By Stephanie Mansour
Whether you’re hitting the beach or trying to stay cool inside this summer, there are many healthy, easy foods and snacks to prepare in advance or even on the fly. In the warm summer months, ice cream sounds more appealing than usual. But instead of indulging, try this five-ingredient smoothie that tastes just like strawberry shortcake. This delicious smoothie is quick to make, travels well, and is far more healthy and nutritious than ice cream.
- Place a whole banana and a cup of frozen strawberries into a blender.
- Then add two tablespoons of ground flaxseed.
- Add a serving of protein powder for extra energy.
- Next, add a cup of coconut milk. Blend for 60 seconds, and you’ll have a strawberry shortcake treat!
- If you’d like to make it taste like chocolate, add some chocolate flavored protein powder.
This is a great snack or a meal replacement because there is protein in the smoothie. If you’re just making it as a treat, you can eliminate the protein powder and just make a fruit smoothie.
Quick snacks for the beach
Spending the whole day at the beach? Make sure you are eating every three to four hours to avoid headaches and low energy. Here are some quick snacks to take to the beach:
- Cut up watermelon: this fruit is loaded with water and is a great cool-me-down snack. Cut some up and put it in a plastic container – you don’t even need silverware!
- Trail mix (sans chocolate): mix together some nuts and dried fruit for a sweet and nutritious snack that won’t melt.
- An apple and individual peanut butter packs: squeeze some gooey peanut butter onto bites of your apple.
- A protein smoothie: make this at home and take it in an insulated go-cup!
Often times, all it takes is a little bit of planning ahead to stay on a healthy eating plan. Along with planning also comes the routine of eating every few hours instead of saving up for a couple of big meals during the day. By maintaining an eating plan that consists of eating protein every three to four hours, you’ll never be hungry and you’ll also speed up your metabolism.
Stephanie Mansour, CEO of Step It Up with Steph, is a nationally known health and fitness expert and body image and confidence coach. She’s a reality TV trainer on “Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is,” helping her client lose 80+ lbs in 12 weeks. She combines yoga, Pilates, personal training, and body image coaching for a holistic approach to health and fitness, and her no diets/no guilt mentality is changing the way women everywhere view food and exercise.
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