Thursday, July 7, 2011

New favorite - Green Monsters

I love to read blogs of other folks that are focused on their healthy lifestyle and fitness journeys.  One thing that I have seen over and over on the blogs is the infamous Green Monster. 

The Green Monster is pretty simple.  It's a smoothie that has a base of spinach or kale.  They are supposed to be so wonderful for you - increase energy, decrease oils and fats, cravings change from sweets to fruits/veggies, etc.

Last week I bit the bullet and bought a blender and set out to figure out what all the hub-bub was about.  I scoured the Internet for recipes, etc.  I found tons of variations and made my first Green Monster on Saturday morning.  The first one was pretty darn good, but I did learn that I need a little bit of liquid to make it blend well, etc. I have made three more since Saturday and I think I have finally found my favorite combination:
  • 1 (6 oz.) container of fat free vanilla yogurt
  • 2-3 good handfuls of fresh spinach
  • a handful of shredded carrots or other veggies (if I have them)
  • 2 tablespoons of finely ground flax seed
  • 1-2 cups of frozen fruit (this week, I have used a combination of strawberry, mango and peach)
  • a splash of water (probably less than 1/4 cup)
The combination above has about 6 Weight Watchers Points Plus values for a huge serving.  It almost fills my 24-ounce Tervis Tumbler and is a delicious start to the day.  While I don't think I will be jumping on the Green Monster every single day of the week bandwagon, I have found a new fun meal/snack. 

Any suggestions on other combinations?
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1 comment:

  1. JazzyJuly 7, 2011 at 3:24 PM

    That sounds pretty good!

    But I just have to say that some of those claims cannot be true. That combo might give you some increased energy and/or it might help your regularity. It provides some protein, omega-3s and vitamins and minerals, which are all great for ya, especially when you are working out. But it makes no sense that consuming this drink will have any effect on your cravings or that it will have anything to do with fats and oils.

    My main recommendation when it comes to smoothies and juices is that if you want to drink them, do so wisely and in moderation....a few times a week as a new snack/meal as you suggested. Drinking your veggies and fruits is never as good as eating them whole...and because it's quicker and easier to drink something than to eat it, it means more calories coming in in a shorter amount of time with less fulfillment (ie the fiber is lost in many cases).

    I don't mean to be a debbie downer. I do think your drink sounds tasty. But I just wanted to share my expertise to avoid any misconceptions or misinformation. ;)

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