Starting work before the sunrise has always been a norm in my house. That means coffee is a must. But breakfast? Not so much. My stomach is not ready to digest that early in the morning, but inevitably by mid-morning, I'm starving. Too late for breakfast at that point, and too early for lunch.
My solution? Mixed fruit smoothies. They have turned into my go-to mid-morning "meal." I like to make them the night before and store in the fridge so I don't come up with an excuse to reach for something unhealthy in my pantry instead.
This time of year I love to make a pumpkin smoothie. Not only is this pumpkin smoothie delicious, it has a lot of added health benefits. Did you know:
- Pumpkin has loads of Vitamin A: Important for normal vision, the immune system, and reproduction and helps the heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs work properly
- Pumpkins contain antioxidants, which can neutralize free radicals, stopping them from damaging your cells
- Pumpkin is loaded with nutrients (Vit A, Vit E, & Vit C) that can boost your immune system.
- Pumpkin is high in carotenoids, compounds that can function as antioxidants. This allows them to neutralize free radicals, which may protect against certain cancers.
Pumpkin smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1 banana (frozen if possible)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. almond butter
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg)
Directions:
Put all ingredients into your mixer and blend until smooth. Top with whipped cream or a splash of vanilla creamer and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Meghan Griech is the publisher of Macaroni Kid Upper Bucks, Pa.
Want to see more smoothie recipes? Don't miss Smoothies: 3 Recipes to Keep Busy Families Eating Healthy from Macaroni Kid EATS!
LIKE THIS ARTICLE: Sandy Springs Dunwoody Macaroni Kid is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Chamblee, Doraville, Atlanta, and Perimeter. We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, book and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more. We proudly serve families in Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Chamblee, Doraville, Atlanta, and Perimeter! Sandy Springs Dunwoody Macaroni Kid is full of useful local information like this PLUS tons of kid-friendly events on our event calendar. Have an event you'd like submitted to our calendar for consideration? Submit an event here. Like what you see here and want to get all the fun delivered to your inbox weekly? Subscribe to our FREE weekly e-newsletter for 411 on the local family fun. You can find Sandy Springs Dunwoody Macaroni Kid on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
