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Ninja: Chop Your way to a healthier diet

Posted By: Stacy Rhea on 01/27/2011

I have one word that will help you eat healthy, regularly and religiously: Ninja.

I purchased my Ninja last week. Since then, I have prepared, on a daily basis, fresh fruit smoothies (for breakfast), meal replacement shakes (most important meal - after an intense training session), fresh vegetables (I am now eating three plus serving a day).

Prior to the Ninja, I didn’t eat more than one serving a day of vegetables. I know, I shouldn’t admit that as a trainer/athlete. But, I only like my veggies fresh and eating raw carrot and celery sticks is ... well, quite boring!

In less than an hour you can shred carrots, parsnips and turnips. Then marinade these three veggies with a little olive oil (1-2 tablespoosn, dependingon the amount you shred) add fresh thyme, then broil. This makes one delicious fresh vegetable dish.

Here is a great smoothie recipe, called Guiltless Pleasure. I can’t take credit for the recipe. I pulled it from one of the numerous recipe books I own, Super Smoothies by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford.

1 cup quarter fresh strawberries
1/2 cup light vanilla soy milk (I use not-fat organic milk)
1/3 cup silken tofu (soft)
1 frozen banana sliced - fresh works too ( I use 1/2 fresh)
2 tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate

According to the book:
calories: 160 calories
fat: 2.5
carbohydrates: 33g
protein: 4.5

I think the protein count is a little low, it would be closer to 10g of protein, by my calculations.

Not only is this smoothie delicious, it if full of phytochemicals, isoflavones, lycopene and polyphenols.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.