December has arrived, which means cold weather, germs and illness could be right around the corner. Staying healthy can be difficult, especially in the winter months, but taking proactive steps can make a difference.
One thing Zach and I do year round is to start our morning out right with a wheat grass smoothie. Sounds gross right? Don’t stop reading, give it a try.
I think when most people think about wheat grass they think about what you see at a smoothie company - literally grass growing behind the counter. I personally have never tried that, but Zach has and says it tastes like you went out and got clippings from your freshly mowed lawn and blended it with water - disgusting! Well, there was no way I was going to do that on a regular basis (or quite possibly ever), not to mention the expense and inconvenience of having to go somewhere every day to get it. I did want to do something though because the health benefits are extraordinary, so what could I do?
Zach found a powder blend called Super Food that has a lot of great ingredients in addition to wheat grass, such as other fruits and vegetables, an antioxidant blend, a fiber blend, vitamin blend, and a pro-biotic blend - all of which are amazing for your body! There are a lot of varieties out there, organic and not. You can buy them at any nutritional store and sometimes in the health area of grocery stores. Once you find one you like, check out the price online - it is usually cheaper!
I think when most people think about wheat grass they think about what you see at a smoothie company - literally grass growing behind the counter. I personally have never tried that, but Zach has and says it tastes like you went out and got clippings from your freshly mowed lawn and blended it with water - disgusting! Well, there was no way I was going to do that on a regular basis (or quite possibly ever), not to mention the expense and inconvenience of having to go somewhere every day to get it. I did want to do something though because the health benefits are extraordinary, so what could I do?
Zach found a powder blend called Super Food that has a lot of great ingredients in addition to wheat grass, such as other fruits and vegetables, an antioxidant blend, a fiber blend, vitamin blend, and a pro-biotic blend - all of which are amazing for your body! There are a lot of varieties out there, organic and not. You can buy them at any nutritional store and sometimes in the health area of grocery stores. Once you find one you like, check out the price online - it is usually cheaper!
Zach’s smoothie is a pretty simple blend of the chocolate flavor and some milk, along with some additional protein powder.
I did that for awhile, but needed to switch it up, so I now make a frozen drink every morning, using the all natural flavor.
To try a simple frozen fruit wheat grass smoothie:
I did that for awhile, but needed to switch it up, so I now make a frozen drink every morning, using the all natural flavor.
To try a simple frozen fruit wheat grass smoothie:
- Mix some frozen fruit. I alternate between multiple frozen varieties including mango, peach, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, and strawberry. You can absolutely use fresh fruit, but I buy the frozen because it lasts longer.
- Add some yogurt. I alternate between strawberry, vanilla, blueberry and banana, which I buy in a bulk container. Buying in bulk is cheaper, less plastic waste and to me easier, because I can scoop what I want into my smoothie.
- Scoop of wheat grass powder blend.
- Finish it off with a splash of either milk or water.
Better Bonus Tip: Try adding peanut butter, honey or agave nectar occasionally, for a little extra flavor. Try Greek yogurt if you are looking for more protein or a thicker consistency. Just be creative - as I am sitting here typing this I am thinking about adding applesauce the next time I make one to see what that tastes like. Also, of course you could always add juice, but keep in mind the sugar content because you are already getting sugar from the other ingredients.
So, I like to sleep A LOT! Yes, I am in for a wake up call when we decide to have a little one (or two) running around :0. With that said, I had to think of ways to make this work, so that I didn’t have to wake up an extra 30 minutes early each morning to make a smoothie. I decided to buy 6 different kinds of frozen fruit and store them in individual pyrex containers in the freezer, right along side the wheat grass blend. This way I could alternate every day and not get sick of the same flavor. I also purchased an individual blender (Hamilton Beach for I think around $12 at Target). This blender is great because the container you use to blend the smoothie turns into the cup you can take with you to drink the smoothie (translation - time saver and less dishes to wash). Thanks Angie for introducing me to this product!
Each night before I go to bed, I add a little bit of frozen fruit, a couple scoops of a yogurt, and a scoop of my wheat grass blend into the cup and then put it in the fridge. When I wake up the next morning, I add 2-3 ice cups, because the fruit is no longer frozen and I like the frozen consistency, and a splash of water. In less than a minute, I have a great breakfast smoothie.
So, I like to sleep A LOT! Yes, I am in for a wake up call when we decide to have a little one (or two) running around :0. With that said, I had to think of ways to make this work, so that I didn’t have to wake up an extra 30 minutes early each morning to make a smoothie. I decided to buy 6 different kinds of frozen fruit and store them in individual pyrex containers in the freezer, right along side the wheat grass blend. This way I could alternate every day and not get sick of the same flavor. I also purchased an individual blender (Hamilton Beach for I think around $12 at Target). This blender is great because the container you use to blend the smoothie turns into the cup you can take with you to drink the smoothie (translation - time saver and less dishes to wash). Thanks Angie for introducing me to this product!
Each night before I go to bed, I add a little bit of frozen fruit, a couple scoops of a yogurt, and a scoop of my wheat grass blend into the cup and then put it in the fridge. When I wake up the next morning, I add 2-3 ice cups, because the fruit is no longer frozen and I like the frozen consistency, and a splash of water. In less than a minute, I have a great breakfast smoothie.
Better Bonus Tip: With this technique of storing the fruit, you will always have frozen fruit around to add to sangria, lemonade or tea for some extra flare.
I know having a frozen drink on a cold winter day may not appeal to all. To me, the powder can tend to be a bit gritty (not enough to make me not enjoy it though) and I find using fruit and yogurt helps with that much more than simply mixing with milk or juice. Either way, find what works for you - the key is making it something you can do long term to really take in the benefits.
I can't remember how long we have been doing this, but I will say I have been at my new job for 16 months and I don't recall being sick once in that time frame. I am not saying this is the end all be all, but I do think it is one huge factor in helping keep me healthy!
~Ashley
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