Sneaky Ways to 5 a Day

Sneaky ways for kids (and you) to #GetFresh with five servings of fruit and vegetables each day. PHOTO: Sambazon Organic Green drinks and Smoothies.

I really enjoy my organic super-food green drinks and smoothies as they are a quick way to down your daily servings of fruit and vegetables. If you haven't already, definitely check into getting a VitaMix as it will make whole food juices happen in a snap.

My VitaMix, packed with cukes and tomatoes from our garden.

  
Sambazon Organic Supergreens  & Chocolate Almond & Coconut Milk Drinks
These two new recipes are made with all natural, organic ingredients. The Supergreens contain Kale & Ginger and is made with 6 varieties of premium greens. I make my own Kale based green smoothies and this product is much lighter in taste. Absolutely delicious!  The kids (and you) will never know they are drinking kale but your skin, hair and nails will show that you are.

Almond Joy to Go - The Sambazon Chocolate Almond and Coconut Milk Drink is simply off the chart scrumptious. I like this as an after workout recovery drink due to the coconut milk but it is such a treat, you might just save it for dessert. If you like a Mounds or an Almond Joy, this is the drink for you.

Freeze dried vegetables and fruits never tasted so good. No refrigeration needed either.

Crunchies Food Company-Freeze Dried Fruits and Vegetables
I attended Supplyside Exhibition a few years back and one of the companies had freeze dried fruit on exhibit. If you purchase ready to eat breakfast cereals like Special K Red Berries, the strawberries are freeze dried.

Crunchies Mixed Fruit
The 1.5 oz packet contains 6 servings of fruit with NO added sugar. You can pack 6 servings of fruit in this little 1.5 oz resealable pouch because freeze drying is so efficient in removing the water. Most of the weight of fruits and vegetable is due to water content. The difference is that the freeze drying concentrates the flavors so no added sugar is necessary. 1/4 cup of fruit Crunchies has an average of only 5 grams of total sugar. 1/4 cup of dried fruit has an average of 25 grams of total sugar, 5 times as much!

Apples, blueberries, peaches, strawberries, mangoes and raspberries offer fiber, antioxidants and Vitamin C. No need to refrigerate and the pouches pack perfectly into a backpack, lunch bag or hiking bag. Less water means less weight.

Crunchies BBQ Roasted Veggies
I don't know how the get freeze dried vegetables to taste like they've just come off the grill but these are amazing. One 2.25 oz pouch contains: 2 ears of corn, 1 whole carrot, 2/3 of a red bell pepper, 2/3 tomato plus 1/4 cup of peas with all natural BBQ flavoring. You get two servings per pouch so if you ate 1/2 the pouch, you would count that as a serving.

Freeze Dried Revolution
Freeze drying, as the name implies, is a process by which water is removed from fresh fruits and vegetables in a refrigerated vacuum. Many of us who camp and backpack are familiar with mixes and prepared food with freeze dried ingredients. They are just simply lighter to carry in. Add water, cook and eat. So they are a great way to take your meals with you and get your 5 a Day in an urban setting too. Best thing is that instead of munching on greasy chips and energy bars, you might consider something less processed, with less fat and sugar. Crunchies are definitely on the menu around here!