Pregnancy is HARD on my diet...I tend to really fall prey to all of my temptations during pregnancy...probably because of my lack of energy and motivation to do all the work that eating healthy requires. Caring for two ACTIVE kiddos three and under, PLUS one in the womb is no easy task! In fact, this time around it has been probably the most draining experiences I've had so far.
But now unable to keep giving myself excuses, I need to step it up and take action if I care for this body of mine and the healthy of both mama and baby!
So this morning I decided to give this smoothie a try! I totally LOVED IT!!!
I got this book (below) from my local library in hopes to get more ideas of green recipes I can incorporate in my meals that would give me the extra boost of iron I need, but also keep my glucose under control. In it I found this green smoothie recipe that was a big hit for my taste buds ;) I'm just really a creamy lover...and creamy it is!!! Yummm...
So here goes the recipe:
Green Velvet Smoothie with Banana & Avocado
- 2 medium curly kale or collard leaves, torn (I used collard greens)
- 1 medium banana, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2 medium ripe avocado, peeled and cut into chunks (I must have misread this part and used a whole one! It turned out great, and maybe it was what helped me stay full all morning! hehehe)
- 2 cups vanilla nondairy milk (used almond unsweetened!)
- 2 TBSP hemp seeds, optional (I used Chia seeds)
- Lemon juice to taste (don't skip this if you're trying to increase iron absorption! Vitamin C in the lemon juice helps you absorb iron better)
- Agave nectar to taste (or honey, whatever sweetener you like) - I didn't add any sweeteners to mine, just the sweetness from the banana.
- Blend it all until smooth to your taste and enjoy!!!
Definitely a keeper!!! I wasn't sure how my body would respond to the whole banana (usually a trigger food for diabetics) and additional carbs in this smoothie, since breakfast is usually the one meal we're supposed to keep carb consumption very low. But I've read that not only avocado helps control blood sugar, but chia seeds can be helpful as well. Turned out my numbers were bellow all of the ones I've gotten with my previous breakfasts so far where I ingested even less carbs! So I'm excited!!! This will be a perfect breakfast or afternoon snack that will fill me up and keep me healthy :)
I am all wild about greens, are you??? ;)