My new favorite fruit smoothie {clean eating}

I wanted to share my new favorite fruit blend! I've done something similar using strawberries, spinach, and bananas. But this was my first time switching out spinach for kale, and I LOVED the results! I'm hoping to make fruit blends for breakfast at least twice a week. Normally, I have coffee, a bottle of water, and some piece of fruit.

I used one banana, a handful of kale, and a handful of strawberries. I rinsed the strawberries and kale before using them.

I included a few ice cubes for moisture and to make the drink cold.

The final result is a forest green color with some specks of red from the strawberries. It's the perfect blend of flavors and sweetness. I could drink this blend every single day. It also didn't leave my teeth stained like some fruit mixes (with blueberries, spinach, blackberries, etc.) often do. This also kept me full until lunchtime.

And I've also used the kale in other ways this week. 

I sautéed the kale in a little olive oil with onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pepper, and curry powder. 

I aso blended arugula and kale for this yummy salad. The salad was dressed in vinaigrette dressing and included cheddar cheese, tomatoes, strawberries, mushrooms, and a veggie burger!

See other clean eating ideas, inspiration, and posts here

What's your favorite fruit/veggie smoothie? I'm always looking for new recipes to try!

How cutting fast food helped me lose weight

Over the holidays I was discussing my healthier eating habits with a family member and we started discussing fast food's negative effect on weight loss goals. Growing up I definitely ate fast food because it was quick, easy, cheap, and I was busy playing sports so my body worked it off quickly. However, in college when I would eat fast food (often late at night), I noticed it taking a toll on my body.

To be clear, as a kid I ate pretty much any kind of fast food until middle school. In middle school a nutritionist came to our class and showed us the actual fat/lard that was used in McDonald's food. Long story short, I was disgusted and vowed to never eat McDonald's or Burger King again. And since then I really haven't eaten more than a few items from either place.

In high school and throughout college I normally ate at Chick-fil-A, Zaxby's, Popeyes, Wendy's, and Arby's. And this is when I gained the most weight.

Since giving up meat last March, I have basically cut fast food from my diet - mainly because the places I used to eat at (above) all serve chicken or beef as their main dish. Not having these options for fast food has forced me to do more cooking for myself and to eat at restaurants that offer healthier options. This change in my eating habits has not only helped me lose weight (20+ pounds last year), but also cleared up my skin and has saved me money. I'm now more conscious of what I put in my body and put more effort into planning my meals.

If you're looking for a way to drop pounds and haven't tried cutting fast foods yet, I highly recommend trying it!

Here are some recent healthy meals I've had:

Steamed carrots and brussels sprouts seasoned with salt and pepper.

Green beans and brussels sprouts seasoned with olive oil and black pepper.

Eggplant meatballs - OK, so I made these for Christmas Eve as a vegetarian option and I loved them! I used an eggplant meatball recipe that most Italian restaurants use, but instead of marinara sauce, I used BBQ sauce on them.

Brown rice, mixed veggies, onions, fried eggs.

Mashed sweet potatoes and grilled brussels sprouts.

Arugula salad topped with salmon, tomatoes, and cheese. 

Baked tilapia with steamed purple cabbage, green snap peas, and carrots.

Grilled salmon on top on romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.

I'm so excited to continue eating healthier foods in 2015 and see the progress!

See other healthy meals here