Happy Humpday everyone! Spring has sprung, and it’s time to get back to smoothies and healthy eating for summer! Green smoothies are a great way to pack more antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals into your diet all in one yummy drink. I am guilty of not incorporating enough greens into my daily diet, so green smoothies are a great way to include them without noticing. Today I thought I’d share a green smoothie recipe and some key factors in making your smoothies green. To make a smoothie a really green color and have it taste great, keep these few pointers in mind:
- Choose light colored fruits {preferably frozen} i.e. pineapple, peaches, mangos, bananas, grapes, oranges, apples, pears {avoid berries if you want that really green color}
- Choose a liquid base. i.e. your milk preference, orange juice, coconut water
- Choose a leafy green. i.e. spinach and kale
Extra pointers:
- Keep in mind the 60:40 rule to keep them tasting less
grassygreen and much tastier. This means it should typically consist of 60% fruits and 40% greens. - I much prefer baby spinach and find it works the very best in smoothies because it blends smooth and you can’t taste it. Every now and then I toss in kale if I’m feeling the need for more green or I’m out of spinach, but it is a bit harder to blend seamlessly into smoothies.
- You can add a small slice of lemon {rind on} to your smoothie to help cancel the leafy green taste. I did this especially when I first started making green smoothies.
- Carrots mix well into green smoothies for an extra source of fiber and another veggie serving.
- Protein such as greek yogurt or protein powder makes this a meal with servings of fruits, veggies and protein. It also makes it a touch creamier.
- Have fun with it! Experimenting with different categories above can turn out being the best smoothies.
Here is a green smoothie recipe I got out of my Vitamix recipe book, Whole Food Recipes. I adjusted the recipe as a base and tweak it to my taste depending on what I have on hand.
//It’s Easy Being Green Smoothie//
Ingredients:
1/2 c. grapes
1/2 medium orange, peeled {squeeze before adding}
1/4 c. fresh pineapple
1/2 banana
1 c. baby spinach
1/2 c. baby carrots
1 c. ice {if not using frozen fruit}
small slice of lemon
Note: I like to use frozen fruit, but if you use frozen you may need to add a liquid base such as orange juice or almond milk. Frozen makes it taste better and the consistency is more palatable, but it is harder to blend. Just play around with the ingredients and pretty soon you’ll have the perfect green smoothie!
Hope you all have a fabulous week and enjoy the sunshine! ♥
love and teal 