Healthy Mornings With Hood

This post was sponsored by Hood as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Hey Girls! I hope you’ve all been enjoying the Spring weather that has finally decided to make its debut. I’ve been soaking up every minute of this sunshine and living for my daily commute which includes an opened sunroof, one of my latest podcast obsessions (or country music, depending on my mood) on the radio, and iced coffee in-hand! Is there really anything better? I’ve spent the past few months really getting my butt into gear and focusing on some of my health goals as we prepare to enter the Summer season, and as I gear up to enter a new decade of life (hello 30 – AHH)!!

I’ve been dedicating a lot of my energy to my physical, nutritional, and financial health. It’s time to get this body to the next level and start tackling some of my financial goals. To do so, I’ve really cut back on additional spending…this includes things as small as my beloved iced coffees! Now I haven’t given them up completely, I just started making them at home. 🙂 How does that relate to health? Well, I’ve been whipping up a lower calorie version of my favorite drive-thru drinks. Iced coffee lovers will want to keep reading…

The easiest switch? I started replacing my usual flavored creamers, sugar, and sweeteners with the Hood Calorie Countdown 2% Reduced Fat Chocolate dairy beverage which is made with milk from farmers who pledge not to use artificial growth hormones. It’s smooth, creamy, and packed with nutritional benefits for those looking to live a healthier lifestyle (raises hand).

Per cup, it has only 80 calories (56% less than traditional chocolate milk), plus 67% fewer carbs, and 75% less sugar. And I don’t even use a whole cup!

You guys know I like to make my morning as easy as possible, so I try to prep the night before by brewing a cup of black coffee & leaving it in the fridge. In the morning, I pour it over ice, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the Hood Calorie Countdown Reduced Fat Chocolate, and that’s it! It’s so easy, and so much healthier than what I was accustomed to drinking (caramel swirl, coconut mocha, and every single Girl Scout cookie flavored coffee under the sun).

While I haven’t sworn off the drive through forever, by skipping my daily Dunkin’ run I’ve been saving anywhere from $15-$25 per week, which is $100+ per month, which amounts to $1000 per year! Hey, when you’re buckling down on your finances, saving an extra $1,000+ each year and still being able to enjoy a delish iced coffee on the daily is nothing to sneeze at. 😉

And the best part? Hood sells these products at Walmart!

You know I love my Walmart trips. I pop in at least 2x/week for something (I was literally there yesterday grabbing a new tube of my holy-grail  mascara)! So the fact that I’m able to pick up a carton at Walmart is super convenient — one less trip to the grocery store for this girl!

I’ve also been stocking my fridge with the Hood Calorie Countdown Fat Free dairy beverage.

• 42% fewer calories
• 75% less sugar
• …and 67% fewer carbs than milk.
• It provides 25% of your daily value for calcium and 15% of your daily value of Vitamin D (based on a 2000 cal diet) per cup.

I’ve been using it with my morning cereal. 🙂

The biggest changes happen by making the smallest adjustments, and tweaking something as easy as your morning coffee does make a difference in the long run!

I’ve been using the Hood Calorie Countdown primarily in the AM, but there are a ton of other ways to incorporate it into your drinks, meals, and diet throughout the day. Stay tuned, there may be a part 2 to this post! 😉

For more information about Hood, a leader in high quality dairy products, visit their website (you can find some more great recipes over there), as well as their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts. Also, if you’re interested in trying, click here to grab yourself a coupon!!

What are some small, healthy changes you’ve been able to make when it comes to nutrition or budgeting! I hope to incorporate a few more and am looking for all the inspo! 😉

XOXO