{create} A Green Monster

A Home In the Making is going in a slightly different direction today because I won a contest! A couple week ago, Jenn from Peas and Crayons hosted a contest to win a sprinkle can of flax seeds ... and I won! Do you guys eat flax seeds? I LOVE them, and squeeze them into my diet any way I can.

Flax seeds are incredibly healthy, as they are both a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. They're easy to slip into baked goods, or sprinkle over oatmeal or a salad with no one the wiser.

Jenn also hosts a party on her blog every week called What I Ate Wednesday. So, in honor of the flax seeds, I thought I'd share the main dish that I add flax seeds to: our breakfast smoothie!

That's right, it's a green breakfast smoothie. The green monster, as I've heard it referenced. I've learned that people are incredibly polarized on this subject. We have friends who think we're CRAZY for drinking this in the mornings, and we have friends that love them and share recipes. We've chosen to go this route for breakfast (especially week day breakfasts) for a few reasons: they're fast, portable, insanely healthy, and we like them. Some days, I'm embarrassed to admit, this is my main source of veggies.

So what goes into our morning smoothies? Coconut milk + water, banana (usually frozen ... yum!), 1/2 avocado, broccoli (not pictured; we don't have any this week! :( ), a little flax seed, a little peanut butter, cinnamon, tons of spinach and an assortment of seeds and powders.

I rotate through seeds and powders, but these are my favorite right now. The hemp seeds are a great veggie source of protein. Chris needs an enormous amount of protein just to function, and I need a little higher amount these days with my 1/2 marathon training well underway. We are BOTH crazy iron deficient, and a serving of kelp has 100% of your daily iron needs. Above is no where near a serving, which would make the smoothie taste disgusting(!), but is a great start to getting the iron we need for the day. I am completely in love with chia seeds right now. I'm a huge fan of adding them to oatmeal. While they're high in fiber, I actually use them in the smoothies because they thicken and add a great texture.Maca powder is a little controversial, but I'm trying it for lack of energy reasons. Hopefully it's helping :).

Once everything is poured into a blender, it makes this lovely green smoothie. Paired with a piece of fruit or toast, it makes a great nutritious way to start the day. The BEST part of smoothies is how customizable they are ... you can add any fruit, any veggie, any protein source you have on hand. Some people are turned off by the color, but I actually love it. It's so much more bright and cheery than a bowl of cereal.

So, have any of you tried a green smoothie? Or does the idea completely gross you out?

Make sure you head on over to Peas and Crayons to check out the other great entries for What I Ate Wednesday!