Smoothies are my jam!

Ok, folks, let's talk about nutrition for a moment. How many of you start your day with a semi-greasy/greasy breakfast sandwich? Maybe it's not every day but a heavy breakfast has become a staple in American society.

I'm a one-cup-of-coffee gal and have never really been a big breakfast eater, except on Sundays. I love me a good brunch day! Last summer, I started getting hungry around noonish but didn't want to eat a lot and experience the afternoon crash that follows a big lunch, so I started making smoothies.

My Delicious Afternoon Smoothie!

I highly recommend this as an option for everyone, and not just for breakfast, but for any time of the day. It doesn't matter if you're young, old, or in somewhere in-between, smoothies are the way to go!

*Also great for camping and music festivals, as long as you have electricity.

Switch up your ingredients to meet your nutritional needs. Experiment until you find what you like, and you can easily use it as a meal replacement.

DON'T focus on the healthy part of smoothie life.

DO find the fruits, veggies, and dairy you like and use those as your ingredients.

Let your kids help! Give them ingredients to choose from and teach them how the load up the blender. Add a touch of chocolate syrup or a scoop of ice cream and make it a dessert treat!

So many options!

My go-to ingredients are a few various frozen fruits like strawberries, mango, blackberries, and cherries. These keep for long periods of time without going bad and I can eliminate the need for ice, which I don't really like to use for some reason. Then I add some fresh fruits such as blueberries and/or a banana. 1 or 2 spoonfulls of vanilla yogurt and peanut butter, topped off with whatever coffee I didn't finish that morning and some soy milk.

Fresh raspberries from River Lane Farm, KY that I picked and used to make a smoothie with

I use a Magic Bullet, exactly like this one. It is available as a 17-piece set on Amazon.

Photo Credit: Amazon

I know some people who prefer protein powder, or water instead of milk, or only fresh fruits and ice, or they like to include fresh spinach, or whatever...as long as it tastes good and the ingredients match your dietary needs, it really doesn't matter how you like it.

But you have to do it.

You have to buy a blender and get the ingredients and give it a try. Make the smoothie. If you don't like it, change something and try again.

Want it a little sweeter? Like it a bit more earthy? Play around until you figure it out!

Wish you could try a few different kinds without having to buy all the ingredients? Well, invite your friends over and have a Smoothie Party! Make a first-round batch without the alcohol and make a second-round batch with a little extra flavor if you choose to... ;)

Click HERE for some recipe ideas from the American Heart Association.

Or even better, please share your own! I'd love to see your smoothie recipes and pictures!