Green Smoothie Bowl with Strawberry and Coconut // USMLE Step 3
Hello everyone, I’ve been quiet on the blog for a while, but I’m done with my US Medical Licensing Examination Step 3! It’s a wonderful feeling to be done, as Step studying has been one of those tasks on my to-do list that’s always there in the background, whispering “you should be studying instead of Pinteresting and baking…“
Supposedly Step 3 matters the least out of the USMLEs, but the premed / med student habits ingrained in me decided it was time to buckle down for studying. It’s amazing how much ob-gyn, pediatrics, and surgery you forget when you don’t use it. Fortunately the bulk of the exam is Internal Medicine (we are the most important field in my humble opinion!)
The test is 16 hrs over two days – the first day is only multiple choice, and the second has some multiple choice then a section on “clinical simulation cases”. The multiple choice wasn’t too bad, but the cases are definitely the most nerve-wracking part of the test. On a computer interface, you evaluate a patient, order labs, triage, diagnose, treat, follow up and counsel … all under a ticking clock. The cases will respond based on your orders, so if the patient isn’t getting better, you need to figure out what you’re doing wrong fast!
A few updates from the last post, in which a series of frustrating events recently happened. I found a lovely new apartment that’s a bit further but reasonably priced; in fact I’m upgrading to a 1 bedroom and it has a giant kitchen with an island! I’ll be moving next month and look forward to more baking and cooking in this new space.
Also, B and I had our vacation block (yay!) and we went to the Caribbean, which I’ll be sharing more later. While I spent the first half of vacation time studying and taking my Step 3 exams, and had to come back early from vacation to cover for a medical ICU shift, it was wonderful to have a week of rest. Time (and sleep) heals everything.
Here’s a green smoothie bowl, made with creamy avocados and sweet strawberries plus a coconut and cacao nib crunch. This is a great and quick power breakfast, whether you’re taking a 16 hour exam or about to lounge on the beach.
Green Smoothie Bowl with Strawberry and Coconut
Ingredients
1/2 avocado
1 cup spinach
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/2 cup ice, additional for thickening
white sugar, to taste
Toppings: cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut, fresh strawberries
Instructions
Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Add ice or avocado (to thicken) or almond milk (to thin) to desired consistency. Pour your green smoothie into a bowl. Top with cacao nibs, unsweetened coconut, and sliced fresh strawberries. Enjoy!
This looks delicious! Got to try this!
Healthy and delicious! This ones a keeper
Those strawberries look unbelievably red haha. Nice pics
i could go for a trip to the caribbean! but i suppose a delicious smoothie bowl could suffice for now. 🙂
It's easy and quick – a great combo
Costco strawberries are the best
Thanks grace. I wish I could have stayed longer – I return from blue ocean to grey New England lol
I bet the avocado adds a nice creamy texture to the smoothie, I can't wait to try it!
Yes it's rich and much more filling than the usual smoothie (where I get hungry in an hour)
This looks like a great light and healthy food I could eat before a race! It's so pretty too 🙂 Love it!
This is a so nice. Healthy and tasty. Also, it looks so good.
I think I will try this with honey instead of sugar! what a great breakfast!
Awesome how you included so much healthy food and make it look sooo nice too.
It's a smoothie in a bowl… and it sounds (and looks) absolutely wonderful! This seems like something I logically need in my life STAT!
This looks great doctor! I love the presentation. You have a fantastic blog here.
It looks like a delicious smoothie bowl!!
So many things to celebrate! Vacation, new apartment (+1 on the beautiful kitchen!!), done with exams. Yay 🙂 This smoothie bowl looks incredible too! Just the perfect thing to have on a busy morning.
This looks so delicious! I've never tried a smoothie bowl!
This sounds delicious! It looks so easy to make and would make a quick breakfast. Also, congrats on the new apartment and I hope the Caribbean vacation was a blast.
I have been eating smoothie bowls almost every day lately! So good. It's been my lunch time pick me up. This looks amazing!
This looks super easy and healthy! What a great quick brekky idea!
Glad you enjoyed it. Good luck for racing
Thanks – healthy and tasty are always a great pair
Honey works too – I just use brown sugar since honey is tougher to blend in cold drinks 🙂
Healthy food can be pretty – so much color with fruits!
Enjoy! You can add a lot more topping in a bowl than a glass 😉
Thanks, hope you enjoy looking around the blog
It tastes as good as it looks!
Thanks for the wishes Jolina – lots of exciting changes happening recently 🙂 That's why we need a power breakfast
I only started recently, but they're delicious
It definitely was fun (although I burned more than tanned haha). I look forward to sharing my Caribbean adventures in the coming posts
Thanks – I like them for dessert/ midnight snack personally since they're not quite so portable for the hospital 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it!