How To Start Your Day with Greens | A Quick, Helpful Tip

I've only been in school for two weeks, but one thing has become clear: Almost everyone knows which foods they should be eating more of and which foods they should be avoiding.  No one needs to hear that they should be eating more vegetables - we all know.  But sometimes we all need help figuring out how to eat more vegetables.

So this morning I'm sharing one of my favorite ways to get more greens into my diet and my top tips for keeping things delicious and simple.

Smoothies are amazing because you can basically hide your greens in there and not even know you're eating/drinking them.  Don't believe me?  You're doing it wrong.

Here's what you need to know:

1. Blend the greens before adding your fruit.

Put a handful or two of greens (start with a little bit of harmless ol' spinach if you're nervous) in your blender with 1/2 cup to 1 cup of liquid depending on how thick you like your smoothies.  Blend this up before you add your other ingredients. This helps to ensure that your greens are really chopped up and there are no chunks hiding around.

This is especially important if you are using a cheap, older blender.  No one likes chunky spinach in their fruit smoothie.  Or maybe you do... in that case, ignore this tip.

2. Freeze your fruit.

If you use frozen fruit, you don't need to use as much ice, or even any ice at all.  This keeps things nice and tasty and doesn't dilute the flavor of your fruit down with all that water.

3. Can't have dairy?  Like your smoothies to be creamy? Use a frozen banana.

Bananas are magical and basically turn into ice cream when you freeze them.  (Google it.)  I love that milkshake consistency in my smoothies and bananas are what do that for you.  Healthy milkshakes Yes, please!

Another awesome thing about smoothies is that they are so customizable, you can use whatever greens and fruits you have and choose the flavors you like to make a drink you love.  But if you're like me and need a recipe to start you off, here are two super easy ones to try.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
~1-2 handfuls of greens (if you're nervous start small and slowly increase the amount you add)
~1/2 C - 1 C liquid (adjust to desired consistency) - you can use milk, coconut milk, water... whatever floats your boat, just maybe not soda)
~1 frozen banana
~5-6 frozen strawberries
splash of vanilla extract (optional)

1. Blend greens and liquid.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again!
3. So quick and easy, right?

Almond Butter Cacao Smoothie
~1-2 handfuls of greens (Don't be afraid to change it up! Try kale or collard greens or a blend!)
~1/2 C - 1 C liquid
~1 frozen banana
~1 T cacao powder (where I buy mine)*
~1 T almond butter
~2 T coconut oil 

1. Blend greens and liquid.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again!

* Bonus tip: This is also a really great way to add in some other super foods like coconut oil and chia seeds.  Just add a tablespoon or two to the blender and you're all set. :)

Sounds yummy, right?  Go try one!  Or try both!  Once you've made a couple you can experiment with different greens and fruits.  Add an avocado for an extra creamy smoothie.  Try some ginger or citrus rind.  Go crazy! :)

I'd love to hear about the smoothies you've created.

Share your favorite recipes with me in the comments below!

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Pinterest: Bacon Egg Cups

I found this recipe on Pinterest the other day and just had to try it.  Doad ate them in like .2 seconds.  I think they were a success.  :)

Bacon Egg Cups

Don't they look delicious?? :) 

I tweaked the recipe just a tiny bit and thought I'd share how I made them.

What I used:
6 Strips of Bacon
4 Eggs
1/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Healthy pinch of shredded Zucchini
Small handful of Baby Spinach
Couple shakes of salt
Few more shakes of pepper
Muffin Tin
Pam
Oven pre-heated to 350°

Step One: Partially pre-cook bacon.  The original recipe doesn't have you do this, but we like our bacon a little on the crispier side.  It also helps get some of the grease and fat out so it doesn't soak into the eggs.

Step Two:  Spray muffin tin with Pam and arrange bacon around the edges of tin.  This was a little trickier after pre-cooking the bacon.  It wasn't all flat and smooth anymore, so it doesn't stick to the edges of the pan that well.  I didn't mind, but if you want to keep all the egg on the inside of the cup - pre-cooking is probably not the way to go.

 Step Three:  Mix the rest of your ingredients together in a bowl - I used a pyrex measuring cup for easier pouring.  The pour into muffin tins, filling them about two-thirds full.

Step Four: Into the oven they go!  The original recipe says to bake for 30-35 minutes.  Our gas stove heats up pretty well so I only put them in for 25 minutes.  They were perfectly cooked the minute the timer buzzed so I guess the time is going to vary based on your appliance.  I also halved the recipe so that could have made a difference as well.

I added the zucchini and spinach to get some greens in (and I needed to use them up). We don't usually add this to our eggs, but it tasted delicious and felt super healthy! We will definitely be eating these again soon!  Thanks, Julia, for the delicious recipe!! :)