Sweet Jesus, it’s the ugliest shake I’ve ever made. But, you know I wouldn’t post a shake recipe here if it didn’t taste good, so take my word for it.

I’m not posting photos because I don’t want to scare you.

Shake Theory

Unlike most of my smoothies, this one does not contain protein powder. The intention behind it wasn’t to make a well-rounded meal replacement – instead, I just wanted to pulverize and quickly consume a bunch of fruits and vegetables. It’s a great way to quickly get a big hit of fiber, vitamins, anti-oxidants, and greens. All you have to do is add, pulverize and glug, glug, glug.

Ingredients

1 c. frozen berry mix

.75 c strawberries

1 c. grapes

.5 c Broccoli

1 c. Kale

1 tbsp Spirulina (this is what makes it black)

.75 c. Unsweetened almond milk

Additional water as needed to get desired consistency

Optional: sweetener (agave, brown rice syrup, stevia or splenda) The fruit in this smoothie has a lot of work to do to overcome the kale and broccoli and I find that adding just a little sweetener is perfect.

You end up with 2 servings of cruciferous vegetables, 3 servings of fruit and one hit of pow-pow-powerful sea green punch.

Nutrition Basics

Related posts:

1. The Daily Shake: Today’s Smoothie Monster of Death I’ve taken to drinking a morning smoothie instead of the...
2. Yum: From the Kick-Ass Protein Shake Files I was running out today to make an 11:15am appointment...
3. Like Pumpkin Pie? You’re Going to Love This Festive Jay Robb Protein Shake I know what you’re thinking. And, no, I don’t work...

Today’s Monster

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup Yogi Detox Tea (pre-made the night before, chilled)

8 frozen strawberries

1/2 banana

1/2 avocado

1/4 c. plain nonfat yogurt

1 handful fresh greens from the garden including microgreens

1/2 scoop Jay Robb strawberry banana protein powder

1 tsp Spirulina

1 tbsp Flax Oil

2 tbsp Carlsen’s Lemon Flavored Fish Oil

2 tbsp freshly ground flax seeds

Answers to FAQ

Yes, it does look like green/brown swamp death. The Spirulina makes ugliness a foregone conclusion.

Yes, actually, it does taste good.

Yes, I do add fish oil. It really does taste like lemon. (But Sal still can’t hack it.)

Yes, yes I am in love with my VitaMix. I know the law does not protect our love, but if being in love with VitaMix is wrong, then I don’t want to be right.

Read this if you’re curious why I dump so much fat in there.

Go here to watch a video on why I incorporate fish oil.

Go here to read about it instead.

Click here to see what I’d rather be eating.

Related posts:

1. The Daily Shake: “Black Hole” Version I made a black shake today. Black. You are reading...
2. Kitchen Sink Smoothie (Or “How to Build a Kick-Ass Smoothie”) [Scroll down for recipe.] General Guidelines for Building a Kick-Ass...
3. Pina Mangolata Smoothie I forgot how good a well-made protein shake can be. ...

Like most people, I go through food phases.

Right now, I’m kind of over the big salads that were making me happy for the past few months. Yet I know that I’ve got to get those all-important greens and I’m really trying to stay up on my Omega-3′s and healthy fats.

Earlier this week, I had a lightbulb. I’ll drink my salad!

That sounds disgusting, right? Right. But, as a self-described Super Smoothie Ninja Master, I felt confident that I could make it taste good. A few weeks ago, POM Wonderful sent me a big box of pomegranate juice to sample and I was just dying to use it creatively in a blended beverage. I wagered it would do the trick – and it did.

(By the way, this Precision Nutrition article does a completely kick ass job of breaking down “super” shakes and their ingredients. It even has a chart. Hot damn, I do love a good chart.)

I present to you, the Super Food Slam: a filling and delightfully tasty smoothie chock-full of some of the healthiest foods out there.

The trick to this smoothie is finding balance. The fruit juices provide much-needed sweetness to offset the huge green spinach attack. (Normally, I don’t use fruit juices because of sugar content, but I feel like a little sugar is a small price to pay to make 5 cups of spinach taste like heaven.)

Did I say 5 cups of spinach? Yeah, I did.

Here’s our crew:

Not only is POM Wonderful good for you, it’s also very cute. Style counts, people! : )

Frozen fruit. I buy these at Trader Joe’s. What you can’t see is that the bottom of the container is filled exclusively with frozen blueberries.

Almonds. Or, as Sal says, “Ammans”

Ground Flax Seed. Yes, yes, yes. (You can nab these at my store if you can’t find them locally, but every health food store should have them – and most “normal” stores do too if they have an organic or “hippy” section. Look for Bob’s Red Mill. We love Bob!)

Spinach. Lots of it. Feel the Popeye-ness wash over you.

Orange Juice is used today as a sweetening agent along with the POM Wonderful.

Ingredient List (Makes 2):

3/4 cup Orange juice (can be any type of sweet juice)
4 oz POM Wonderful juice
1/2 cup Soy Milk (or almond milk or rice milk or… even cold green tea if you’ve got some!)
1 cup frozen blueberries
.5 -  .75 cups other frozen fruit of your choice (mango, raspberry, banana… all work!)
12 almonds
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
5 cups spinach (you could also add a cup of kale if you want to level up!)

Optional:
1 serving Jay Robb Vanilla protein powder (I’m into protein, you don’t have to be.)

Pulverize the Crap Out of It:

Add to blender in order listed. I’ve had trouble blending nuts and leafy vegetables in normal blenders in the past so I finally gave in and dropped cash on a big Vita-Mix Blender last year. I’ve used it every day since and, as you can tell, I never shutup about it. Sorry. This was one of the first things I asked to have sourced for the Grit and Glimmer store, so excited was I to spread the pulverizing love to the entire planet.

With the Vita-Mix I find it’s easiest to blend all the other ingredients first then load the spinach in through the top hole. Get a good whirlpool going with a high-speed setting and then use the big, black VitaMix stick to press the spinach down into the blades.

When you’re done, you’ll have something that looks like a vegetable monster vomited in your blender. (I swear on all things holy – it tastes 100x better than it looks.)

Yum?

To enhance enjoyment, cajole your significant other into pouring the concoction into an elegant glass.
Don’t forget to force your significant other to smile.
Take a picture.
Say, “Look happy! You love the Super Slam!”
Art direction is fun.

Last but not least: Do not overfill your glass. It makes a mess.
Also, don’t let this drink sit around after you make it. All that lovely fiber in the spinach will cause it to separate if you do – which will make this ugly shake even uglier.

What Makes it Super:

From the PN article: “The Super Shake… is packed with good stuff like high-quality protein, fiber, good fats, antioxidants and more.”

But, for me, the super shake above is all about the anti-oxidants. Antioxidants do all kinds of nifty things like prevent heart disease and cancer, reduce blood pressure and slow the effects of aging. They protect the body from harmful, excess free radicals, sweeping them up before they can cause damage. Pomegranate, almonds, spinach and blueberries are all loaded with anti-oxidants and, if you sub in green tea as one of your liquid bases, you’re getting even more.

Almonds: (From the Mayo Clinic website) These tear-shaped nuts are packed with nutrients — fiber, riboflavin, magnesium, iron and calcium. In fact, almonds have more calcium than any other nut — 75 milligrams (mg) in one serving (about 23 almonds). Also, one serving of almonds provides half of your body’s Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin E.

Like all nuts, almonds provide one of the best plant sources of protein. And they’re good for your heart. Most of the fat in almonds is monounsaturated fat — a healthier type of fat that may help lower blood cholesterol levels.

Blueberries: (From the Mayo Clinic website) Blueberries are a rich source of plant compounds (phytonutrients). As with cranberries, phytonutrients in blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections. Blueberries may also improve short-term memory and promote healthy aging.

Blueberries are also a low-calorie source of fiber and vitamin C — 1 cup of fresh blueberries has 84 calories, 3.6 grams of fiber and 14 mg of vitamin C.

Spinach: (From the Mayo Clinic website) Spinach is high in vitamins A and C and folate. It’s also a good source of riboflavin, vitamin B-6, calcium, iron and magnesium. The plant compounds in spinach may boost your immune system and may help keep your hair and skin healthy.

Pomegranate: Pomegranate has quickly become one of the most talked about super foods in the past two years. Pomegranate fruits contain polyphenols, tannins and anthocyanins, which are all beneficial antioxidants. On the other hand, pomegranate juice contains high levels of antioxidants – higher than most other fruit juices, red wine or tea. Preliminary evidence suggested that drinking concentrated pomegranate juice may reduce cholesterol. It was further suggested that drinking a glass of pomegranate juice a day for one year reduced blood pressure (particularly systolic pressure) and slowed down low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) oxidation.

Flaxseed: (From Health Castle) Derived from the plant source, flax seed offers a vegetarian alternative to provide omega 3 fatty acid. Flax seed has been shown in many studies to offer heart-healthy benefits. In addition, flax seed also contain other beneficial ingredients such as fiber and lignan, a type of antioxidant phytoestrogen. Research revealed that lignan in flax seed shows promising results in fighting disease, particularly cancer. Studies show that lignan possesses anti-cancer properties. Results were most promising in breast cancer prevention.

Related posts:

1. My Ten Favorite Super Foods I’m calling these foods “super” because they deliver outstanding nutritional...
2. Kitchen Sink Smoothie (Or “How to Build a Kick-Ass Smoothie”) [Scroll down for recipe.] General Guidelines for Building a Kick-Ass...
3. The (Super Basic) Five Steps You Can Take to Begin to Eat Smarter I lied! I am such a dirty liar. I told...

[Scroll down for recipe.]

General Guidelines for Building a Kick-Ass Smoothie or Shake

I love a good smoothie.

I have a long history with protein shakes (like the Double Chocolate Pecan Protein Shake, which you should try immediately if you have not already). I enjoy the challenge of making something that sounds so terrible (“protein shake” – yuck!) taste super fantastic. And when my training volume increases, I find it’s the best way to increase caloric/nutrient intake without having to cook extra meals during the day.

There’s a trick to getting them right, however, and these are the things that I’ve found to be key.

A Kick-Ass Blender

Last year I finally broke down and bought a Vita-Mix blender. If you’re not familiar with this mega-horsepower mixing beast, it is the shagri-la of blenders. The Holy Grail. The final frontier. It is the blender to end all blenders – the nirvana of mixing.

After years of battling everyday, run-of-the-mill household blenders, the Vita-Mix was the answer I’d been looking for. You can literally throw the kitchen sink into this thing and it will probably puree it into a fine shake, perfect for drinking.

I haven’t tried that yet, but don’t put it past me.

The beauty of having so much horsepower is that I can add whole foods to my protein shakes: a few leaves of kale or a handful of spinach.  The stuff disappears into the beverage and, aside from a green tint, the drinker is none the wiser. Same great smoothie, now with more fiber, vitamins, goodness, and glory!

A Delicious Base Liquid

I usually opt for Rice Milk, Almond Milk, or Chocolate Soy Milk. Sometimes, when I’m going for something more low-calorie, I’ll start with a cold tea base. Hibiscus Tea works great for fruit-centric smoothies and gives everything a bright, cheery pink color. Mint Tea is an interesting base for chocolate smoothies (mint chocolate!) and Green Tea works great for just about everything.

The milks obviously lend more flavor and sweetness, which you have to take into account when thinking about your other ingredients. Whatever you choose, having a flavorful liquid base makes a huge difference – plain cow’s milk and water bore the crap out of me.

Tasty Protein Powder

You don’t have to put protein powder in your smoothie, but I usually do. What I’ve discovered is that there is a vast cavern between the deliciousness of one protein powder to another. After a few years of experimentation, I am officially hooked on Jay Robb.  It blows the competition away in the taste category and isn’t loaded with a bunch of synthetic crap.

You use what you want, all I’m sayin’ is it will be the difference between smoothie/shake suckage and smoothie/shake greatness.

Creativity and Attention to Detail

Don’t be afraid!  Go nuts (literally). You can hide all kinds of healthy shit in a tasty smoothie. Experiment. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Test things on your family. They are cute little guinea pigs and you should use them. (Sal is my litmus test for whether something actually tastes good or if I’m just fooling myself.)

An Example: The Kitchen Sink Smoothie

Sal wants it!!

(Serves 2)

• 1.5c Vanilla Rice Milk
• .5c water
• Half banana
• 3 tbsp flaxseed meal (ground flax seed)
• 2 scoops Greens product (I used greens from Trader Joes)
• 5 ice cubes
• 1 scoop Jay Robb chocolate protein
• 20 blueberries
• Handful of spinach
• 1 T. Almond Butter
• 8 pecans

Mix together with reckless abandon. (A big-assed VitaMix blender will deftly annihilate all ingredients). Serve in a nice glass. It makes you feel special.

NUTRITIONAL NERDIFICATION DATA for a single serving
(you can click it to make it bigger)

***

Subscribe to receive email updates when new posts are added:

Related posts:

1. Yum: From the Kick-Ass Protein Shake Files I was running out today to make an 11:15am appointment...
2. Pina Mangolata Smoothie I forgot how good a well-made protein shake can be. ...
3. Double Chocolate Pecan Shake (Yes, I swear it’s good for you.) Sal has a hardcore sweet tooth. Protein shakes have come...

I’m eating Chia. Out of a bowl. With almond milk. Voluntarily.

Chia Goodness contacted me a little over a month ago to ask if I would like to sample their new cereal and I happily agreed, remembering the hairy Chia plant characters of my youth with a fond sigh. They sent me Original, Cranberry Ginger, and Apple Almond Cinnamon.

First impressions

• Small package! (I discovered that this is because the recommended serving size is 2 tablespoons which gets you 140 calories before adding milk or water.)
• Looks like bird seed or… chia pet pre-sprouting!

I immediately opened the Cranberry Ginger package and ate a raw scoopful. Mmm. Nutty, like bird seed. And a little salty (not too). Pumpkin seeds and shelled hemp seeds. Definitely felt like health food. Then I read the directions, which instructed that rather than eating it raw, I was supposed to lubricate it. Specifically, “Add 4 tablespoons hot or cold water or choice of milk. Stir well.”

Simple cereal strategy except for the next step in the instructions: “Wait 3-5 minutes or until it thickens.”

The result was semi-mushy seeds with a snappy core. The chia seeds develop a gelatinous exterior when you allow them to soak for a while, which increases the Chia volume in your bowl substantially, though it still only takes a little of the stuff to fill your gut. Powerful punch!

I’m not sure how I feel about the texture, but I’ve been eating it consistently for a while now, so it can’t be all bad, right?

Healthological Statistics (It’s good for you.)

From a health perspective, Chia seems poised to make a play as the next big Superfood.

Here are the most important nutritional stats (from the Original version, other flavors vary):

• Five times the calcium of milk
• More Omega 3 than salmon
• Protein (6g per serving… not bad for a seed)
• Fiber (5g)
  

Not bad for cereal!

Takeaways

I’m not a cereal person because it usually doesn’t make me feel full or satiated. Despite the protein and fiber, the Chia Goodness was no different for me, but I solved the problem (as I do with most cereal) by pairing it with fresh fruit.  That left me feeling full and energized.

As I mentioned, the texture is potentially challenging but not totally prohibitive to enjoyment. The added-flavor varieties have just a tiny bit of sugar (3 or 4 grams) and are yummy, though I usually prefer to maintain control over breakfast-cereal embellishments.

I tried the Chia with soy milk, non-fat dairy milk, almond milk and water and found that almond milk was my favorite (Almond Breeze) and water was my least favorite. Your choice of lubricants will definitely affect your experience – choose wisely.

Where to get it

Portland peeps can pick it up at New Seasons Market and those of you in other locations can use the Store Locator to track down the Chia Goodness.

Related posts:

1. Guilt Free Pancakes Just in Time for Saturday Morning Who doesn’t love pancakes? When I was a kid, I...
2. Double Chocolate Pecan Shake (Yes, I swear it’s good for you.) Sal has a hardcore sweet tooth. Protein shakes have come...
3. Yum: From the Kick-Ass Protein Shake Files I was running out today to make an 11:15am appointment...

Last week they released a story about how exercising makes you fatter. Or something like that. By the time I finally felt compelled to see what the hell was going on, I was so disgusted with it all I could do was skim through.  There are two really important points that we should get out of the way up front.

1. Why are you reading Time Magazine unless you are trapped in a doctor’s waiting room and it’s the only thing available?  Seriously.  There is nothing good in Time Magazine. Stop it.
2. Why is anyone paying attention to what Time Magazine is saying about nutrition and exercise? Their nutrition articles are as watered down as the rest of the garbage they print. It’s a tabloid magazine for national news. It’s written at a 6th grade reading level.  It’s not making anyone smarter.

I could end this post right there, but I’ll expand a little becuase it seems like a good opportunity to review the basics.

Common sense, right?

Don’t overeat.  Do exercise because it makes you feel good.  Eat vegetables because they’re full of vitamins and fiber and crap that’s going to help you live a long time.  Enjoy your food. Enjoy your life. If you want to take it further, read John Berardi’s Ten Rules for Good Nutrition. Or someone else.

There are so many people out there sending good messages about food and exercise. You know it when you see it.  But if they’re telling you you’re going tlose 11 pounds in 7 days, they’re pedaling bullshit.  It’s not hard to sift through.

You know what you’re doing. Stick to your guns, get through the garbage, and do what you need to do.

The Compensation Factor

The one thing that I did find interesting in Cloud’s article, was the bit about compensation which has been my number one complaint about cycling.  When I get home from a long ride in the cold winter weather, I am filled with the sense that I can EAT THE ENTIRE WORLD.  Really.  I’ve written exactly that way before.

It’s a hunger beyond all hungers.

This doesn’t happen to me after a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session or a good, brisk run (even a long one).  There’s something about cycling that brings out the Eating Monster in me and it’s baffled me from the beginning.

There’s nothing quite like a big, delicious burger after a 4.5 hour ride in the rain, right? Right. Every once in a while, that’s ok. Every day?  That’s a problem.

It comes back to common sense (which is not always so common, eh?)  Just be smart.

Enjoy your rides. Enjoy your burgers.

More information from people who are smarter than me

I was prompted to (finally) weigh in on this Time Magazine because Tom Venuto finally did.  He may be overly orange and scarily muscly, but he knows his nutrition and he’s articulate.

Read Tom Venuto’s rebuttal here: “Why Time Magazine Owes the Fitness Industry a Big Fat Apology”

Jonathan Ross also had a pretty thorough dissection of the piece over at Discovery Health, though you’ll have to deal with looking at an ugly page (I hate ugly pages!)

Related posts:

1. The Forgotten Muscle: Exercise Gratitude I spoke to my best friend the other day for...
2. I’m a Delinquent – Here’s One Killer Recipe to Make Sure You Don’t Go Down the Same Road What’s the fastest way to screw up what might otherwise...
3. Cupid Stories to Make You Laugh or Cry So, for your lovey-dovey, Hallmark-hijacked, Saturday love fest of 2009,...

But seriously – I do love it.  And based on my Highly Scientific Facebook Status polls, I have ascertained the Kombucha is a devisive character.  Either you love Kombucha or you really, really hate Kombucha.

Yeah, but what IS it?

Good question.

Kombucha is the Western name for sweetened tea that has been fermented using a macroscopic solid mass of microorganisms called a “kombucha colony”.  Sounds delicious, right?

Here’s another explanation about the Kombucha organism itself (as opposed to the resulting tea) from the wikipedia page:

The Kombucha organism is a symbiotic colony of yeast’s and bacteria that form a strong membrane that covers the liquid/air interface of the vessel it grows in.

All I know is, if this crap can do half the stuff it claims to, I’m going to live forever.

I’d Like to File a Health Claim

Among Kombucha’s health claims (as transcribed from the side of a GT’s bottle):

Kombucha supports:

• Digestion
• Metabolism
• Immune System
• Appetite control
• Weight Control
• Liver function
• Body alkalinity
• Anti-aging
• Cell integrity
• Healthy skin and hair

Other sources online take it even further, making the following claims:

• Restores hair color
• Thickens hair
• Dissolves gallstones Increases energy
• Lengthens lifespan
• Arterioscrosis/softens veins
• Speeds healing
• Lowers cholesterol
• Lowers blood pressure
• Increases blood circulation
• Eliminates wrinkles/skin humectant
• Improves menopausal symptoms
• Strengthens leg muscles
• Chickenpox /herpes zoster remedy
• Colitis/improves digestion/ nervous stomach
• Poultice for wounds/ulcers
• Cleanses gallbladder
• Lessens anxiety
• Levels glucose
• Protects teeth from cavities
• Activates glandular system

All that?  Really?

I don’t know about all that, but this dude over at a place called the Mayo Clinic claims that the risks outweigh any potential rewards, and cautions us to avoid it.  Since everyone knows that Mayo clogs your arteries, I’m not really inclined to trust him about the Kombucha.

Of course, considering that the kombucha making process involves a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast), vingar and a dark, warm, quiet place, Mr. Fancy Mayo pants could possibly have a point.  (I mean, that even sounds a little scary to me and I eat Sea Urchin roe.)

Kombucha is a very family-oriented being and Mother cultures (stringy, mucilaginous substances consisting of various bacteria that forms on the surface of a fermenting liquid and causes fermentation when added to other liquids) are required to make new Baby cultures.  Isn’t that sweet?

Yes, yes it is sweet. Or rather, kind of vinegar-ey tasting.  But in the good way.

Convinced yet?  Me neither.  I recommend going out to get yourself some “Gingerade” flavored GT’s Kombucha to try it for yourself.

It should be noted that great care should be taken when doing homebrew Kombucha as contamination can lead to illness. I am tempted to try “growing” some Kombucha myself but haven’t yet rustled up the courage to buy a starter kit and/or kidnap someone’s mother-and-babies.

Alternately, leave a comment and let me know where you stand.  
Kombucha: Brilliant or Barf-Tastic?

References:
http://www.nutrition4health.org/nohanews/NNW97KombuchaTea.htm
The Happy Herbalist
Mayo Clinic
Wikipedia

No related posts.

Then I came home and found two sweet recommendations.

The Hen Waller (a great blog by friend, talented designer, and chicken expert Patrick) came out swinging with a link (via Twitter – follow me, it’s fun!) to this fantastic Savory Bread Pudding with Winter Greens recipe.

The recipe called for roasting the kale, which got me thinking…

Cue to long-time blog reader Michael (aka MtMann) dropping his favorite roasting method into the comments.

That was the tipping point.  I had to try it.  I literally walked away from the computer straight into the kitchen and starting cutting my kale into strips.  The result?  Unreal. Really.  I don’t know how else to put it.

A little crispy.  Nice and light.  An excellent earthy, roasted flavor.

I shot off a string of photos and then ate the whole batch.

Here’s how I did it:

1. Cut kale into very narrow strips (almost shredded).
2. Toss with 1tbsp olive oil to coat.
3. Spread evenly over a baking sheet and put into an oven that it pre-heated to 375.
4. After about 5 minutes (keep your eye on them, they’ll begin to wilt a little) remove, turn all the greens over and return to oven.
5. Roast for another 5-7 minutes just until it starts to get a little crispy.
6. Toss with sea salt (I used my favorite Oak-Smoked Chardonnay Sea-Salt because I am all about the sea-salt trend, yo)
7. Enjoy!

Super easy, stupid-simple and seriously savory.  This is going to become a regular snack around here for sure.

As scary-good as kale is for your health, you should give it a shot, too.  You may even be able to convert some non-believers.

Thanks to Patrick and Michael for the roasting tip!  There were a few other recipes mentioned that I plan to try in the next few weeks. Stay tuned, Kale Komandos.

Related posts:

1. Kale that Doesn’t Suck I love kale. There, I said it. But I know...
2. Salmon and Kale: Recipes referenced in The Everday Athlete column in the Oregonian If you’re looking for the recipes mentioned in yesterday’s Oregonian...
3. The Daily Shake: “Black Hole” Version I made a black shake today. Black. You are reading...

But I know that not everyone gets as into dinosaur food as I do.  Usually, I just chop it, steam it, salt it and eat it, but tonight I decided to put a little effort in and see if I could make it palatable for Sal.

It worked.

This is simple – and would be great for spinach or chard or other leafy greens, too – but I swear it’s good.  Sal-tested, Sicilian-approved.

Get this stuff:

• Kale (two big bunches oughta be enough – eyeball it, and remember it shrinks)
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• Garlic (two cloves, mined)
• 1/2 cup chicken or veggie stock (or just water, but I recommend the stock)
• Salt
• Pepper

Do this with it:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat (slowly)
2. When you start to smell the olive oil (when it’s getting warm), add the minced garlic and cook slowly on low-medium so you don’t burn said garlic, just get it nice and warmed up and yummy-style.
3. While the garlic is infusing the oil with heaven, give your kale a good, coarse chopping. It’s been a bad, bad kale – punish it!
4. After five minutes of heating the garlic, turn the heat up to high, throw the kale and the chicken stock into the pot and toss to coat.
5. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes (cue kale shrinkage)
6. Take lid off and assess. Continue cooking on medium to evaporate any remaining liquid or until kale reaches desired tenderness.
7. Finish with salt and pepper to taste (if you want to, I found the chicken stock provided enough flavoring and I didn’t require any more)
8. If you’re feeling sassy, throw on a little red wine vinegar (I’m not a huge fan of vinegar so I didn’t do this part)

Enjoy as a side dish with your favorite protein.

9 out of 10 dinosaurs agree: this kale does not suck!

Next up: Juicing recipe for the yummy drink shown below.

Related posts:

1. Kale Krazy: Roasty Toasty Roughage Super easy, stupid-simple and seriously savory. This is going to...
2. Salmon and Kale: Recipes referenced in The Everday Athlete column in the Oregonian If you’re looking for the recipes mentioned in yesterday’s Oregonian...
3. Barley Risotto with Mushrooms and White Beans Pearl barley and cheese collide in this decidedly healthy spin...

I wasn’t at the studio when the shipment arrived and Sal called me in a tizzy, “A big refrigerated package arrived for you! What is it??!” I think he thought I joined a gourmet cheese club.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t very excited when I broke the news about the actual contents of the box.

Onto the Yogurt at Hand:

Better Whey of Life yogurt addresses two of my long-standing issues with other yogurt options: too much sugar (and corn-syrup crap to boot!) and not enough protein.

In the past I’d solved the dilemma by eating plan yogurt (greek if I was feeling spendy) sweetened with agave syrup and mixed with whole, raw fruits – so I was curious to see if Better Whey of Life could compete with my work-around.

The Nitty Gritty Numbers

• 15-17 grams of protein per serving (whey protein, which is way good for you)
• About 14g of sugar (less than most brands)
• Mutliple flavors including: Strawberry banana, French vanilla, Acai mixed berry, and Peach mango
• 6oz containers

The Real Dirt

It tastes good.  Very good.  (I’ve sampled Strawberry Banana, French Vanilla, and Peach Mango).

Does it taste better than my plain-yogurt-agave-fruit concoction?  If you’re used to the sugary single-serving grocery-store style yogurt, then yes.  If you’re me and you’ve been eating the Swift Fruit Yogurt Workaround for 3+ years, then no.  Call me stubborn, but I still like mine better (and since I use whole fruit, mine probably has more fiber, but that’s kind of splitting hairs.)

That said?  In order to match the protein content of Whey of Life, I have to add a half scoop of protein powder to the Swift Concoction and I’m going to be honest with you – no matter which fabulous protein powder I add, this combination does not taste good. And certainly not anywhere near as good as the Better Whey of Life option.

So, protein-to-protein, Better Whey has me whooped.

Is it Right for You?

If you’re currently eating previously mentioned sugar-loaded grocery store fruit yogurt options then YES.  Better Whey of Life yogurt blows that crap out of the water. No contest.

Also, unlike the Swift Fruit Yogurt Workaround, the convenient Better Whey of Life yogurt containers are much easier to pack into lunchbags and picnic baskets.

Or, if you’re a late night snacker, this could be the perfect fix for your last meal of the day.  Protein ingested before bed helps prevent the protein breakdown that occurs naturally when you sleep.

Find It.

Currently, Better Whey of Life is only available at health food stores and Whole Foods Markets (though it’s not in all Whole Foods yet, hence the refrigerated box delivery).  Check the Where To Buy link on their website for more information.

Related posts:

1. Yum: From the Kick-Ass Protein Shake Files I was running out today to make an 11:15am appointment...
2. The Perfect Protein Shake: Why Jay Robb is My New Personal Hero (The true story of how I found my new favorite,...
3. Like Pumpkin Pie? You’re Going to Love This Festive Jay Robb Protein Shake I know what you’re thinking. And, no, I don’t work...