Well, we have reached the point of the school year where I can feel everything unraveling. We are all tired and a little stressed. No one wants to get up in the morning. And it has become more difficult to make meals interesting and healthy (i.e. a lot of cereal has been happening at breakfast time). So, I’m looking for ways to fit healthy foods into our weekdays without making anything too difficult or overwhelming. Mornings tend to be the most difficult, so instead of fight with my kids about whether of not they can have cereal for breakfast, I’ve started adding smoothies on the side. Granted, only one of my children will actually drink his smoothie, but at least I’m offering healthy, whole foods often. One of these days the 4 year old will actually try his smoothie and he WILL LIKE IT.
Right?
Anyway, this Blueberry Almond Butter Smoothie is a new favorite. It is very simple, has no refined sugar, and packs a punch with antioxidant rich blueberries, protein rich almond butter, and a little flavor twist with some ground cinnamon. The first time I made this and took a sip, I knew it would be a hit!
Side note: is there anything more wonderful than watching your children eat food that you know is super healthy for them? I mean, watching the 7 year old suck down one of these smoothies makes me feel so freaking good. Mostly because 90% of the time I feel like I’m banging my head against a wall trying to get either of my kiddos to eat healthy foods. Ugh.
If you’re feeling stuck in a food rut this time of year, I highly recommend giving this smoothie a try. And feel free to use different berries, add protein powder or collagen peptides, or toss some baby spinach in there. Pro tip: spinach is great because it doesn’t add any flavor but adds tons of nutrients! The only downside is that sometimes you can get a weird color, but if your kids (or you) don’t mind the color, you’ll be just fine.
Blueberry Almond Butter Smoothie
Makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 frozen banana
2 tablespoons unsweetened almond or peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding a bit more almond milk if needed, and enjoy!