My Go-To Green Smoothie (soon to be YOUR go-to green smoothie :-)

This is just a quick and dirty of my go-to green smoothie recipe. I mean let's face it, everybody and their mama got a smoothie recipe, right? I know, but hey, you're here now so you may as well check mine out.

Smoothie recipes are VERY forgiving. You can replace anything with, well, ANYTHING! It's up to you. But what bloggers do is post the recipes they like, in the hopes that it gives you some ideas on how to eat clean and fresh day in and day out.

We all know that having the same thing over and over gets a little tired. Well, each blogger has their own twist on things; which means that after all your web surfing for smoothie recipes, you should have enough "twists" in your arsenal to twist your hips out of socket.

The thing I love about my Go-To Green Smoothie is that my Little Ninja loves it too. Can you say EPIC WIN for the tired allergy mama!? He thinks he’s going to keep winning our mealtime battles but, baby, mama doesn’t have two degrees and a wealth of experience for nothing! I know a little thing or two about RESEARCH, and if it ain’t working for me now…give me a little while…and I will have another 52 tricks in my bag. Sounds a little cocky, right? Well, *shyly* that’s just me overcompensating for the fact that a three year old trumps me day in and day out at meal time. I lose 9 times out of 10 and that’s the sad reality.

Oh but I tell you what! This here smoothie? Yes, this one...the one filled with vitamins, nutrients, fruits and greens. The one you like and have no clue what's in it. The one that keeps you coming back for more. Well son, mama wins. Enough said. 

Disclaimer - I never really "measure" my smoothie ingredients. I'm a little like a restless toddler in that way. I just start dumping stuff in the blender and call it a day. So I did my best here to measure for you. BUT, please keep in mind that I like my smoothies thick so inevitably I have to keep adding a little liquid until I get that oh-yea-come-to-mama consistency. You may have to do the same, so don't rag on me. You've been forewarned.

Go-To-Green Smoothie (Allergy Free & Vegan)

1 Large banana

3 Large (or 4 medium) strawberries

1/4 c. Frozen mangoes

3 Medium chunks of watermelon (optional) **

4 oz. Kale

8 oz. Vanilla coconut milk

1/4 c. Mango fruit nectar

** This is my secret smoothie ingredient. I am going to write a post about this soon. But for now just trust me and DO IT :-).

Add liquids to the blender first. Add all other ingredients and blend. Add coconut milk, very little at a time, to thin out the smoothie. It is easier to add more to thin it out than to correct it if you add too much, so go easy on the liquid! 

Note - I freeze all of my fruit for my smoothies, even the watermelon. This ensures my smoothie is COLD when I'm done blending. Room temperature, or even refrigerated, fruit makes for a rather dull smoothie. I'm a girl who likes a KICK, so I need this baby to be ICE COLD.

I will also be writing a post in the coming days, explaining my process for freezing my fruit. You want to be on the lookout for this post because I have some really cool tips on how to have smoothie ready greens at all times! That's right...so stay tuned.

And in the meantime, enjoy this luscious glass of health. Ninja did!

Shake It Up!! Allergy Free/Vegan Vitamin Packed Smoothies ARE Possible!

Plant Fusion Phood Meal Replacement Shake Review & 

Refreshing Allergy Free/Vegan Fruit Smoothie Recipe

Having a child riddled with allergies often means having a child who eats too little, making it a daunting task to ensure he gets the vitamins and nutrients he needs. At least that's the case for me, and boy can it be frustrating *pulling hair out*. But, but, but...OMG, I just can't wait to tell you. Like I want to just spill the beans NOW. I've never been good at keeping stuff in. I mean, I was the kid who took each family member to my grandmother's bedroom one by one to tell them what my parents had bought them for Christmas. So, how do I ease into this? *Insert finger tapping here* Darn it, I just can't!!!! OKAY, I'VE FOUND A PLANT BASED SUPPLEMENT THAT WILL ALLOW ME TO GIVE JACE A HUGE BOOST IN VITAMINS AND NUTRIENTS AT ONE TIME! There, I said it.

Without further ado, I introduce Phood, the everything shake. This is a 100% plant-based, whole food, meal shake that is free of sugar, dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs, peanuts, soy, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, preservatives, artificial colors and artificial flavors. I mean is this the wonder shake or what!!?

Click to enlarge

I have had to accept that my sweet little munchkin is now a picky toddler, who before he will even taste anything unfamiliar, he will opt for the surround sound melt down full with arm flailing and hysterics. But now *trying to contain my excitement* mama's got a new weapon, baby!! Phood shake mix contains 18g plant-based protein, 21 whole food vitamins, 17g complex carbs, 6g probiotics (greens and fiber) and 4.4g omega 3-6-9. Yes, seriously! You can pick your jaw up off of the floor.

Now, for the real kicker...wait for it...IT'S GOOD! This is according to me, a defeated allergy mom's first hand testimony - it's good. The shake comes in Chocolate Caramel or Vanilla.

Just look at that creamy goodness. I am accustomed to protein shakes being chalky, hard to get mixed, dreadful tasting disappointments. But not Phood. It has a mild taste that lends itself well to whatever you combine it with. I often use coconut milk and fruit, which means it comes out tasting like a creamy, fruity back rub. When in a pinch I stash a couple of scoopfuls into my mini blender cup and later mix it with water or milk on the go. It doesn't get any better than that.

Lastly, I must say how smooth it is. It's just a creamy cup of deliciousness. Other powders I have used kind of sit on the water, failing to mix easily, making having a shake quite a chore. Not this one. Whether I shake it by hand in my blender cup or blend it, I've got a beverage to make my taste buds dance.

REFRESHING, FRUITY & VITAMIN PACKED ALLERGY FREE/VEGAN SMOOTHIE:

12 oz vanilla coconut milk (I use So Delicious!)

2 Scoops of Plant Fusion Phood Plant-Based Shake*

1 Banana

3 Strawberries

Small handful of frozen mangoes

Place everything except the shake powder in blender and mix until smooth. Add Phood shake mix and blend for 5-10 seconds. Pour in your favorite smoothie cup and enjoy!

*While I usually use two scoops for the same recipe, in the shake pictured I used one scoop of the chocolate-caramel shake mix. So the color will vary based on how many scoops you use.

I often opt for making mine a green smoothie by throwing in a handful of kale or spinach. Geez, it only gets better.

Add chia/hemp seeds or a teaspoon of coconut/hemp oil or for a super hero boost :-)

So how does my munchkin like it? Well, let's just say he has no idea that his daily smoothie is smacking the inside of his tummy with all kinds of whole food, plant-based nutrition. He slurps, mama smiles. I win :-).

Get the description, ingredient and review low down on the Chocolate-Caramel Phood shake mix here and the Vanilla shake mix here. I purchased my chocolate-caramel mix on Amazon here and my vanilla here (free shipping using Amazon Prime). You can purchase the GNC Wellbeing be-Fulfilled Mini Blender Bottle here (I bought mine inside a local store for the same amount).

Enjoy your shake *slurp* !!!