It’s time for my update on the third week of the Ten in 10 (#10in10) Challenge! Fortunately, this week wasn’t nearly as busy for me as last week was. Even though I baked a red velvet cake last weekend (and I’m working on a chocolate peanut butter cake right now…), I feel like I have made pretty good choices. Like I said when I started the challenge, my goal isn’t to cut all sweets or all comfort food out of my diet… My goal is moderation. It’s something I am constantly working on, but I think it is becoming a habit and I am making better choices all of the time!
Week In Review…
Here’s a more specific update on the past week…
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Healthy Relationship with Food – As I mentioned above, I feel like this week went a lot better than last week. One of the things I have been focusing on is making sure to balance my carb-based and protein-based meals. I could eat carbs all day long, so I have been making a conscious effort to balance my diet with lean protein. I have also started making smoothies with Greek yogurt in the morning for a quick breakfast when I’m on the go. Keep reading for one of my favorite smoothie recipes!
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Regular Workouts – I did fairly well with my workouts again this week. If there’s one thing that I I feel that I have really done right, it’s sticking to my workout schedule. I have been working out 4 days a week, which works well for me. This coming week, I think I am going to try to step up the intensity a bit!
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Positive Outlook – I think I did pretty well with staying upbeat this week. I was pleased to see that the scale started sliding back down in the right direction after my lousy performance last week!
Healthy Breakfast on the Go…
I mentioned above that I have been drinking smoothies for breakfast this week. I go through phases where I love smoothies and then I eventually get sick of them. Right now, though, I am loving them! I find that I can whip up a smoothie quickly in the morning and drink it will I am working or running errands, which is perfect for me.
Here’s the smoothie I made one day this week. I took the time to measure so that I could write up the recipe and give you a good idea of where to start. To be honest, though, I rarely measure. All of the ingredients are pretty healthy, so it’s not a real big deal to me if I go a bit heavy on the yogurt or add too much fruit. I like frozen berries, but this smoothie would be great with pineapple, mango, or peaches. Throw in whatever you like!
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6 ounces plain nonfat Greek yogurt
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4 ounces frozen strawberries
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2 ounces frozen raspberries
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1/2 cup lowfat milk
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Agave syrup, to taste
Blend together the yogurt, frozen fruit, and milk. I like to use my immersion blender and the mixing cup that it came with, but any blender will do. Adjust the milk/frozen fruit to your desired consistency *before* adding the agave. This will keep you from having to keep adding it as you adjust the other ingredients. Once the consistency is right, add the agave syrup to taste. Enjoy!
Sharing Some Inspiration…
Now that you know my favorite healthy breakfast, join in the fun… The #10in10 challenge is all about community and support. Share some of your healthy inspiration with everyone by leaving a comment…
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What are your favorite smoothie flavors?
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What tips do you have for a heatlhy, but tasty smoothie?
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What other healthy breakfast foods do you enjoy?
Hey Jen – great job this week!! I go through smoothie phases too! I usually add protein powder to my smoothies, to up the protein a little bit, especially after a workout. I have all kind of flavors so you rarely taste it in the smoothie. I’m totally with you, could eat carbs all day long…
Have a good weekend!
That is my kind of smoothie. Glad you had a nice week!
I have 1, sometimes 2, smoothies or protein shakes every day. Frozen bananas are the way to go. They give the shake an incredible consistency. I really suggest trying it – I usually cut in half then freeze! I also love having peanut butter in my shakes too. My favorite one is chocolate protein powder, skim milk, frozen banana, vanilla ext, and peanut butter – it tastes like an incredible dessert!!
Looks like you’re doing really well, Jen. My favorite smoothie is a three-way tie between mango, pineapple, and strawberry with some granola. Yum yum!!!
That smoothie looks so good. I love the books in the background. The scene looks like my desk right now minus the yummy drink. I have frozen peaches in the freezer and Greek yogurt, so I should try this out very soon.
Throw in a handful or two of fresh spinach! You can’t taste it, and yet you get a good dose of iron from the spinach.
I love smoothies also, but mostly in the summer when I need something cold to cool me off. I also spotted the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking book in the background which is also a step in the right direction, especially if you could eat carbs all day (which I could do too), it’s a good choice to at least make those carbs healthy ones. I also own that book and everything I have made from it so far has been successfully delicious. Congrats on you progress!
I absolutely agree with the moderation in everything we eat. And you did a great job on all three aspects. I love smoothies too but I can’t drink them everyday as well. I need to break the cycle. I would love to have an all berry smoothie if berries are available if. I would also do some strawberries, mango and bananas smoothie with hemp hearts and bee pollen it’s either with kefir or yogurt. I try to use fruits are in season, so I’m avoiding all the imported frozen berries. :D When I’m brave, I would add some local leafy greens to it. If I don’t feel like having smoothie, breakfast would be soba noodles in chicken broth with vegetables and boiled egg.
The best smoothie recipe:
1 cup 1% milk
1 tbsp flax seed oil
1/2 banana
3-4 strawberries
1 scoop (30g) vanilla or chocolate protein powder
DELICIOUS! The protein powder makes a huge difference to fill you up and keep you going until lunch time.
My favorite smoothie is
1 C frozen cherries (no seeds!)
1 frozen banana
1 C frozen pineapple
1 C pomegranate juice
1 C greek yogurt.
Makes 4 servings. I love to get the mess over with and have 4 days’ worth. I put them in the old yogurt containers.
A very wonderful world here and am so glad to be a part of this gorgeous world now…….
Hi, that smoothie looks delicious! I just came across a blog that shared a recipe for avocado and milk smoothie! I like strawberry/ banana or mango smoothies. I’m trying to eat healthy, so in the morning I usually grab a luna bar or oatmeal. Try adding flax seeds to your smoothie or whey protein powder, both are super healthy, natural and promote weight loss! good luck, I will be checking your blog to see how your doing and to get inspiration for my own healthy diet!
Jen you’re doing really well – go you!
that smoothie looks great, I love strawberry and raspberries smoothies they are my favorite. They make a great pre-workout meal to go since it does not sit heavy in my stomach.
I also like to have oatmeal in the morning because I find that If I eat oatmeal, I tend to be fuller later on in the day.
My husband and I have been having smoothies for breakfast every morning for the past few weeks :) Except we put spinach in our as well. You can’t taste it or anything – it blends up quite well. It just turns the smoothie green :) it’s great way to get some extra nutrients/vegetables in the diet though
Way to go Jenn! You have definitely inspired me to keep on keeping on :D
Great job Jen! You should realy be proud of yourself!
Smoothies are not common in Italy, but I love them and I have smoothies each time I travel abroad, especially in UK! I still remember a mango smoothie: it gave me a unique energy throughout the day in Manchester!
You go girl! I think it is so important for us to remember moderation. Definitely something that Americans tend not to be good at. We’re all about no-fat, no-carb, low-salt, etc. It’s all extremes. We would do well to remember moderation is much more attainable and sustainable!
So sorry for the major delay in commenting, but I’m catching up on everything when I have pockets of time to myself!
I think I may one of the only people in the world who doesn’t use yogurt or milk in their smoothies! I generally use a combination of frozen fruit (typically berries), orange juice, and a fresh banana. Comes out really tasty and it’s so simple to make. Here’s my recipe for my Simple Mixed Berry Smoothie.
My smoothie tip — if you’re looking to add some protein to your smoothie but don’t want to spend the money or take the risk with protein powders from health food stores, then try using a bit of powdered milk. You’ll get your protein and the expense won’t be as great.
Keep it up, Jen!