Mean, Green, Clean Smoothies!

I mentioned here that I am taking part in a week long challenge to kick off the new year right by drinking a green smoothie at least once a day. I am not new to green smoothies - I was won over last year when I realized you can't taste the spinach that goes into them - but I hadn't been drinking them nearly as much as I used to.

I replaced dinner on New Year's Day with my first smoothie of the challenge. I made sure to use a lot of organic baby spinach and enough unsweetened almond milk to make it my desired consistency, but I also added ground flax seeds that messed with my "smooth" texture. Also in my first smoothie: nonfat organic yogurt, frozen strawberries, a dash of cocoa powder, and a packet of stevia.

It didn't come out green at all because the little bit of cocoa powder helped it resemble something you'd find in a baby's diaper. Not appetizing, but it tasted pretty darn fantastic!

Today's smoothie took the place of lunch. Again, I used organic baby spinach, unsweetened almond milk, ground flax seeds, stevia, yogurt, and strawberries. This time, I added carrots, half a banana, and cinnamon - all of which were yummy additions! I have the same texture issue today as I did yesterday {I prefer my smoothies to be smooth and not chunky - that's why I don't like to use raspberries in smoothies; too many seeds!} so I think I am going to have to grind the flax seed powder even finer for tomorrow's drink.

For those of you wondering, I calculated today's smoothie's calorie count and it came to 340 calories for the whole shebang. It took me 2 hours to drink the entire smoothie {which was about a glass and a half} because I was busy. Hours later, I'm still full.

Next up: I'm going to add a spoonful of peanut butter {or Better'n Peanut Butter} and work on perfecting the flax powder.

Have you tried green smoothies at all? What do you like to add to yours for added health benefits?