Super Shake

Step 1: Start with ice • Use 1-4 cubes for a thin, chilled shake • Use 5-10 cubes for thicker, pudding-like consistency shake Step 2: Pick a fruit Don’t be afraid to experiment, since you’ve got lots of options here. If you like a thick shake, go with frozen over fresh. • apple, orange, banana, pineapple • strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, bilberry, cherry • mango, papaya, honeydew, grapefruit • peach, pear, plum, dragonfruit • cantaloupe, watermelon, kiwi, apricot • raisin, date, cranberry, kumquat Step 3: Throw in a veggie Yeah, we know it sounds gross to put veggies in a shake, but if you use the right ones, you’ll barely taste them. Plus you’ll get much-needed nutrients and minerals. • spinach, kale, celery • broccoli, pumpkin, squash, carrots • beets, Swiss chard, sweet potato • fresh herbs: mint, basil, ginger, chili (goes well with chocolate), etc. • powdered greens Step 4: Scoop some protein Choose from the list of protein powders above or grab something that looks tasty to you. Generally, each scoop of protein is one serving. Check the label to be sure; you want around 20-25 g of protein per scoop. Again, if you can tolerate dairy (see our lesson yesterday), you can also try cottage cheese or strained Greek yogurt for your protein. Step 5: Pick a healthy fat You can sneak your fish oil into here, or add 1 thumb (1 tbsp) of nuts or seeds per shake. • walnuts • flax, hemp, chia • cashews • almonds • nut/seed butter • unsweetened coconut You can also add 1/4 avocado instead of nuts/seeds, which gives a creamy texture. Step 6: Pour some liquid Remember our milk alternatives from yesterday? Well, this is a perfect time to test them out! Keep in mind the more liquid you add, the thinner your shake will be. Feel free to customize it however you want. • water • chilled green tea • unsweetened almond milk, hemp milk, or coconut milk Step 7: Choose your topper This step is optional, but it nicely finishes off any shake. • a little dark chocolate • ground coffee beans • coconut, oats, granola • cinnamon, vanilla extract Step 8: Blend and enjoy! For optimal mixing, we’ve found that a minute on “high” works best for most blenders and results and in a delicious, creamy shake.

Sirloin Skewers

Another great way to serve beef is on a skewer. These skewers taste great accompanied by Sweet Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes or Chunky Tomato Spelt. Instructions Carefully slide ingredients onto the skewer using lots of beef. (In sequence this might look like: beef-cherry tomato-beef -zucchini-beef-red onion-beef). Repeat until the beef is used up. Preheat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat, lightly coat with cooking spray and place the skewers into the pan. Sauté until lightly browned on all sides, season to taste with salt and pepper, and pair with a side. Serves 1 large or 2 small. Sirloin (1-inch cubed, 170 g) 6 oz Cherry tomatoes 4 Zucchini 4 pieces (cut to same size as sirloin) Red onion 4 pieces (large diced) Olive oil cooking spray Sea salt, to taste Pepper, to taste

Steamed Veggies

How long should you steam for? Well, it depends on the vegetable. • Broccoli: ~ 5 minutes • Brussels spouts: ~ 10 minutes • Carrots: ~ 8 minutes (if sliced into ¼" thick pieces) • Cauliflower: ~ 6-7 minutes • Green beans: ~ 5 minutes • Peas: ~ 3 minutes • Zucchini: ~ 7 minutes

Popeye Fruit Smoothie

Spinach is a super-food high in anti-inflammatory nutrients, vitamins, minerals and alkaline potential in the body. No wonder Popeye ate it to boost his strength. As a result, we try to include spinach in many of our meals, including our shakes. And while spinach doesn’t seem like it’d be a great smoothie ingredient, this shake tastes awesome as raspberries, goji berries and cashews lend their unique flavors to this drink. Ingredients Raspberries (frozen) 1 cup Spinach 1 cup Low-fat plain yogurt 1 cup Low-fat milk ½ cup Cashews ¼ cup Fruit-flavored whey protein (equal to 50 g protein) 2 scoops Fresh goji berries 2 tbsp Instructions Combine all ingredients in a countertop blender. Blend on high until mixture is a smooth consistency. Serves 1 large or 2 small.

Salad

Anatomy of an Awesome Salad 1. Pick a “soft” leaf like butterhead lettuce, spinach, or mixed greens. 2. Pick a “crunchy” leaf like romaine lettuce or radicchio. 3. Pick a fresh herb like basil, arugula, or Italian parsley. 4. Pick a “topping” like sliced cucumber, tomato, carrots, celery, or bell pepper. 5. Pick a light dressing like olive oil (or lemon flavored fish oil) and balsamic vinaigrette. Chop it all up. Throw it together. Voilá!