Smoothies are the easiest way for me to get the maximum nutrition in the morning with the least amount of effort. Whip up this mega berry smoothie recipe any time of the year thanks to my secret ingredients! Check it out!

I love berries. I’m an incredibly picky eater. There are so few veggies that I will touch, but I do love berries! Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. If it has berries in the name, chances are I love it. I remember picking blackberries off the bush when I was a kid. I’d come home with baskets full of them.

Now, I don’t live anywhere near those bushes. I find that fresh berries in the store are a bit pricy. I also notice that for some reason, this year’s fresh fruit crops seem to be spoiling much faster than usual. I can’t tell you how much money we’ve lost on strawberries that went bad a day after we got them.

Breakfast is my biggest downfall. I never remember to eat it. Sounds funny, forgetting to eat an entire meal. I just get into working and breakfast becomes too much of a hassle to make. The only way it happens is if I can drink it. Smoothies are the easiest way for me to get my recommended amount of fruit. I whipped up this one in under 5 minutes!

Mega Berry Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

• Frozen berry blend, about 1/2 cup. Mine had strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. I let it thaw overnight.
• Frozen strawberry slices, about 1/2 cup- leave frozen, it adds a nice texture to your smoothie and eliminates the need for ice.
• About 5 tablespoons of Low-fat yogurt
• 1 cup milk (I used 1%)

To make, just throw it all into a blender and mix. Top with a bit of whipped cream and enjoy. Makes two servings.

Frozen food is just plain cool

You love my puns, you know you do. I get them from my grandfather. He was a totally punny guy.

More and more, I’ve been leaning towards frozen berries.  Did you know that a study conducted by The University of California, Davis in partnership with the Frozen Food Foundation found that frozen fruits and vegetables are generally as rich in nutrients, and often more so, than their fresh counterparts?

Bottom line: frozen foods lock in freshness. They’re nature’s pause button. They take food at their peak freshness and just, well, freeze them in that state. See those berries above? When they thawed, they looked and tasted just like the berries I picked off the bushes as a child. Trust me, I know my berries! Fruits and veggies are filled with nutrients that we so desperately need to fight chronic diseases.

Given that those chronic diseases are actually on the rise, we need those nutrients now more than ever before. Don’t let a lack of time or money keep you from staying healthy.

I know I am likely one of the nearly 80 percent of Americans that fail to get the recommended amounts of fruit and I’m definitely one of the nearly 90 percent failing to meet dietary recommendations for vegetables. For me, the issue is time and money. I don’t have enough of either. Frozen fruits (and vegetables) help on both fronts.

What is your biggest challenge when it comes to eating healthy? How can frozen fruits and veggies help you?