HEALTHY cheap eats [green smoothies]

Hi friends. How many of you made a New Year's Resolution involving being healthier, getting more vitamins and minerals, eating your veggies, or losing weight?

As a shopaholic, I'm focusing all my energy on money management, but I know health is a biggie for most resolution-ers.

My friend S, whose big sister is a super legit registered dietitian, healthy eating coach, chef, and regulation hottie, encouraged me to try some green drank a few months ago, and it's been an excellent breakfast ever since. Here's my baby in action:

Eh, not that appealing to look at, but it tastes fresh and keeps me full for HOURS. I add:

1 C water (sometimes use 1/2 C water, 1/2 C almond milk, if I deserve a treat)
two handfuls of spinach (use a TON. It blends down, similar to when you cook it)
3 T oats
1/2 banana OR 1/2 apple OR 1/2 C berries
4 stalks of celery
1/2 cucumber
2 tsp nut butter (I like almond, used to be on a cashew kick)
healthy dash of cinnamon
buncha ice

You can rework this a million ways: just add what you need. If I've just worked out, I'll make sure to use the cashew butter- it's better than peanut butter, for reals (Trader Joe's discontinued theirs, but you can buy the 365 brand at Whole Foods instead). For extra EXTRA protein, I'll use a splash of soy milk instead of all water. For a filling meal-replacement smoothie (the only time I drink this, really), add some oats to up your fiber. It's basically a spinach smoothie and it's delicious, mainly because it doesn't taste at all like spinach. 

Be conscientious of what you're subbing in though- sure, you can add honey, yogurt, sweet fruits, sugar, and while you're at it let's throw in some Ben & Jerry's. When I was in college, I assumed that eating fruit was completely healthy, similar to eating vegetables. While fruit is great and has many nutrients the body needs, it's also high(er) in carbs and sugar. I mean, people in Italy eat fruit for DESSERT, but when we eat it we think we deserve a medal for our high health standards. Raspberries, apples, and grapefruits may be better selections than cherries, bananas, and pineapples (I always add half a banana, so don't mind me). 

Don't fool yourself by adding less-healthy ingredients and calling it a green smoothie. Or fine, call it what you want, but labels don't drop pounds. Lack of ice cream drops pounds.

The ladies at A Beautiful Mess (I feel like I live similarly to them, as I link to them so often) did a 5-day green smoothie challenge, so head over there to see some recipes. I like the idea of using coconut flakes!