Cranberry Cherry Smoothie #Vitamix #asmoothieaday

I always find this time of year pretty stressful. Spending money, buying gifts, a full social calendar (for my kindergartener, anyway), entertaining and cooking for lots of guests. And, of course, there are the random winter storms, slippery black ice, school snow days, shoveling driveways. It's just...a lot. 

It's also a really inopportune time to get sick. But, with all the stress and poor eating, it's actually pretty easy to catch a cold. So, I try to have a smoothie every morning—even if the rest of my day is spent snacking while shopping or having holiday cookies for dinner (don't hate!), at least I'm starting my day off with a nutritious breakfast.

Here's one I've been enjoying lately. Featuring nutritious cherries and cranberries, this drink is loaded with antioxidants, omega-3s and 6s, beta carotene, fiber, and some protein. It's also a meal that's fast and easy, which is really helpful on these busy days.

Ingredients
yields 16 ounces

• I cup frozen cherries
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3/4 cup hemp milk (or whatever milk you like)
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• handful of ice

I find the sweetness of the cherries balances well with the tartness of the cranberries and yogurt—but you can certainly add honey or agave or other sweetener, to taste.

Yes, I stuck my smoothie into a snow bank for these pix!

Drink up, stay healthy, and have fun this holiday season!