The Purple Monster (Green Smoothie)

Green smoothies are all the rage right now.  I was intrigued when I started seeing them pop up on Pinterest all over the place.  I, like many people, was wanting to start some new healthy habits at the start of the year.  I like vegetables, but I do find it difficult to eat enough throughout the day.  So I thought this would be a great way to sneak extra vegetables into my diet, as well as my kids' diets.

I decided to start with a smoothie containing strawberries, blueberries, and bananas.  My kids were already used to these fruits in a smoothie, so I thought it would be easier to get them to drink it.  To my surprise, the blueberries in this smoothie gave it a purple color instead of green (hence the name "Purple Monster"), making it even easier to get them to try it! Score!

I have to admit that I was skeptical, at first, about the taste of this smoothie.  I was sure that I would be able to taste the spinach.  To my delight, I didn't notice the spinach at all, other than a sweetness that it added.  This was also my first experience with almond milk.  I loved it, and my kids did, too!  Sweet success!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats (no marshmallows)

I am always looking for fun treats to make for my kids' lunches.  Rice krispy treats are so easy and tasty, but I am trying to feed my family healthier foods, thus using marshmallows less often (okay...every once in a while)!  I came across these on Pinterest, and I got the idea to make a healthier peanut butter rice krispy treat.  Here they are!

I used honey, brown sugar, and of course peanut butter as the "glue" to hold these bars together.  My kids were instantly hooked!  I know these still have quite a bit of sugar, but at least the ingredients in honey and natural peanut butter are healthier than those in marshmallows.  I feel a little bit better about my kiddos getting a small one of these in their lunches.  You could even make these with brown rice cereal for more nutrition.  The best part is that they are super quick to make!