The Blended Salad

A few days ago, Shelley Fuge, one of my friends from Cedarville U., posted about her new, healthy treat: a Blended Salad.

Now, although it may sound weird, I thought it would be perfect for me because I have been having such a hard time coaxing myself to eat raw veggies for the past year or so (I do much better with cooked). While I was pregnant with Laney, raw veggies made me nauseous, and I guess I got out of the habit b/c I still haven't really incorporated them back into my diet very well. I used to eat a big salad for lunch every single day, but that takes a lot of time to prepare and chew, chew, chew. And honestly, I don't really have a half hour to devote to just feeding myself at lunchtime. Or dinnertime, for that matter. I do sit down and eat, but when I make a big plate of salad, I can't seem to make it the whole way through it without getting distracted.

So when I saw those raw veggies blended up in a smoothie, I thought, "Eureka!" :-) Now, I'm sure this is not the miracle pill or something that will instantly make me lose these 15 pounds of weight from my pregnancy, but hey -- it's worth a shot. I'll tell you this...I've had two of these shakes, and I am seriously already feeling healthier. It may be psychological, and my logic may be faulty, but I'm thinking this is the best way for me, at least at this busy point in my life, to get in a great big serving of fresh veggies. I can cart my cup around with me from room to room as I change diapers and run after a toddler. And it's good for me!

Here's Shelley's recipe:

A fistful of Spinach
1 Cup of Rice Dream (found in the dairy section, but not a dairy product)
1 1/2 Cups of Frozen Fruit
1 Cup pre-blended Romaine Lettuce
2-3 Tbsp. Flaxseed
Optional: Carrots and anything else healthy

Now here are my changes: Whatever kind of milk you drink will work. I nixed the romaine and added more spinach. The first night, I added half of a small tomato. Bananas are highly recommended to sweeten up the spinach. And I also have to admit that I put a approx. 1/2 T. of honey in there. I think I can phase that out as I get used to drinking vegetables. :-)

So that's it! Oh, and I have to add that Kaden even drank some the first night. I cut it with half milk, but hey -- I'm happy about any veggies making it into his little body. [He actually said to me a few days ago, "I don't like green." ...meaning veggies. He won't even take one bite!]

Try it, okay? Let me know how it goes.