Green Monsters

No.. not those kind of green monsters...

...this kind

I've been seeing these popping up here and there on Pinterest and initially thought why the heck would someone drink something that color?  I don't like weird colored foods. Not that green is a weird color or anything, just you usually eat your greens, not drink them.

But...

The green monster smoothie was Really good.  Really.  It tasted kind of like baby food to me.  I liked it so much that I started researching recipes so I can make it myself, because I felt really good after I drank it.  No 3pm exhaustion and I slept pretty well that night too.  I have this middle of the night insomnia where I have no trouble at all falling asleep, but I'm up around 3am and can't fall back to sleep.  If one little change in my diet can help remedy this I'm all for it.  even if a Major change in my diet could help I'd do it.  One step at a time here though.

I've seen a few different recipes for these smoothies and the closest "copycat" recipe calls for a "superfoods" powder that I have to pick up over the weekend when I go grocery shopping.  I found this recipe for Green Monster Spinach Smoothie over on Iowa Girl Eat's blog and I have the ingredients to give it a try tomorrow.  Even Kiddo wants to try it.. so that's a plus.  He doesn't eat school lunch and usually just has a Chobani in the morning before school and then doesn't eat all day until he gets home.

I'm going to try this smoothie in the morning and take pics and let y'all know what I think of it.  I'll also give an update if I can pick up this superfoods powder over the weekend to make the other smoothie.

Natural Greek Yogurt, Fage and Chobani

I've been eating this stuff for months, I was in the search to make the perfect Tatziki and plain "American" yogurt just wasn't cutting it... until I discovered this stuff. It's creamy with a very smooth texture and you can use it just like regular American yogurt, but you never have to strain it. It has a very dense texture and fruit doesn't sit at the bottom but lovingly floats among it's creaminess. So far I've only been able to find Fage in the plain variety and a new favorite is Chobani which comes in 6 varieties. Chobani's web site is a little more user friendly and gives you a list of stores in your area where you can buy it, unlike the Fage site which does not.

Now, this post came to be tonight when P. came to me and said "Mom, do we have any of that good yogurt that you mixed with sugar and heath bits?" Yea, it's in the fridge.. his response.. "can you make it for me?" Sure! I almost forgot it was in there in the fist place and since I had a 8 ounce container of plain yogurt I went and split it in half and mixed P's half in a bowl with a teaspoon of vanilla sugar and about a tablespoon of heath bits and I stirred some honey and frozen berries into mine.

I love yogurt and I'm really glad that I found this stuff, when I was a kid we would get big bottles of Kifir (smooth, drinkable yogurt) in the supermarket and then it disappeared until a few years ago when I noticed it again in a local store by work, I become concerned with the amount of sugar in these products though so I'm really more careful with what I buy and I really prefer to just buy the Greek yogurt and make smoothies using fresh or frozen fruit and milk.

Just a quick comparison here..

Chobani:

All Natural

Live & Active Cultures

Great source of protein

Perfect way to increase energy

Rich smooth creamy texture

A great mid day snack

Helps prevent the risk of Osteoporosis

Includes (3) active probiotics

Gluten free

FAGE Total 0% Greek Yogurt

A truly guiltless treat that can be
enjoyed by anyone, FAGE Total 0%
Greek yogurt successfully
delivers its trademark rich flavor
and thick, smooth body with
absolutely no fat. An excellent
diet aid that can be enjoyed on its
own or mixed with fresh fruit, cereal
and other wholesome ingredients
for a great tasting and healthy
low fat meal.

Each 150 grams (5-ounce) serving includes:
80 calories (0% from fat)
15 grams or 30% of daily value of protein,
10% calcium,
6 grams or 2% of carbohydrates in the form of lactose (based on a 2,000 calorie diet)..

DANNON® All Natural Nonfat 6 oz, 32 oz Serving Size: 6 oz; 170g
	Amount Per Serving
			% DV*
	Calories	80
	Calories from Fat	0
	Total Fat	0g	0%
	Saturated Fat	0g	0%
	Trans Fat	0g
	Cholesterol	5mg	2%
	Sodium	120mg	5%
	Potassium	400mg	11%
	Total Carbohydrates	12g	4%
	Dietary Fiber	0g	0%
	Sugars	12g
	Protein	9g	18%
	Vitamin A		0%
	Vitamin C		4%
	Thiamin (Vitamin B1)		6%
	Riboflavin		30%
	Vitamin B6		6%
	Vitamin B12		20%
	Biotin		0%
	Iron		0%
	Vitamin D		0%
	Calcium		30%
	Phosphorus		25%
	Magnesium		8%
	Pantothenic Acid		6%
	Zinc		8%
	Selenium		0%
	*%DV means % Daily Value based on a 2000-calorie diet
	Ingredients:
	Cultured grade A milk. Contains active yogurt cultures including L. acidophilus.