Cinnamon Toast Crunch Green Smoothie

HEY GUYS! I know it’s been a minute. I’ve been away from NYC for over a month now, ever since I left for Burning Man in August. It’s funny how sometimes I think when I’m traveling I’m gonna have all this time to sit down and write. It usually turns out to be the opposite — because, as I was discussing with a friend yesterday, when our basic human needs are up in the air (such as where we’re sleeping that night), just the coordination of it all takes up a good amount of energy. I tend to be a pretty last minute traveler, with a “making up the rules as I go along” mindset. Very non-Virgo of me, I know! But I have a bunch of Sagittarius in my chart, I think, which often leads to having an adventurous spirit and jumping into things with wild abandon. Makes for an interesting adventure, that’s for sure. Sometimes it involves sleeping in rental cars. BUT that’s neither here nor there.

The cool thing is, I set my life up like this — I wanted to create a career that gave me freedom — so when I need to take time to travel around, hit up a hundred yoga festivals, fall in love, go through a breakup, go hang out with my parents for a week…I can do it relatively easily and put my energy where I want to put it. (Read: How I got started blogging as a business).

Lifestyle design, yo!! (The book that started it all for me).

Point is, I’m not always blogging, but I am almost always posting my healthy finds and antics on my favorite thing in the world…instagram. So come play with me there.

Anyway – I’m back in Brooklyn now and couldn’t WAIT to get my hands on my trusty Vitamix and whip up something special for the beginning of the fall. SEASONS ARE THE BEST!

Ok so here we go. Let’s all go ahead and admit it, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the most delicious cereal in existence. It just is. Even more delicious is the milk that’s leftover in the bowl when you’re done eating it. Am I right?

I haven’t had Cinnamon Toast Crunch in like…many many years, but I still remember the taste. And the sad truth is, I wouldn’t let it anywhere near my mouth today. But I do miss it.

INGREDIENTS: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal (Whole Wheat, Sugar, Rice Flour, Canola And/Or Rice Bran Oil, Fructose, Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Cinnamon, Soy Lecithin,Trisodium Phosphate, Caramel And Annatto Extract Color, Zinc And Iron(Mineral Nutrients), Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), A “B” Vitamin(Niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1(Thiamin Mononitrate), Vitamin A (Palmitate), Natural Flavor, A B Vitamin (Folic Acid), Nonfat Milk, Vitamin B 12, Vitamin D. Freshness Preserved by BHT).

Gluten, sugar, canola oil, preservatives, other weird things…makes me wanna cry a million tears.

BUT WAIT! Wipe that tear off your silly monkey face because I’ve got something even better for you.

A Cinnamon Toast Crunch GREEN SMOOTHIE!

Trust me on this. Tastes just like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, except it actually ENHANCES your health. WHAT.

Here’s the deal. When it comes to smoothies, I prefer to use less fruit — more healthy fats. So I only use coconut water to sweeten this little darling. BTW, you need to use a coconut water that actually tastes sweet and delicious (not watered down or bland). I like Harmless Harvest.  If you want it sweeter: add a date (or even 1/2 a date). If you want it totally sugar free: use regular water instead of coconut water, and add a couple drops of liquid stevia (there’s even a cinnamon flavor if you’re an overachiever). Cinnamon is a super bestie because it helps lower your glycemic response to meals / helps stabilize blood sugar.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Green Smoothie (serves 1)

• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 cup spinach
• 2 tbsp almond butter
• 1/4 avocado (for creaminess)
• 1 tsp (or more if you want) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 pinch sea salt

Blend, and enjoy while watching cartoons or playing Donkey Kong Country.

I recommend you sit down when you first take a sip of it, in case you faint with joy.

Don’t be duped. Eat real food. Onward, dear vikings of superfood alchemy!!