Power Green Smoothie

For many people the start of a new year motivates them to create new health goals. Whether it’s simply cutting back on fast food, eating less dessert or an entire lifestyle change like a Paleo diet, January seems to motivate people to change their eating habits. I’m right there in that group of people with a “new year, new you” attitude. In reality I’ve adopted that outlook long before the new year, but I haven’t been as successful as I would like. Being active has never been an issue for me. I crave working out and look forward to rewarding my body with a long cardio session followed by strength training. Trust me, it took years to adopt that mentality but now I feel lethargic when I miss a workout. I workout 5-6 times a week, I should be fit – right? Unfortunately my downfall lies within my eating habits. I’m addicted to sugar, as in I have a hard time going without something sweet everyday. I try to cut back on chocolate, baking, and refined carbs in general but I haven’t been able to completely cut it out. Recently I started increasing my protein intake to help keep me full longer, reducing the risk of binge eating or reaching for a snack filled with sugar. I start my mornings with a protein packed breakfast almost everyday and continue to eat a serving of protein every 3 hours. One of my new favorite smoothies to keep me going around the 2-3pm mark is this Powder Green Smoothie made with egg whites. For this recipe I used AllWhites Egg Whites 100% liquid egg whites to add a lean source of protein to my smoothies. Liquid egg whites are naturally fat-free and cholesterol-free without yolk, making them a healthy alternative to recipes that requires eggs. You can find them in the refrigerated dairy section. I add about a 1/4-1/2 cup of egg whites to my smoothies. In addition to the eggs I use baby spinach, kiwi, cucumber, mint, and orange juice. The juice and kiwi provide enough sweetness to the smoothie that there’s no need to add honey, agave, or another form of sweetener. You could also add a tablespoon or two of protein powder and a teaspoon of chia seeds for added protein and nutrients.