Meal Replacement Smoothies

A lot of talk has been going around about meal replacement smoothies for some time.  My husband and I had set weight goals for ourselves and were looking to find healthy things to do to aid us in loosing weight.  Over time I will be sharing some recipes that I have concocted but first I wanted to share a few tips with you that I have learned along the way.  Eating these smoothies for two of my meals out of the day,  along with moderate exercise, I met my weight goal!

First: *a meal replacement smoothie only does its job if you keep it what it is, a meal replacement.  It is not to go along side a big plate of spaghetti.
 *  Exercise is a MUST for healthy dieting.
*Processed foods and chemically made food should always be eaten in moderation. This is a very important tip because most "diet" foods have artificially made ingredients: mostly artificial sweeteners. I could write a whole page about this but just know that IT IS NOT HEALTHY to consume astpartame (sweet n' low) or sucalose (splenda) on a daily or twice daily basis.  If you question this, google the proper names and read the sites that are not funded by the artificial sweetener company, government or pharmaceutical companies, because these sites have dollar signs in mind above your health.
*to feel full and continue to have energy until your next meal, you must have protein in your smoothie.
*lastly, if your goal is to loose weight, you need to stay on track.  weigh your self every morning to stay motivated.  Don't get discouraged, just keep going.

What you need:

*Natural Brand Soy Protein from GNC.  I tried several whey and soy proteins before I decided that this one was the best.  It is only $10 and 60 calories per scoop.  Plus, it is ALL NATURAL!

*Your favorite frozen fruits.  We always keep stock of fresh bannanas and sometimes fresh strawberries but I find it much easier to keep a nice assortment of frozen fruits such as: mango, pineapple, blueberries, dark cherries, strawberries, etc.

* Vanilla extract ( I find a small splash of this makes every thing come together very nicely, but I do have a nice stock of this from Honduras)

* Stevia in the Raw.  Stevia is the only sweetener that is not artificially or chemically made.  Note: I have heard but not researched that Truvia and others claiming to use stevia leaf also add chemically processed ingredients.  Always read labels.  I stick with "in the raw" packet size.

* 35 calorie almond milk 

If you keep these ingredients on hand, you will always have a great breakfast or lunch.  BTW: you need a blender.