4 Steps to Easy Smoothies + Peach Almond Butter Smoothie Recipe

For years, I had mixed feelings on smoothies. They seemed like a healthy, yummy breakfast or snack option, but for some reason, I just couldn't get into them. I was "smoothie-challenged".

If I made them at home, I never got the hang of what to add to make them tasty or filling. Then I'd make questionable choices.

Me at 10:30 AM: Hello, Fig Newton and second cup of coffee!

I tried them at smoothie "places". They were yummy, but maybe I was ordering the wrong thing. I'd look up the nutritional facts and feel appalled.

You mean I've already consumed that much sugar and it wasn't on pancakes and syrupy goodness? I now question my daily decision making.

Then, I started seeing all of these smoothie recipes on Pinterest and I heard my friends say they love them. I finally decided to try them earlier this year. I was full-swing into my half-marathon training and hungry all of the time. I was trying to eat healthier but just couldn't get it together, especially on the weekends. I did better during the week, but my mornings were too rushed to prepare and eat breakfast. Usually, I would grab something random like a bagel, granola bar, or banana to take with me. I finally decided that smoothies could help solve my morning dilemma in 4 ways:

• Smoothies can be easily consumed while driving – I use those tumblers with straws that you see everywhere now. It’s much easier than eating other items while driving.
• They can be prepared quickly - Drop in a blender, turn it on, and pour concoction into said tumbler before heading out.
• They are relatively inexpensive - I was already buying many of the ingredients already. I purchased a few varieties of frozen fruit I didn't have on hand, and I was ready to go. Make sure you have a semi-powerful blender (mine has a smoothie setting).
• If made with the right stuff, they can be a filling, yummy breakfast with at least 1-2 servings of fruit. Also, if you're like me and don’t drink milk, many smoothie recipes can help you get more calcium.

As with most endeavors, I started with Google. However, the information I found was vastly beyond my knowledge of health foods. Recipes with protein powders and exotic berries from the rainforest were a little beyond my skill level (I'm not knocking these, by the way. I'm sure they have great benefits. I'm just not knowledgeable on them). I wanted to find simple recipes that used natural ingredients that I already know.

I found this basic strawberry banana yogurt smoothie as part of a collection of smoothie recipes on WholeLiving.com. Super simple! I used 0% plain Chobani Greek Yogurt and I was pleased with the result. I started using this as a base for other fruits - peaches, pineapple, berries, mango, etc. I started doing these fruit/yogurt smoothies a couple of times per week and they helped me get my mornings back on track.

 

To mix things up, I looked up some other ideas beyond fruit and yogurt. I found this smoothie recipe from 100DaysofRealFood (a blog I love to read about more natural, real foods) that used peanut butter. It was very filling, and was a nice mixture of salty and sweet flavors. After trying that, I came up with my own peach and almond butter smoothie (below), which had a nice, light taste.

 

Now I was feeling bold and decided to try "unconventional" ingredients. I threw a few spinach leaves into the mix and was surprised that I couldn't taste them over the fruit. You just have to get past the green color. I tried kale and personally didn't care for it. I thought it added a bitter taste. I tried light coconut milk, which I loved (I'm obsessed with coconut). I even tried avocado, which sounds scary, but made the most deliciously creamy smoothie ever (for real).

 

With all of these options, it was difficult for me to figure out how to combine them all together into a smoothie. Based on the recipes was I reading, I identified common themes and put together a simple template so to speak, to help myself and other “smoothie challenged” friends:

 

 

The options above are not all encompassing. Experiment with any ingredients you like. The template just gives me a framework to understand how they can all fit into smoothie. Keep in mind that I drink smoothies as my entire breakfast. For a lighter smoothie, many people do a fruit and liquid only smoothie - just "drop the base."

Lame, I know. I couldn't help myself.

Also as promised, here is the recipe for the peach almond butter smoothie I mentioned above, which includes all of the components above. I enjoy it for breakfast.
 

Peach Almond Butter Smoothie

1/2 cup milk, any kind (I use skim dairy milk since I don't get enough calcium)

• 2/3 cup juice (peach or white grape peach juice is fabulous, but any light flavor juice like apple works)
• 1 tbsp. almond butter (I like Trader Joe's almond butter with sea salt, but unsalted is obviously healthier)
• 1 cup frozen peaches (fresh can be used, but you may want to add ice)
• 1/2 banana (fresh or frozen)
• Handful of fresh spinach leaves (optional - pictured without spinach)
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Serves 1. Pour all ingredients in a blender gradually. It helps to pour liquid first, then some of the frozen ingredients. Blend, stir, and add more frozen ingredients. Repeat until fully blended. Add more liquid if it is too thick, or add more ice if you like it "frostier".

 

If you're “smoothie challenged" like me, I hope you enjoy and find this helpful. Look for future smoothie recipes to come - perhaps even those scary avocado smoothies! Do you enjoy smoothies for breakfast or a snack? What are your favorite smoothie recipes and ingredients? Any tips on how I can make them better (perhaps those protein powders or exotic berries from the rainforest)?
 

 -Amy
 

*I am not a certified nutritionist or health professional. Shocker! I'm simply sharing recipes and tips that I enjoy personally.

Running Newbie to a Half Marathon in 1 Year: Part 1 // How I Began Running, and How You Can, Too!

Thank you so much for visiting my first post here at Coffee, Scarves, and Running Shoes! To learn more about me and why I started the blog, check out my About Me page.

The blog isn’t the only exciting thing to happen in my life recently. After beginning to run just a little over a year ago, I ran the Knoxville Covenant Health Half Marathon in Knoxville TN - my first to date! I ran for two hours and forty-five minutes. People cheered me on. I cheered other people on. I collapsed in the grass afterwards unable to process the huge accomplishment that had just taken place. That's what I'm doing here, with my medal and no makeup. See, we're already getting to know each other!

I am by no means an experienced athlete. Ever since I started running, I've been getting LOTS of questions from family and friends. I started this blog, among other reasons, to tell my story as a new runner – the good and the hard times!

It only makes sense that I start from the beginning and talk about the pivotal moment in which I finally committed to a running program. It was March, 2012. I was 28 and I had never been athletic in my life. When I was a kid in gym class, I was the last person to ever get picked on teams, I could never do a “boy” push-up, and I DREADED the days that we had to run (or in my case walk/run) a mile. I was THAT girl, and I was tired of it.

Age 30 was less than two years away. I’d spent years unhappily trying different workouts that would just never “stick”. I was tired of feeling unsuccessful and unconfident in a major area of my life. I wanted to be healthier and happier.

As part of my New Year’s resolution that year, I had recently conquered my fear of joining a gym. I’d tried the elliptical, and group cardio and strength classes. My confidence grew a smidge, and I enjoyed (and still enjoy) what I was doing there. I was ready to take things up a notch and start running, but I had no clue how to begin.

Coincidentally, at my company’s health fair, I heard about a local training program called RunKNOX offered by the Knoxville Track Club. The representative there assured me I could reach my 5K goal at the end of the 12 week program.

I asked him, “Are you sure? I’ve never run before, and I’m not even sure I could run a few steps.” I was exaggerating, of course, but wanted to get my point across.

He reassured me that lots of people start from scratch and run a 5K in 12 weeks. But I’m not just anyone. I’m a special breed of unathletic.

I deliberated about it for a week. I asked my husband, friends, and family what they thought. They all gave me thumbs-up (as long as I didn't drag them with me)! I finally took a leap of faith, signed up for the program online, went out and bought my first pair of running shoes, and I was ready to start!

The excitement turned to nervousness as I approached the first practice. When I showed up to the first practice, I had no idea what to expect. I walked in to a small group of 15-20 or so people. My first observation was that everyone seemed so fit. I expected the coaches to be fit, but the participants of the program seemed pretty fit as well. In chatting with a few people, I discovered I was the newest newbie in the group. Most people in the program had already at least run a 5K before, and were looking to get faster or increase their distance.

I wanted to say, “Well, this has been great, guys…” and take off to console myself with my cats and my DVR, never to be seen again.

I also met the coaches, who I quickly discovered were all very experienced runners. This was especially true of the program director, Darren, and his lovely wife Sarah. I found out that they are both successful, elite runners that have competed both collegiately and professionally. For real. The kids don’t play.

I'm sorry, are you sure I'm at the right address? What am I doing here?

Luckily, everyone was so nice. The coaches seemed genuinely happy that we’d joined the program (even newbies like me), and wanted to help us reach our goals. I talked myself off the ledge and returned to the next practice to begin the training program. And I’m so glad I did.

By coming back, I embarked on a journey that led me to run my first 5K (and several more), my first 10K, and my first half marathon. More importantly, I learned I was stronger than I ever thought possible, became more confident, made wonderful friends, and became a happier, healthier person. Good call, don’t ya think?

If you’re considering running, here are some things I recommend:

1. Get a good pair of running shoes. I found a local store that fitted me for shoes. By watching me walk, they discovered I needed stability shoes to correct the way my feet roll when I walk or run. Who knew?
2. Get some basic clothes for running. Running clothes were a whole new fashion frontier for me (and may inspire a future post). Although I now have an unhealthy obsession with Lululemon, you don’t have to invest a lot of money on clothes in the beginning. Try getting a couple of short- or long-sleeve workout (synthetic material) tops, a couple of workout shorts or pants (cropped/capri length are my favorite as they are comfortable and flattering), and - ladies - a high support sports bra. You can find great deals at Target, sales at department or sporting goods stores, stores like TJ Maxx or Marshalls, or even outlet stores. Later on, you may want to consider a fancy watch that calculates your pace and distance via GPS (there are smartphone apps that do this as well). In the beginning, you only really need a basic stopwatch.
3. Make sure that you’re ready to run. Since I hadn’t been working out much, I started out on the elliptical (walking is great, too) a couple of months before I started running. I believed this helped me get in slightly better shape before beginning this journey. I suppose I should also throw in a disclaimer here to “consult a medical professional before you begin this or any exercise program.” (It's also a good time to introduce you to my Terms and Conditions page)
4. Find a training program in your area, or find a friend or group of friends to embark on this journey with you. I personally know people who have trained by themselves and have achieved huge accomplishments running. I tip my hat to those people, because they have succeeded where I have failed. There are running resources and plans out on the internet that have helped many if you want to go it alone. Call me a purist, but I prefer to use the Internet for its intended purpose – looking at cat pictures. You have my encouragement any way you want to pursue running, but joining a structured program was great for me for several reasons:
• Expertise – The program laid out the days I should run each week, how much I should run, how to transition from walking to running, etc, and I could always go to the coaches with questions.
• Accountability – when you have a scheduled time to work out and people to meet, it becomes a part of your schedule instead of something you procrastinate. This especially helps my lifelong procrastinating husband. If only our practices could incorporate home improvement projects…
• Making friends – This makes running fun and bearable. You encourage each other, joke and laugh together, vent about life, and sometimes complain about the workouts. You can also ask your friends questions about what you're encountering in your training, and share experiences with each other.
5. Be open-minded. This was the hardest part for me (and still is). I had to open up my mind to believe that the group accepted me, and that I could accomplish the training at hand. Sometimes I would look at the workouts on the schedule and think the coaches had lost their minds. But I surprised myself by accomplishing the workouts. Trust in yourself. Easier said than done, but there is no greater advice I can give you.

Have you recently began a running or fitness program? Did you overcome any physical or mental hurdles to begin? What tips do you have for anyone pursuing a new fitness program?

-Amy

P.S - Thanks for reading my first post! You can continue reading about my running journey here. I also hope to share my other passions such as cooking, gardening, and other projects in later posts.

*I was not compensated by RunKNOX for this post, nor is RunKNOX affiliated with this blog in any way. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences as I began running through the program. The views expressed in my article are solely my own.