Recipe of the week

Recipe of the week: Smoothie to jump start your day

• 1/2 banana (best if frozen)
• 1/2 cup blueberries or 3/4 cherries, 1 cup raspberries (All best if frozen). If fruit is not frozen add 1 cup of ice to the mix.
• 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
• 1 cup fresh kale
• ¼ cup almonds or 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 2 dates
• 2 tablespoons hemp protein
• 2 cups cold water

Blend all ingredients together on high for 2 minutes. If mixture is pasty, add a little water. The dates will make it brown in color and may make it less than desirable to look at. However, they will make it much sweeter and add great nutritional value. Using almond butter will make it less gritty than if you use whole almonds, but that's just a matter of preference Makes four cups--roughly two servings.

Nutritional Facts:

With Blueberries With Cherries With Raspberries

Total Calories = 578 Total Calories = 574 Total Calories = 543 g

Total Fat = 17 g Total Fat = 17 g Total Fat = 18 g

Cholesterol = 0 mg Cholesterol = 0 mg Cholesterol = 0

Sodium = 59 mg Sodium = 59 mg Sodium = 59 g

Total Carbs = 103 g Total Carbs = 95 g Total Carbs = 89 g

Fiber = 17.3g Fiber = 18 g Fiber = 16 g

Sugars = 64 g Sugars = 64 g Sugars = 43 g

Protein = 18 g Protein = 18 g Protein = 18 g

* All nutritional facts found on “MyFitnessPal” calorie counter app.

Feel free to play with the recipe and comment if you have any great revelations on how to make it better. Keeping in mind that nutritional value trumps taste, but not to the point of being unpalatable.