Shakes and Smoothies

I dislike shakes. In fact, I really think they are just about the worst invention only because all too often they are passed off as this "healthy" item that is packed full of everything your body needs - when in fact they go down way too quickly, don't offer much satisfaction (in terms of making you feel full), and typically are nothing more than a chemist's dream concoction that you mix with milk or water. 

Now, that being said, I have on occasion had moments when I just plain wasn't hungry for dinner. You? I find it strikes a lot in the summer with the sun not setting in my area until about 9P. And then I have other moments when my husband is gone on deployment and I just don't want to make a big meal that my boys will barely touch - so I opt for something that they love, and saddle myself with a "smoothie" so packed full of nutrition that you can barely suck it up a straw and have to chew it.

Dinner is truly the only meal I could see it being appropriate to replace with a healthy beverage. Breakfast should be huge, lunch slightly smaller - and since dinner should be our smallest meal, an occasional substitution with liquid meal won't hurt you. If you are finding yourself at dinner, and wanting just a little something - I'm offering to you the recipe I just concocted that I'm chewing on as I write this.

I juiced 2 oranges, 1 pear, 2 plums, and 10 pieces of kale. Then I added 1/4 cup of greek yogurt and 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Threw in about 2 Tablespoons of chia seeds (that's the chewy part) and a few ice cubes. **It makes more than the picture leads you to believe. 

Yum yum. Enjoy! I bet it would be delish too if I put it in a popsicle mold and tossed it in the freezer - though I'm not sure how well chia seeds fare in freezer conditions.