The Smoothie

There are many variations to a smoothie.  The nice thing about a smoothie is that it is mostly healthy, and in moderation, can make a great healthy snack.

My smoothies are have a few simple ingredients, but pack a lot of nutrients, protein, calcium, and yum!

These measurements are approximate at best as I don't usually measure anything and it depends on how many smoothies you are planning to make, so here's how I make it.

In a blender,
-Start with frozen berries (1-2 cups)
-On top of the berries, Greek yogurt (1-2 cup) - it has to be plain, non-fat yogurt, I prefer Greek, but any plain, non-fat yogurt
-About 1/4 cup maple syrup- you can sweeten to your liking, so more or less syrup is up to you (maple syrup has a lot of good-for-you nutrients, but it is sugar, so moderation is key)
-1-2 TBS Chia seed (optional)
-Ice, the amount is up to how thick you want it
-Milk- again, the amount is up to you, but I would say 1-2 cups
-Set blender to chop the ice- you may need to push down with a spoon to get it going- my blender usually does well with this
-Blend until desired consistency- at this point you can taste it, if it's too thin, add ice; if it's too thick, add milk; if you want it sweeter, add maple syrup

*A variation for the sweetener- you can Agave syrup which has a lower glycemic index or honey, or even evaporated cane juice; you might also want to try apple juice-- but, unless you're diabetic, I would stay away from the artificial sweeteners

*Another variation is to add a nut butter, like peanut or almond butter.  When I first started making smoothies, I actually started by making peanut butter smoothies... these were very popular.  You may even want to throw some nuts in for good measure!

Have fun and experiment, but treat these like a treat- moderation and only on occasion- unless you're running a marathon every day or working out for 2+ hours, you don't need all the carbs!