Hey, hey buddies!
Ugh – last night was the perfect, quintessential summer night! I headed out for my 4 miler (which I ended up running all of!) and when I got home, I hopped on my bike and took a leisurely ride to my parents house…which is all of .6 miles away, but still… After spending a little time there, I rode home and had myself a sweet, ripe peach…and then some Reeses Pieces 
The weather was beautiful, the eats were good…I was in such a great mood!
Anyways This morning I made my go-to breakfast – I’ve missed it so…Banana & Fig Oatmeal!
In my bowl:
- 1/2 cup each of old fashioned oats, skim milk & water
- 1 medium banana
- dash of vanilla & cinnamon
- 4 dried figs
- drizzle of sugar-free syrup
No lies, I was sweating eating this, but I didn’t care. Banana fig oatmeal is always worth sweating for!!!!
Mmmm…sweet, sweet bliss
For lunch I packed one of my leftover Greek Turkey Burgers with a tooON of baby spinach. I think I’ll eat this cold – it’ll be fantastic
I was so in love with the sun-dried tomatoes in the burgers and how sweet they were, that I added some more sweetness to the dish in the form of dried cranberries!
Seriously – make this your next burger recipe – it is a winner!
Last night I also cut up the juiciest cantaloupe I’ve ever come across – the juice was literally running off the cutting board and all over the counter-top…YUMMEEEEE! I packed a big bowl of it for lunch.
See? Juicy, right!?
So, a couple of people have asked me some questions about Green Monsters. Let me address:
1. Can’t you taste the spinach?
Nope! You really can’t! Spinach doesn’t have a super distinct taste, in my opinion, and when you blend it up with a banana, the green color is really the only indication that there’s even spinach in there. Also, if you’re still feeling weird about putting spinach in your smoothie – just think if it as a vitamin. You don’t taste all the ingredients in your vitamin, but you know everything in there is good for you!!
2. Do you put the oatmeal in there cooked?
Nope again – just add the oats, dry – right from the container! I usually start by blending my spinach, oats and milk for about 30 seconds. When everything is liquefied, I add my frozen banana, peanut butter and ice, and let that blend until the ice and banana are blended. The oatmeal adds a wonderfully thick texture!
3. I want to try it, but I don’t want to waste a bunch of ingredients in case I hate it.
Try a half batch! Just use: 1 handful spinach, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup oats, a dollop of peanut butter, 1/2 to a whole frozen banana & a handful of ice! If you don’t like it – you really haven’t wasted that much. But I’m positive you will love it! 
Need even MORE convincing?! Check out these facts:
- Spinach is rich in a number of essential nutrients, including calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamin A. Each of these nutrients plays a crucial role in our bodies health, from maintaining bone structure, preventing neural tube defects, assisting in red blood cell production, regulating our heartbeat and fighting free radicals.
- Spinach is also a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin, two nutrients that are important for healthy eyes.
- By combining soluble and insoluble fiber, oatmeal lowers bad cholesterol.
- A serving of oatmeal contains nearly 5 grams of protein, 6% of your daily requirement for fiber, no sugar and vitamins and minerals like Vitamin B6, iron, calcium, thiamine, riboflavin, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, magnanese and trace amounts of vitamin E, folic acid and potassium.
What more could you ask from a quick, easy and delicious smoothie, I ask you?!
Alright friends – have a super Tuesday!!
~~~~~
Several things:
1. What’s your favorite cereal? Mine’s cinnamon toast crunch. Can’t help it.
2. Um Bachelorette last night, anyone?? EW, what a scumbag Wes is!!!
3. Check out Keep It Simple Foods for a great Immaculate Baking Company giveaway!
great post! I’ve been meaning to try spinach in my smoothie, but I haven’t gotten up the nerve too- you’ve just inspired me. also, thanks for the shoutout!
p.s.- wes is such a JERK. Doesn’t he realize that everyone watching the show will merely hate him and never buy his music, not a very smart “marketing” idea!
the problem is by the time i’m ready to try the green monster smoothie– i don’t have any spinach! or banana! (plus i don’t like bananas in my smoothie!
favorite cereal — don’t really have one, but i love the special K chocolate!
wes– *curses* he deserves no more words from me. I said plenty last night on my FB notes!
ha, I was sweating eating my oatmeal this morning, too
favorite cereal: cocoa krispies or cinn. toast crunch
Bachelorette – don’t watch it
Favorite cereal? Mine has got to be a toss up between Kashi GoLean Crunch or Puffins – any of the flavors!
Your lunch looks delicious! I so want to try a green monster, but my stomach/digestive system does not take well to either spinach, oats or banana
My boyfriend has been eager to try one though, so I will show him this post!
About the Bachelorette – OMG Wes is so gross. I am so glad she finally realized it!! I agree with Jessica above – what a stupid marketing idea!!
ummm FINALLY wes is gone – total dbag (for lack of a better word). i am totes voting for reid or ed…LOVE them.
fave cereal is def froot loops – i haven’t had any in FOREVER, but oh man, growing up, i swear at least 2 or 3 bowls a morning. cereal servings are totally bogus.
have a fabulous day!
My favorite cereal is either Kashi Honey Sunshine or Heart to Heart. Yum!
I’m sorry, but why does Wes think that being a total skeezer is going to help his music career? Look at me, I’m so cool I screwed over a girl on national TV – buy my CD! Please…
My favorite cereal is Fiber One Caramel Delight. I can’t even have it in the house or I will eat it all!
I’ve been putting spinach in my smoothies (and my oatmeal, gasp!) for quite a while now and I will attest that you really CAN’T taste it! I actually think it adds a little extra sweetness (maybe my imagination). If you don’t believe me, I convinced my husband to let me add some to his smoothie yesterday. He couldn’t taste it!! AND he has a terrible time admitting he is wrong!! HeHe!
Favorite cereal: I love cereal so my fav changes often, but right now I’d say it’s a tie between Quaker Oatmeal Squares and Kashi Honey Sunshine!
My favorite cereal is Kashi Autumn Wheat… and even better when I went to the store yesterday it was on sale!
And AGREED on Wes- thank goodness he’s gone, all that time he wasted someone decent’s spot!!
Your oatmeal looks delicious! Banana and fig? Yum! My fave healthy cereal is Kashi Go Lean, but my fave sugar/kid cereal is Frosted Flakes. I don’t watch the Bachelorette…I have in seasons past, but I didn’t want to get sucked in again this season.
That’s crazy! Yesterday I had figs with banana in oatmeal too. I’ve definitely sweat from a hot bowl of oats too. But it just tastes sooo good!
Favorite cereal? hmmmm… I like to mix my cereal – favorite combo so far is Kashi island vanilla with PB Puffins
Any other fans of Kashi’s Strawberry Fields? It’s expensive but it’s worth the splurge for REAL dried strawberries and raspberries in my cereal.
I’m on a tighter budget now so I just add fruit to Honey Nut Blenders with Almonds (one of the jumbo cheap cereal bags).
You eat so well – I always read your posts & think to myself that I need to get organized so my meals more closely resemble yours!
My favorite cereal used to be Cracklin’ Oat Bran. I just found out I have a gluten intolerance so I can’t have it anymore.
So now my options are pretty much corn & rice chex. They are ok w/ some fruit added, but are kind of boring!
And yes, Wes is a classlass idiot. I am happy to see him go. I don’t know what she saw in him. I am rooting for Reid or Ed.
Your food is beautiful as always. Love it. I’m definitely copying your turkey burgers.
The only question I can answer is #1. Kashi Honey Sunshine. Amazing. Like Captain Crunch, only, well, NOT!
I’m with you on the cinnamon toast crunch (but if I want something filling, it’s Kashi Go Lean with dried fruit). My thoughts exactly as Wes was running his mouth again last night! Gross…doesn’t say much for his “girlfriend,” either, if she was in on his plot. But that’s TV for you!
So disappointed…I packed a container of juicy cantaloupe for work today too, and realized halfway here that I forgot it at home. Now I have to go pay for something that won’t be half as tasty!
I took the Green Monster Smoothie challenge for the third time this morning! What did mine include? Lots of spinach, 1 banana, some oats, nf milk, handful of blueberries, 1 tbsp pb and ice! Yum, yum. The blueberries make it look a bit darker and scarier green shade, but still tastes yummy and packs that antioxidant punch! Plus, I don’t feel super full when I’m done, but have lots of energy to get my day going.
Thanks for the great idea.
I agree! I am SOOO glad Wes is gone, what a jerk! Did you hear what he said to the other guys at the rose ceremony when they were waiting for Jillian?! ughhh.. Anyways, your burgers look delish.. making them this week for sure! Your blog is awesome, I check it daily
My favorite cereal is all of them! If it was good for you to eat cereal for every meal, I would. I eat the most of Honey Nut Cheerios and Strawberry Shredded Wheat.
Kristin, I need some advice that maybe you can help with. I am cooking for the first time for my in-laws on a weekday night. 5 adults, 2 children total. Do you have any advice on what I should cook? I want to impress them but I also want it to be quick and easy for me. Thanks!
congrats on the 4 miler girlie
thats awesome that you ran the whole thing!!
my favorite cereal would have to be Whole Foods PB Pows! haha
Those burgers look wonderful. I am going to have to give them a try.
And I am so hooked on the spinach in a smoothie deal. I can’t believe how good they are – and that you can’t taste the spinach. My only problem is that I am going through spinach like it’s going out of style!!! I am at the store buying it all the time!
I really do need to try a green monster! I think I’ll make a half portion first
My fav. cereal is Annie’s Cocoa and Vanilla Bunnies. Yum!
OMG Kristin, I just bought an organic cinnamon square cereal that tastes so much like Cinanmon Toast Crunch! No Lie, and the best thing about it, no gross additives like HFCS or processed sugars and refined grains. It’s by Cascade Farms. If you spot this, buy it immediately!!
Bananas and figs sounds like such a tasty combo!
GoLean is my fave, hands down. I go through a box per week, easily.
Hmmm – do you own a grill? I feel like a grilled meal is always a crowd pleaser. You can have different options for everyone – burgers, brats, chicken breasts, etc. Then you could steam or boil some corn on the cob, add a nice pasta salad and bake some brownies or cookies for dessert!
Oh no – that STINKS! I did that with my coffee last week – forgot it sitting on the counter…I was so sad
Oooo I LOVE Cascade Farms! I will def be on the look out!!