My Easy Peanut Butter Berry Smoothie
Yeah, yeah, you are probably thinking. We have all heard about the benefits of breakfast. Moms everywhere call it “the most important meal of the day,” as they plop down a bowl of un-glamorous oatmeal in front of a kid, who probably really wants some fluorescent fruity pops cereal.
Can all those Moms be right?
Well, the latest science just keeps backing up good old Mom.
Mom, Dad, or whoever urged you to grab a bite on the way out the door was looking out for your best interests.
Oh, and the oatmeal was a good idea, too.
The latest info, published in the Journal Circulation, followed 27,000 men, and found that men who skip breakfast have a 27% higher risk of having a heart attack. The researchers factored in other lifestyle differences, like smoking, exercise and diet. The breakfast skippers still had higher risk. Another interesting finding was that late night eaters had even more heart attacks-a 55% higher risk.
So, if you are eating late night snacks and waking up too full for breakfast, you may be balancing calories but you are tempting fate. Even if it’s not a pizza and beer thing.
In fact, many studies have shown that eating breakfast is essential to maintaining a healthy weight. There might be some complicated reason for this, or it may just be that you are less likely to over-eat later if you don’t starve all morning.
I know, I have been a breakfast skipper, even a breakfast-free exerciser. And you know what I found? Skipping breakfast is a good way to feel tired all day long. Yep, the old brain and bod all need some fuel in the morning, even if you don’t feel like it.
Since it’s summertime, a creamy, cold smoothie has to be appealing. Fruit, sweet, and filling, it’s a hearty breakfast that you can drink through a straw.
If you want to eat some of those healthy oats Moms recommend, try the link below for a cinnamony granola recipe.
Peanut Butter-Berry Smoothie
I like to use frozen berries and bananas in my smoothie to give it a thick, super-rich texture. Peanut butter gives it a nice protein boost, to complement the protein in the spinach. This serves 2, and by my calculations, each serving has 11 g protein, 272 calories, 251% of the C, 89% of the A, 29% of the B6, 21% of the iron, 50% of the folacin, 36% of the potassium for the day.
5 ounces (4 packed cups) baby spinach
3 cups mixed berries, frozen
1 small banana, frozen
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 cup soymilk ( I used vanilla)
2 teaspoons matcha tea
Pack the ingredients into the blender in order and blend, using the plunger (if using a vitamix, or scraping down repeatedly in a regular blender.
Enjoy right away while still frosty.
A Cinnamony Granola Recipe Post
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