healthy living

Ever since having a baby, my interest in nutrition has skyrocketed. As soon as she was able to eat solids, I wanted to make as much from scratch as possible, and make sure her meals were well balanced. I wanted her to have as healthy a start as possible in life. So why wasn't I taking the same time and care for my own meals? I was steaming and pureeing all of these nutritious meals for her, but eating meals on the fly myself.  Fast forward two years, and now I am in love with cooking and will often spend hours on a Sunday prepping/planning our meals for the week, getting things chopped and ready, and really enjoying the process. 

Each Monday, I want to share with you a healthy recipe/tip I find each week, to help you make your healthy goals for 2014 more attainable. It's one thing to ramp up your exercise regimen for the new year, but it really has to be partnered with a great diet. And of course, the most success you'll have is to track the food you eat, either by keeping a food diary and writing down every single morsel you toss back, or using an online program, like my fitness pal to help you along. Once you get used to how many calories are in food, you'll make healthier decisions and see where your calories are going. 

Okay, so here's my first favourite healthy recipe of the week, courtesy of the amazing blog: Oh She Glows. The Classic Green Monster Smoothie:


Yield: 1 serving/2 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup almond milk, or milk of choice
1 ripe banana, peeled and frozen overnight
2 handfuls organic spinach or 1 handful destemmed kale leaves
1 tablespoon chia seeds OR ground flax
1 tablespoon almond or peanut butter (optional)
2-4 ice cubes, as desired
dash of cinnamon
protein powder of choice (optional)

Directions: Starting with the liquid, add in 1 cup of milk of your choice. Now add in the chia or flax and nut butter. Next, add in the spinach followed by the banana on top. Blend until smooth. Add in your ice cubes and blend some more. Serves 1- about 2 cups.

Seriously, give it a try. We are hooked. My little girl claps when I ask her if she wants one. xoxo