Good Morning Green Smoothie

I love starting my day off with one of two things (food wise that is) either a green smoothie or fresh juice that I've just juiced.  You can get creative with your selections of fruits and vegetables and as crazy as it may sound it really does taste great!  You should give it a try!

Here is one of my green smoothie recipes that I came up with:

1/2 c. plain Greek nonfat Yogurt
1/3 c. Coconut Milk
1/3 c. Water
1 c. fresh Spinach
1 c. Kale (stems removed)
1/3 medium Carrot shredded
1 c. Blueberries (I use frozen)
1 small Banana (I cut them up and freeze)

Add the first 6 ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.  Then add the fruit and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Plain Greek nonfat Yogurt is a great substitute for regular yogurt, with about the same amount of calories per serving it can pack up to double the protein and cuts sugar and carbs in half!  And the straining process of greek yogurt removes much of the liquid whey, lactose and sugar giving it a thicker consistency.  It's de-lish!

Coconut milk is great for building up the body's immune system and is filled with vitamins, minerals and electrolytes.  Although fatty, it is mostly lauric acid which is much easier for the body to break down and metabolize, a healthy fat.  Coconut milk also makes you feel full very quickly because of its high concentration of dietary fiber.  And that's just the beginning of a long list of benefits from this 'miracle liquid'.

Kale is one amazing vegetable!  Another item with high dietary fiber, kale is also an incredible source for well-absorbed calcium and excellent source of nutrients/antioxidants such as vitamin A, K and C, folic acid, potassium and so much more.  Just add it into smoothies, salads, soups or even juice it!