Remember when yogurt was the health food of all times? It still is for many. People think that because it’s “yogurt” it is healthy. Ok- there is this thing called money and this thing called marketing and they like to work together to make you think you are doing something really good for yourself.

Then there is this thing called disappointment. You have made a resolution or two and 2015 is going to be awesome! It is the year that you are getting healthy once and for all.

You take all this advice from the experts and start having a smoothie for breakfast. You feel great! Sort of. Well, you feel better than you did when you ate your 2014 breakfast. You are sure to lose a few pounds now that you are not eating a bagel with sausage. Right?

A few weeks go by and something is wrong. Very wrong.

Here is the deal: just having something called a “smoothie” does not make it right. You have to pay attention to what is going in that smoothie. Fast food restaurants, and even a well know smoothie chain, have smoothies that are loaded with junk and a ton of calories. They sell you sizes that are 3 servings worth! And you wonder why it isn’t working. They are intentionally tricking you by using the health buzzword “smoothie.” Don’t let them take advantage of you!

If someone can make money off of the fact that you are not paying any attention, they will.

What to do? You can make choices. I recommend making the smoothies yourself. This allows you to have all the right ingredients at home. You can control what is going into it and have a lot of variety. Just a little planning is all you need. You can make them to go! And it is much cheaper.

If you really like picking one up while out and about, you have to choose where to do this. You need to look for health food stores and specialized smoothie and juice bars. Most of these have healthy choices. Ask them what protein options they have, ask to look at the ingredients in their almond or peanut butter if that is an ingredient you like and make sure they do not overload those nut butters. I have seen people dump in a quarter cup or more. Does it taste good? You bet! But it tastes great with way less too, so beware of the great smoothie locations out there. (That goes for acaia bowls, too).

Want to make it at home? It is fun!

Here is  recipe for you and how to get what you need:

Makes one. Double the recipe for two.

Blender or Vitamix

1/4 cup frozen blueberries (organic if possible)

1/4 cup frozen strawberries  (organic if possible)

1/2 ripe banana

1/2 to 3/4 cup coconut water or unsweetened almond milk (this is a 12 pack you can order)

Big handful of kale, spinach or leafy greens

1-2 tablespoons almond butter (make sure it does not have added sugar; should be plain almonds)

Sunwarrior Raw Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder

Chia seeds (stir into smoothie after pouring into your glass and let sit for a couple of minutes before eating)

enJOY!