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Recipe: Chocolate Banana Smoothie
I am in the middle of taking the October Unprocessed Challenge (a challenge to eat only REAL foods for the entire month of October.) I have been drinking lots of smoothies this month, and I have discovered a new one that I love! This smoothie tastes great, and it’s made with ingredients I usually always have on hand. So, when I have plans to make a different smoothie and discover that I’m out of yogurt or berries, this is usually what I’ve been going to. It tastes a lot like chocolate milk to me, only without the added white sugar!
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 16 ounces
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Milk, any type (Cow's milk, Almond, Soy, Coconut...use what you prefer)
- 1 Tablespoon Honey, preferably raw and local
- 2 Bananas, ripened and frozen
- 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy! 🙂
October Unprocessed Challenge 2016: 8 Days of REAL Food
We are almost halfway through the October Unprocessed Challenge (eating only REAL food for the entire month of October)! This is my 4th year taking the challenge, and I am still learning so much every day!
My greatest accomplishment so far this year was finding a recipe for taco seasoning that my whole family loves!! Taco Tuesday is so much better now, and I feel great knowing exactly what is in the seasoning! If I get nothing else out of this challenge, I will be happy about my new taco night discovery! 🙂
This year has seemed the easiest so far of all the years I’ve attempted the challenge (last year I only lasted a few days, and then I gave up!). This blog is what is keeping me accountable this year, and knowing that I’m going to post everything I eat is one of the main reasons I haven’t given up. Although it seems easier than previous years, this challenge is still a LOT of work and takes a lot of planning and prep, since I often have to make 2 meals for dinner since my kids will not eat some of these new foods (although I do make them try everything.)
Below is a list of EVERYTHING I have eaten for the first 8 days, along with links to many of the recipes. It’s not 100% unprocessed (chocolate chips are my weakness), but I am happy with my progress so far. I am surprised that I have not really had any cravings for sweets, and I have not felt hungry at all.
For more real-food recipe ideas each day, check out the Journey To Complete Wellness Facebook page.
If you have any favorite real-food recipes, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post or on the Journey to Complete Wellness Facebook page! I’ll take all the help I can get! 🙂
October Unprocessed 2016
Saturday, October 1
| Breakfast: Omelet with Peppers, Onions, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
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| Snack: Grapes ,cashews, raisins |
| Lunch: Salad (Romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, raisins) w/balsamic
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| Dinner: Honey Balsamic Sheet Pan Chicken
This is delicious! I will be making this again (maybe a few more times this month)! 🙂
|
Sunday, October 2
| Breakfast: Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes
I love these, and my 12-year old daughter does, too!
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| Snack: Celery Stick, Raisins, Grapes, Cashews |
| Lunch: Leftovers from Dinner and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
The soup is so tasty! My 13-year-old daughter loves it as well! |
| Dinner: Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
This was good, but my family was not crazy about it. I had a lot of leftovers that I froze in individual portions to use later in the month. |
Monday, October 3
| Breakfast: Chocolate Avocado Smoothie
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| Snack: Plain Greek Yogurt w/1 T honey & 1T chocolate chips, Popcorn |
| Lunch: Leftover Chili |
| Dinner: Mozzarella-Stuffed Slow Cooker Meatballs
This is a favorite in our house! |
Tuesday, October 4
| Breakfast: Leftover Banana Pancakes/Kiwi/Slice of Boar’s Head Deli Turkey |
| Snack: Fuji Apple, 5.3oz Greek Yogurt, ½ T Honey & 1T chocolate chips |
| Lunch: Leftover Chili |
| Dinner: Taco Meat w/Jasmine Rice, Lettuce, Tomato. Taco Seasoning
|
Wednesday, October 5
| Breakfast: Leftover Banana Pancakes with Grapes |
| Snack: Grapes, Chocolate Chips |
| Lunch: Raspberry Peanut Butter Green Smoothie (I used grape juice) |
| Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortellini Soup (w/brown rice noodles) |
Thursday, October 6
| Breakfast: Scrambled Egg w/Diced Tomatoes;grapes |
| Snack: Peanut Butter Cookies, cashews
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| Lunch: Leftover Chicken Soup |
| Dinner: Pate Chinois |
Friday, October 7
| Breakfast: Leftover banana pancake, PB cookie |
| Snack: Yogurt w/honey & cc; apple; cucumbers,celery,dip,chips,salsa |
| Lunch: Leftover Tomato Soup |
| Dinner: Leftover Pate Chinois |
Saturday, October 8
| Breakfast: Leftover chicken soup |
| Snack: Kettle corn; Roasted Pumpkin Seeds |
| Lunch: Strawberry/banana/yogurt/milk smoothie |
| Dinner: Baked Haddock,rice pilaf, and Roasted Broccoli
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Recipe: Strawberry Banana PB Smoothie
This is my 13-year old daughter’s favorite smoothie. I make this for her just about every morning. One thing I love about smoothies is that you can adjust the ingredients to your liking. Feel free to substitute your favorite flavor of yogurt, and also adjust the amount of milk to your desired thickness. To make it sweeter, you may also add some raw honey. Here is the recipe I use:
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup milk (adjust amount to your liking to achieve desired thickness)
- 1 ripened banana, frozen
- 6 whole strawberries, frozen
- 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
- 6 oz Strawberry Yogurt (or flavor of your choice)
DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Recipe: Avocado Smoothie
I love this smoothie! To be honest, I did not expect to like this the first time I tried it. I had an avocado that I wanted to use up, so I searched the web for a recipe, and I found this Avocado recipe from Allrecipes.com. To my surprise, it was creamy, cool, and delicious! Since then, I have made a few modifications to suit my taste and preferences, and it has become one of my favorite smoothies. This smoothie is a nice change from my usual smoothies that contain banana. My other recipes usually use at least one frozen ingredient, so ice is not necessary, but I think this one is perfect as is with the ice. Even if you’re not a huge fan of avocado, I think you may be surprised. Give it a try and let me know what you think! 🙂
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 6 oz. strawberry yogurt (or flavor of your choice)
- 2 Tbsp raw honey
- 8 ice cubes
DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy! 🙂
Recipe: Blueberry Banana Smoothie
If you have been looking for ways to use up all those delicious blueberries that are in season right now, give this healthy smoothie recipe a try. This drink is very filling and it would serve as a delicious breakfast, lunch, or a snack! Enjoy it any time of the day! We have been making this smoothie a lot lately, and I’m happy to say that ALL of my daughters love this one! 🙂
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup yogurt (I like Stonyfield Banilla)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup organic spinach or other greens (optional – I usually don’t add this because my daughters will not drink it if they know there are greens in it.)
Instructions:
- In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Notes:
Make sure at least one of your ingredients is frozen to make your smoothie cold. If you do not have any frozen ingredients, you may want to add some ice.
This smoothie is best served immediately, especially if you are using the greens.
If you are adding greens, blend the greens and the liquid until smooth before adding the remaining ingredients.
Enjoy! 🙂
Strawberry Banana Smoothie
This is a great smoothie to soothe a sore throat or cough. My kids love the taste, and they love the pink color! It’s also a great way to benefit from the healing properties of raw honey if you don’t like eating honey straight. 🙂
Ingredients:
½ cup apple juice
½ cup filtered water
1 ripe banana
1 Tablespoon raw honey (local is best to help with seasonal allergies)
1 cup frozen organic strawberries
Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients into blender except the strawberries. Blend until smooth.
2. Add the strawberries. Blend until smooth.
Notes: This smoothie is thick. If you would like it thinner, add more liquid. Do not feed raw honey to infants under 1.
Yield: 20 ounces
Recipe: Coconut Banana Cashew Smoothie
My friend gave me some vanilla coconut milk the other day, so I decided to experiment and make some smoothies with it. I found one that I really liked a lot! I decided to grind up some cashews and add them to the smoothie for some extra fiber and protein. Check out this website for more health benefits of cashews and see why they are one of the world’s healthiest foods. Here is the recipe I came up with. Enjoy! 🙂
Coconut Banana Cashew Smoothie
Ingredients:
¼ cup cashews
¾ cup vanilla coconut milk
½ cup organic spinach, packed
1 frozen banana
Instructions:
1. Grind cashews in a food processor until fine.
2. Add coconut milk, spinach, and cashews to blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Add banana. Blend until smooth.
Yield: 14 ounces
Recipe: Pineapple-Orange-Banana Green Smoothie
In an effort to get more greens into my diet, I try to have a green smoothie every day. When I’m running short on time, this is the one I always fall back on. It is quick, delicious, and I usually have all ingredients on hand.
I try to keep frozen bananas stocked in my freezer at all times. I usually buy them in the reduced-produce section at the store when they are very ripe. I take them home, peel them, break them in half, and then put them into a freezer bag for future use. It’s a great time saver, and also a great way to keep costs low! 🙂 Here is the recipe:
| Ingredients: |
| ¾ cup orange juice (I prefer freshly juiced from a juicer, but store-bought also works.)
¾ cup organic baby spinach, packed tightly ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt ½ cup fresh pineapple chunks 1 frozen banana |
| Instructions: |
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Yield: 24 oz. |
Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
We have a new favorite smoothie in our house! I have been on the green smoothie kick lately, but last week I decided to try something different and see if my daughters would give it a try. My 11-year-old and 6-year-old both loved it!! They have been finishing this smoothie daily and asking for more! Like many moms, I am always looking for ways to get as many fruits, vegetables, and superfoods into our diet as possible. This is an easy way to do it. This smoothie is packed with superfoods…bananas, pumpkin, oranges and pineapple! For a great resource and list of 50 superfoods, check out this link. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! 🙂
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie |
| Ingredients: |
| ¾ cup orange juice (I prefer freshly juiced, but store-bought also works)
1 cup organic vanilla yogurt (I like Stonyfield French Vanilla) OR 1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt and 1 Tablespoon Local Honey ½ cup pumpkin puree ½ cup fresh pineapple chunks ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice* (see below for substitution) 2 frozen bananas (make sure they are ripe when you freeze them) |
| Instructions: |
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Yield: Approximately 34 fl oz Journeytocompletewellness.com |
Update: 1/31/2014 – My kids love this drink and ask me to make it for them every day. I finally ran out of the pumpkin pie spice, and when I went to buy more I noticed that it was $5.99 for 1.12 oz. I decided I didn’t want to pay that much for it, so I did some research and found a recipe to make it myself. Here it is:
Pumpkin Pie Spice
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon allspice or cloves
Store in an airtight container.