The 411 on Green Smoothies

The minute I tasted my first green smoothie I was hooked. It was love at first taste and I knew I had found my soulmate. (I am slightly kidding…but mostly serious!) I drink green smoothies almost every morning because I love starting my day with a breakfast that boosts my energy and is packed with nutrients! It is so much better than having a starchy breakfast that sets you up for a sluggish kind of day or even worse, no breakfast at all. And it is just a bonus that they happen to taste delicious! If you are thinking that there is no way drinking vegetables could possibly taste good, I don't blame you! At first glance the idea seems crazy.  But sometimes the craziest ideas are often the best! With the right combinations, I promise you that making green smoothies won't seem so strange and you will love the way they taste and make you feel!

because everything tastes better in a mason jar!

The 411 on Green Smoothies

So Lauren, what is this green smoothie you speak of? In a nut shell, it is a smoothie that combines a liquid base, fruits of choice and green vegetables.

Okay, if I'm going to try this out, can you tell me why I should drink them? Well of course I can!!! Here are why green smoothies are an amazing addition to your diet no matter who you are or what your goals may be:

1. Easy to digest: because the cell walls of fruits and vegetables have been broken down in the blending process, your body doesn't have to work as hard to digest it!
2. Packed with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, polyphenols, and of course...water!
3. If you aren't someone who usually eats a lot of vegetables, this is a great way to "sneak them in"!
4. Your body can eat a lot more vegetables and fruits in liquid form than if you were to just eat them raw, such as in a salad.
5. Perfect with your usual morning breakfast OR can be substituted for breakfast by increasing the serving size to 32 oz. Also a great afternoon pick me up!
6. Versatile: so many combinations you can make and play around with.
7. Filling: since fiber is retained, a smoothie will keep you full for hours.
8. Energizing: a great way to kick the coffee addiction.

Oh wow Lauren this sounds like the answer to all my prayers! But where do I even start? Oh trust me it is! Let me share with you some tips:

• Choose a blender: My blender of choice is the Vitamix and made such a big difference in my green smoothie experiences. It is great for all leafy vegetables and never leaves me feeling like I'm "drinking a salad" (which can easily be a turn-off). The only downside of the Vitamix is that it is costly. So if you want to go with a less expensive brand, I recommend the nutribullet, magic bullet or ninja. With these blenders, especially the ninja, I found that it does not blend kale or celery great but does work well with blending spinach!
• For beginners I suggest having a fruit to vegetable ratio of 3:1 and then move towards more vegetables and less fruits as your taste buds adjust! (and they will adjust! I used to need 2 bananas and other fruits to mask the vegetable taste but now I love the taste of a higher vegetable to fruit content that is less sweet.)
• Use organic produce when possible to minimize ingesting pesticides.
• Storage: if you know you generally have a busy week, make the smoothies ahead of time and freeze them in an airtight container for up to a few days. When ready to drink, let it thaw out in the fridge overnight and then re-blend in the morning. This will save a lot of time!
• Liquid suggestions: filtered water, coconut water, unsweetened almond milk, hemp milk.
• Fruit suggestions: the options are endless! I usually include bananas in mine because it gives the smoothie a thick, creamy texture.
• Vegetable suggestions: spinach is my favorite and a good starting vegetable! But I also love kale, romaine, celery, swiss chard, cucumber, wheatgrass, parsley, mint, basil, ect.
• Supercharge it: after you make your green smoothie base, add in superfoods! (I will be doing a post this weekend on what super foods are, how to use them, and their benefits…they are my FAVORITE!)
• Healthy fats: if using a green smoothie as a main meal, add in avocado, hemp hearts, chia seeds, ground flax seed, or nut butters.
• Always: blend your greens in first with the liquid to avoid leafy chunks and then add the remaining fruits.
• Ice: this might be common sense, but add ice to make your smoothie cold! You can also use frozen fruits and use less ice.

Alright I'm convinced! Can you recommend any starter recipes for me? Lucky you I actually have one handy!

I've seen this recipe many places and some people refer to it as the "Beginners Luck Green Smoothie":

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups spinach (packed tightly)

2 cups water

1 cup mango

1 cup pineapple

2 bananas (if you don't like bananas, substitute another fruit)

Optional Add-ins for omega-3's: chia seeds, ground flaxseed, hemp hearts

Blend up the spinach and liquid first, add in the fruits, a few ice cubs to chill and enjoy! ( if the smoothie is too sweet, consider using 1 banana next time and adding in more spinach!)

I know that this post might be a lot to "digest", so if you have any questions, please as always, feel free to e-mail me or comment on this post!

P.S. I will definitely be posting lots of yummy green smoothie recipes in the future…whose excited?!?! 

*Here is a great link to find 5 more delicious beginner recipes