Green Smoothies – A Beginner’s Guide

Green smoothie doesn't mean ALL GREEN! Image from Tiffany Washko

In an effort to get more fruits and vegetables into my diet (the recommendation is five a day!), I’ve been hitting the green smoothies. I was first inspired by Katrina, who talked in glowing terms about her own green smoothie conversion. How could I resist?

I started with the book Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Toward Natural Health. It’s a short little volume with some good info about why smoothies are a great way to get your greens, as well as an extensive collection of recipes.

You can easily get started with just a blender and a variety of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Here’s one recipe I love that takes less than five minutes to prepare, and leaves only the blender to clean!

Ingredients:

2 C fresh spinach, rinsed
One banana
1 C ice cubes
1/4 C water
2 medium carrots, unpeeled, rinsed, cut in chunks

Add the items to your blender and blend well. Use a spoon to mix the ingredients periodically to ensure all ingredients get blended. Serve and enjoy!

Other popular items to put in your smoothie:

Pineapple (fresh or frozen)
Strawberries (fresh or frozen)
Apples
Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
Protein powder
Peaches (fresh or frozen)
Mangos (fresh or frozen)
Non- or low-fat vanilla or plain yogurt
Soy milk
Mint leaves
Juice
Flaxseeds (good for Omega-3 fatty acids)
Avocado
Nuts

The possibilities really are limitless! Just remember to keep overall caloric levels in mind, particularly if you are watching your weight.

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http://www.atthebluebarn.com Jennifer McIntyre @atthebluebarn

Trader Joe’s has this truly great flax seed oil that’s super easy to put in smoothies. It’s in the vitamin aisle.

Thanks for the tip!

Jennifer
@atthebluebarn
Janet Khashab

I love my green smoothies too…I even bought a Vitamix so that I didn’t have to “prep” any of the fruits and veggies first (call ME lazy!). I love it. At first, I was having them everyday and had a bit of stomach upset…that’s what happens when you go from ZERO fruits and veggies to 7 at a time each day-LOL. But…I got used to it. They are very filling and calories add up, but overall, you won’t feel like eating or snacking much after a large cup of the green smoothie so it all balances out…especially if you share a cup with a friend

Happy to hear that you are into them…would love to see some more recipes down the road!!
http://losingitandlovingit.com/blog/1898/raise-your-green-smoothie-happy-st-patricks-day/ Raise your green smoothie, Happy St. Patrick’s Day

[...] my friend Lain has used the book Green Smoothie Revolution and wrote about her experience with green smoothies over on her blog 30 Minute Martha. Cute name for a blog [...]
Em

The problem? You’re not going to absorb much of the goodies without fat.

Add a little cream, whole milk yogurt, flaxseed oil… you get the idea.
http://achievesuccessandhappiness.com Isobel

I’ve been a green smoothie fan for about 6 months now and they’ve helped me lose 15lbs in that time without “dieting”. I mix the fruit first to get the taste I want, then add the greens (usually spinach, kale or parsley). I don’t use milk or cream but I sometimes add flax seeds for “chewiness”.

I have a Kenwood catering mixer that I bought for about $75. It has an 800w motor and the only prepping I do is cut things into large chunks.

Some favourites: 3 bananas, 1 or 2 kiwi, water, spinach. 1 mango plus parsley (wonderful fresh taste) and water. 1/2 cantaloupe melon, 2 or 3oz blackberries, water and curly kale.

Green Smoothies – A Beginner’s Guide

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