of using just regular water. Coconut water has way more electrolytes and therefore refreshes and hydrates better then even Gatorade. Hey I didn't know what the hell electrolytes were either but once you see the word you will start hearing it everywhere, like in Tropic Thunder when Ben Stiller's character yells for electrolytes when he runs out of water. Raw coconut water with no added sugar is harder to find at regular grocery stores. Lucky for me, I live in a multicultural city. Coconut water can be found easily at Oceans, which is a fantastic grocery store that leans towards the cooking styles of South Asians and West Indians. You can find amazing deals on produce there as well. Also, they have a food counter that sells little sushi trays for half the price that you would find at metro or loblaws.
To wrap this up, I will share some smoothie recipes to give an idea of what goes into these things if you feel the urge to jump up and throw your fridge contents in a blender by all means please do!
This ^ was my breakfast today:
1 cup of Blueberries
1 handful of Kale
1 stalk of Celery
1 Lemon Juiced
a chunk of cucumber
a chunk of Ginger
half of a frozen Banana
1 spoonful each of hemp hearts, chia seeds, and spirulina
1 cup of coconut water
Here is a recipe I made up when I had too much baby bok choy kickin' around:
2 little bunches of baby bok choy
1 whole large nectarine or peach
½ banana
1 orange juiced
Chunk of ginger
Spirulina, chia seeds, hemp seeds
1 cup of coconut water
This one is inspired by the first smoothie on the challenge:
1 banana
1 pear
1 lime juiced
1 stalk of celery
small handful parsley
handful of dandelion leaves
chunk of ginger
chunk of ginger
leftover chunk of cucumber
*optional: hemp, chia, spirulina
1 cup of coconut water
Remember, you do not need coconut water to make a smoothie, use regular water it tastes the same. You also do not need the superfoods to make a great smoothie healthy, it is enough to just get that wholesome produce inside you!
Perhaps, next time you feel like a smooth treat from your local fast food crap hole you will think about this:
When I read this I actually had to ask my man what the hell a shamrock shake tastes like? You can not figure it out when you look at the ingredients list, apparently it tastes like mint... Well, Young and Raw came out with their own version of this shake and I made it as a late night snack the other night. It was freaking fantastic! Here is the recipe:
2 Frozen, Ripe Bananas (peeled)
1 Handful of Spinach or Kale
1 Handful of Mint Leaves*optional
1 tbsp. Hemp Seeds*optional
1 Cup of Coconut Milk (I used almond milk)
I have saved all the recipes I obtained through out the challenge. I plan to write them out in a little notebook to have with me in the kitchen. I am continuing to make up my own recipes. Who knows, maybe one day I will have a recipe book of my own or be handing out mason jars full of fresh fruit juices and smoothies at my very own juice bar!
"If diet is used correctly for prevention and treatment, other medicines are required less, if at all."
- Paul Pitchford
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