Fun in the sun will almost always break the bank, however you don’t have to be at the Bahamas to soak up the vitamins and feel like you’re on vacation.

What comes to mind when you read the word, ‘vacation’? It is almost always a guarantee that there is a palm tree somewhere in the imagination of someone when they visualize a vacation. However, the sad reality is that according to some statistics, about 39 million Americans most likely couldn’t take a vacation in the summer of 2019.

If you were a part of that unlucky half of the statistic and the probability for your summer doesn’t exactly involve soaking up the sun on a beach but more of working all day long and going home to your uneaten fruit staring at you from the fruit basket, personally, I encourage you to keep reading.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who thinks that palm trees are beautiful to look at and be around, but did you know that they also provide a vitamin enriched supplement that you can purchase for under three dollars at your local grocery store? So, how can we incorporate the beach life into our broke summer weeks? A smoothie.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1. (Frozen) 2 cups of strawberries. (I usually freeze my fruit before it starts to go bad so that I can add them to smoothies as an ice substitute.)
2. 2 whole bananas
3. Ice (use as desired)
4. Coconut water
5. 2 cups of Greek yogurt
6. 1 cup and a half of fresh spinach leaves

Coconut water provides nutrients that our body requires to sustain an energy boost WITHOUT added sugars and caffeine. Coconut is also a natural sweetener. 

STEPS:

• Empty the strawberries first, as they are the base flavor.
• Add a splash of coconut water with them.

• Add in the yogurt with the strawberries. Fill in the gaps of the blender with the yogurt.

• Slice the bananas to fit in the blender then press them into the blender, splash with coconut water.

• Blend in some coconut water.

• Fold the spinach leaves into the blender and blend.

• Add in some ice, and blend until the spinach is no longer in chunks.

• Blend until desired consistency and add more coconut water.

• Enjoy!

Edited by: Joelle Conway,