Frozen or Fresh?

Today I started my day with a strawberry-banana smoothie:

1/2 cup frozen strawberries (quick tip: though it seems obvious, chop the bananas before you freeze them. They will blend faster than if you put a whole frozen strawberry in the blender).
1/2 banana
1/2 cup skim milk
1 scoop protein (optional)

If you don't want the smoothie to be frothy, and like a more "milkshake" texture, freeze the bananas as well (again chop them for an easier blend). This will make it thicker. I love that this hits my sweet tooth without adding any sugar.

While we're on the topic of fruits, here is a bit of information that I found some-what helpful:

When vegetables are in-season, buy them fresh and ripe. “Off-season,” frozen vegetables will give you a high concentration of nutrients. Choose packages marked with a USDA “U.S. Fancy” shield, which designates produce of the best size, shape and color; vegetables of this standard also tend to be more nutrient-rich than the lower grades “U.S. No. 1” or “U.S. No. 2.” Eat them soon after purchase: over many months, nutrients in frozen vegetables do inevitably degrade. Finally, steam or microwave rather than boil your produce to minimize the loss of water-soluble vitamins. ( eatingwell.com)

I like to go to the local farmers market or directly to the farm to buy my produce. I find it's much cheaper than going to the supermarket, and I like supporting local farmers. When I go to the farmers market, I tend to get a head of lettuce for $1 each (once I got 6 heads for $3), and grapes for $1/lb. I also don't enjoy frozen vegetables as much because they lack some of their rich flavors. The jury still seems to be out on fresh vs. frozen, as I've found poking around. I say go fresh, when you can.

This afternoon, I went to the Greek Festival and ate very unhealthy options. But it's once a year, and there is no excuse for missing out on loukoumades (they are like donuts with a sugary honey sauce). For dinner I had a steak and side salad at my parent's house. Very delicious.

On a side note: I haven't had soda in about three weeks (aside from a sprite with vodka), which is good. When I was working a bunch of hours out of the house, I lived on Coke for energy.

Can you believe its been weeks? I can't!