I ate cake last night. And when I was about to go in for a second helping, two of my faithful friends called me a whale at the exact same time. So no cake seconds for me, which is a huge accomplishment considering I’m usually unstoppable with dessert. Ironically, every time I eat cake or ice cream or anything with a lot of sugar or dairy, I get really sick. My stomach gets all knotted and I get nauseous and groggy and have no motivation to go about my day. But it’s so tasty, so against my better judgment, I still dig in with the biggest spoon I can find.
Albert Einstein would call me insane. According to him, insanity means doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Yet we still reach for those mouthwatering, delicious, greasy, crunchy, fatty, sweet and savory foods before reaching for something healthy. We know how bad it is for us, but we devour it with a clear conscience anyway.
That’s why I’ve taught myself to love healthy food. I’ve learned that you can make practically anything taste great with a little lemon juice, oilve oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard and/or Greek yogurt. Sometimes you just have to get a little creative to give that raw broccoli or spinach some stand out flavor. When it comes to sweets, my go-to ingredient is raw honey. It only has 60 calories per tablespoon, and it’s really sweet so you don’t need much, plus it’s packed with vitamins and minerals.
One of my favorite and easiest ways to get a heaping helping of nutrients while appeasing my sweet tooth is making smoothies. I’m always trying to sneak veggies into otherwise inappropriate dishes and drinks, so here’s a recipe for a super healthy, super green smoothie I love to make.
1/2 banana
1/4 cup mango, peaches or pineapple
handful of spinach
1 tsp raw honey
bit of chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp soluble fiber (optional)
2/3 cup almond milk
ice to fill
One a side note, today is my boyfriend’s birthday, so that only means one thing. More cake.
I’m wondering…
What are some ways you sneak nutrients into your meals? Do you put any ingredients into your smoothies that most people wouldn’t expect?
