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Jill Kemerer's Daily Smoothie

I’m Embarrassed To Admit This But…

I try to live a healthy lifestyle. I want to eat clean and be fit, really I do! However, I fall far short of my health goals far too often.

I’m embarrassed to admit this but…there are days I don’t eat a single vegetable or fruit.

I know!! It’s ridiculous. Sure, there is probably a tomato lurking in the spaghetti sauce, but as far as an honest-to-goodness serving of veggies or fruit? Nope.

Here’s the problem. When I have a few days with woefully inadequate produce intake, I get pudgy. Then I let a few days lapse where I don’t exercise. Before you know it, I’m 3-5 pounds heavier. And MAD at myself! UGH! Who wants that?

I’m not a picky eater. I love most fruits, and I love most vegetables. So why am I not eating more of them?

I took ten minutes last week to figure this out. And I came to the conclusion it doesn’t matter WHY I skip them; it matters that I STOP skipping them. But how? After enjoying a few mini-chocolate bars for inspiration (ironic, isn’t it?), I hit on a solution that I knew would work.

I love smoothies. I usually throw a few servings of fruit in the blender with some yogurt and protein powder. What if I skipped the yogurt and substituted a cup of leafy greens? This would guarantee I’d ingest 3 servings of daily produce. Yes!

I tried it. Couldn’t taste the kale (thankfully! I’m not a fan of kale, but it’s good for me, and I’m trying to sneak more in). The smoothie contained two servings of fruit and one serving of leafy greens. Bingo!

Another problem popped into my mind. Sure, I made the smoothie and enjoyed it, but would I really rinse and chop kale and strawberries on a regular basis? Like, every day? I’m a creature of habit. I don’t want to think about my afternoon snack–I just want to eat it. The smoothie is a perfect solution.

Each week I purchase a big bunch of kale, bananas, strawberries (or other fruit like blueberries or apples). I cut them up, measure them out into one-cup servings and separate the ingredients into baggies. Each afternoon, I grab a baggie of kale, a baggie of strawberries (or I cut up an apple) and a banana, add 1/2 cup of low fat milk, 1/2 cup of ice and a scoop of vanilla protein power (this can be omitted), and I blend until smooth.

 

Jill Kemerer's Daily Smoothie

 

Knowing I’m eating three servings of fresh fruits and vegetables every day gives me peace of mind. In fact, this one change prompts me to be healthier all around. I don’t know why, but it does!

What helps you stay healthy? I’d love your tips!

Have a great day!

 

Jill Kemerer is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of heartwarming, emotional, small-town romance novels often featuring cowboys. She hopes to encourage readers through her books the way so many books have encouraged her. Jill's essentials include coffee, caramels, a stack of books, her mini-doxie, and long walks outdoors. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two almost-grown children. For more information, visit her website, jillkemerer.com.

This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. Good morning, Jill! I don’t normally eat fruits and veges lol. And I used to drink about a 2 liter of Coke every day. I stopped that in March. I feel so much better! So there may be hope of adding more fruits and veges, right? I do try to eat them, I just don’t like them. My husband eats veges with his meals. I usually take a spoonful or two. And I’ll eat peaches. Just not every day. I probably need to change this! I did start running several months ago. I run 3 miles 3 or 4 times a week. Yeah, I should go work on those fruits and veges…Thanks for an inspiring post!

    1. Wow, Sally! You have really made some great health changes–I’m impressed! And 3 miles?? You rock! I can “shuffle” for about a mile. I’m more of a power walker–haha! As far as the fruits and vegetables, I try to add them any way I can. Some days I’m much better than others. 🙂

      1. Thanks, Jill! I didn’t think I’d ever be able to run 3 miles. Our church did the couch to 5k. My chihuahua benefited at first because you start out walking more than you are running and gradually increase it till you are running. Once I got to running for 20 minutes, poor little thing couldn’t keep up lol. But he lost weight!

  2. This is a GREAT first step, Jill, and i’m right there with you. I discovered the joy of smoothie-ing this summer…and so far so good. I just need to be more regular with them because I’ll remember for a day or so and then…not so much.

  3. Love this, Jill! You’re speaking my language. 🙂

    I’m a huge fan of smoothies and have four smoothie packs tucked away in my freezer as I type. Ironically enough, I’ve got a step-by-step blog post planned for the future on Righteous Fit Mom. Great minds… 🙂 I’ll have to try your recipe!

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