Trickery

Eating healthy is sort of a big deal to me. I like the way my body feels after I fill it with natural foods versus processed stuff. So I make it a priority to eat right. My husband, on the other hand, thinks macaroni and cheese is a vegetable and Cheetos make a suitable side dish. He has come a long way since we have been betrothed though. I serve veggie heavy dishes and he eats most of what's on his plate, even if he does smother it in ketchup. He does care about eating healthy, it's just not as enjoyable for him as it is for me.

I decided that if he won't willingly eat a plateful of spinach, I will resort to trickery. So I have. Meet the green monster smoothie.

I found this concoction on Pinterest and thought it sounded yummy. I've tweaked the recipe a bit to my taste. Here's my version:

1 cup frozen mangos or peaches
1 cup frozen berries (I like raspberries)
1 banana
1 huge handful of fresh spinach
1/2 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
1 tbsp honey
splash of water

Dump it in a blender and blend until smooth.

Honestly, I had no intentions of sharing this with anyone in my family. I wanted to lose the last 10 lbs of pregnancy weight and I knew JD would turn his nose up if he knew there was spinach in it. But then Beatrice asked for a sip of my milkshake and JD was curious too. That's when trickery was born. Not complete trickery, just the temporary kind. I made JD try it before I told him what was in it and Beatrice hasn't asked. And they pretty much love it.

Beatrice thinks green monster smoothies are no laughing matter.

They are kind of the perfect meal/snack if you like your vegetables to taste like yumminess instead of like vegetables. For the record, I love the way vegetables taste. They keep you full and are a great way to get a ton of nutrients in at once. Plus, you can add or subtract ingredients to suit your taste, just don't omit the spinach or else it is no longer a green monster smoothie. Oh, and they keep you really, really regular. You're welcome in advance.

Try one today and trick your family into good health whether they want it or not!!