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Springtime, Springtime, SPRINGGGGTIME! Isn’t it funny how as the seasons change so do the foods we eat? I find that my family eats lighter meals with a lot more fruits and veggies during the sunny months of Spring and Summer. We incorporate fruits and vegetables into almost every single meal and snack. Lately all of us have been on a smoothie/slush/frozen fruit bar kick. About a month ago when it truly started to feel like Spring my husband changed his entire diet. He is a police officer and often finds himself stuck in a patrol car eating fast food or convenient store snacks during his twelve hour shifts. He was getting little to no exercise and combined with his eating habits it was all starting to catch up with him. On top of that he wanted to get in shape for a physical assessment he had to complete for a job he had applied for (the same job I mentioned he was being interviewed for yesterday). Just having the temptation to make a bad eating choice by opening the refrigerator or pantry was hard for him. In efforts to help him change his routine and continue making smarter eating choices we made the choice to change a lot of the things we eat as a family too. I think the hardest part has been finding healthy yet convenient snack foods that Mike, the kids and I agree on. 
A few weeks ago we were introduced to the Outshine Fruit and Veggie bars. We picked them up at Walmart and I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about the taste because combining fruits and vegetables into something I associate with an indulgent treat scares the heck out of me. Then I thought about how we had recently started incorporating spinach into our smoothies (this was a huge step for me and took me way out of my food comfort zone). I knew if I could drink those smoothies without even noticing a difference these fruit and veggie bars were probably just as good as the plain fruit bars — and they were! Oh and guess what? I can give them to my unsuspecting kids who have no idea there are VEGGIES in them without hearing ‘ewww’ ‘yuck’ or ‘I don’t like the green stuff.’ Mike will often come back from a run out in the Florida heat (it has been in the 80s lately) and grab a fruit bar straight from the freezer, but we also found that using them as a base for slushes and smoothies is beyond convenient and super yummy! Can you say #NewFavorites?! 
The two most asked for snacks have become a berry medley smoothie and a tangerine lemonade slush. My oldest son and I prefer the smoothie but my husband and younger son prefer the slush. My younger son only prefers the slush because it is Hulk green and therefore he says makes him strong like the Hulk. (Whatever works! Little does he know that green stuff is spinach! Muah-ha-ha-ha). We have been coming straight home from walking to pick my oldest son from the bus stop (80+ degrees and the hottest part of the day friends!) and grabbing a frozen snack. 
Berry Medley Smoothie Recipe:
- 1 Strawberry Rhubarb Outshine Fruit and Veggie Bar (removed from the popsicle stick)
- 1 Blueberry Medley Outshine Fruit and Veggie Bar (removed from the popsicle stick)
- 1/3 cup frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup lemonade (you could also use juice instead)
- 1/2 cup of ice
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender until it is the desired consistency. Add more ice or lemonade as needed. If you use fresh strawberries you will want to add additional ice. ————- Tangerine Lemonade Slush Recipe:
- 1 Tangerine Carrot Outshine Fruit and Veggie Bar (removed from the popsicle stick)
- 2 Fresh Spinach Leaves (or more if desired – we’re spinach newbies)
- 1/2 cup lemonade
- 1/3 cup ice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until you get the desired consistency. Add more ice or lemonade as desired. 
Do you notice a change in the foods you eat based on the seasons? What are your thoughts on combining veggies into something notoriously known for being fruity? Stop by HERE to find more recipes that are sure to make for Flavorful Moments!
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Margie P.
Tuesday 13th of May 2014
These look so good. Feel free to make me some too :) #client