Oatmeal & Smoothies
Oatmeal is perhaps one of the world’s most perfect foods. It’s high fiber and slow digestion carbohydrate ingredients make this very popular for athletes and weight trainers. Oatmeal gives the quick energy but it’s slow digestion rate allows for more stable blood sugar levels. In the mid 90′s, the FDA decided that oatmeal can carry a label claiming that it may reduce the risk of heart disease when combined with a low fat (bad fat) diet.
But for me, oatmeal can be the nastiest stuff ever to cross my lips or it can be the most comforting bowl of nutritional goodness. I have certain requirements for my oatmeal. Check out the links below!
Smoothies are limitless! By smoothie, I basically mean anything I have to blend and drink. There are protein drinks, nutritional drinks, green monsters (they are a monstrous powerhouse of green veggies), fruit drinks, etc. Armed with a great blender, almost anything can be blended into a quick cold drink to nourish the muscles and brain. By far, my favorite drinks are made with wheatgrass, protein powder, fruit, and/or spinach. I PROMISE, the spinach is just for nutrition. If you combine fruit and spinach, the fruit takes over the taste of spinach. Most of my “green monsters” have 1-2 cups of fresh spinach leaves with 1 cup of fruit. No matter what the fruit is, the smoothie will take on the fruit.
Steps for a great smoothie, protein drink, or green monster:
1. fruit. I love frozen fruit because I can keep it on hand at all times and I can have a wider variety of fruits than I can keep fresh. Plus, it cuts down on the need for ice.
2. protein powder, wheatgrass powder, or vitamin powder. This is totally optional.
3. liquid. When I first started, I used fruit juice. I’ve since cut back due to empty calories and I now use water.
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Have you ever had an oatmeal shake? I keep thinking of trying this recipe and haven’t gotten around to it (I’m a lazy blender)…. http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/09/avena-healthy-oatmeal-shake.html