You may have tried making a green smoothie, only to be put off by how disgusting it tastes. Here are five of my best favourite green smoothie recipes that will make you want to drink them every day.
Firstly there are a few tricks to making the perfect green smoothie:
A handful of ice will help make all the green fibre smooth and delicious.
Blending a bit longer than your regular fruit smoothie will also help grind down all the leafy green fibre and make sure you get a smooth, lump free finish. There is nothing more off putting than a lumpy green drink.
Decide how thick and sweet you like your smoothies. I like my green smoothies quite savoury but this may be a bit too full on when you start out. You can vary the amount of fruit and liquid to get the consistency you love. Don’t be scared to play around with adding extra liquid and ice if the end result is a too thick. If you want to make your smoothie a little sweeter, try a few organic dates, raw honey or maple syrup.
Look out for organic kale and spinach on special at the supermarket and freeze it. Simply prepare it in smoothie portions. Rip the kale from the stems before freezing. That way you will always have greens ready for your daily dose of nutrient rich leafy greens.
If you follow the simple 60/40 principle you should have yourself a tasty, delicious and energising drink that you will want to drink every day. Try 60% fruit and 40% green veg. Once you get used to the savoury taste you can begin to change the ratio. Combine this with 2 cups of liquid – nut milk, coconut water, kombucha, leftover steamed veggie water, or filtered water.
There is a huge range of leafy green vegetables to add to your smoothie. Begin with baby spinach. It blends quickly and the flavour is easily disguised by fruit. Kale, collard greens, chard, romaine and green leafy herbs like cilantro, parsley and mint are all great. Once you get more adventurous and used to the strong flavour of savoury smoothies you can add celery, broccoli, rocket, cucumber and dandelion leaves.
Always make double so you have some extra you can store for later or the next day. They will keep for 3 days in a glass, airtight container. If you get too busy and tired later in the day you have an instant pick me up, ready to go.
Green smoothies can be awesome after a night out. They can reduce bloating and are a great way to start the day. If you are used to having cereal or toast for breakfast, try substituting with a green smoothie. They leave you feeling full and energised but without bloating of the stomach.
Consider boosting your smoothie with oils, seeds, colloidal minerals, nuts and superfood powders. This is a great way to add in extra nutrients. Flax seeds, hemp oil, coconut oil, spirulina, hemp seeds and colloidal minerals are some of my favourite ways to get extra goodness into my family. You can also turn your best smoothie into a smoothie bowl. Pack your smoothie bowl with super energy boosters such as Acai, Maca, Guarana, Ginseng, Yerba Mate, Cola Nut and Spirulina. Making smoothie bowls are easy and fun. Click here to find out how. http://www.passion4juice.com/blog/370-how-to-turn-your-favourite-smoothie-into-a-delicious-smoothie-bowl
If your family are not quite ready for green smoothies you can try making a healthy chocolate milkshake with baby spinach. Here is a delicious recipe that turns a school yard favourite into a nutrient loaded chocolate milkshake. http://www.passion4juice.com/blog/363-dairy-free-sugar-free-healthy-chocolate-milkshake-the-whole-family-will-love
Super Green Smoothie
1 banana
1 Mango
1 Cup coconut milk
1 Thumb fresh ginger
4 Ice Cubes
1 large handful of mixed kale and baby spinach.
Blend all ingredients until it is thick and creamy.
Tropical Delight Green smoothie
1 medium banana
1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup pineapple, fresh or frozen
1 handful baby spinach,fresh or frozen.
11/4 cups coconut milk from carton
4 Cubes of ice.
Blend on high speed for 1 minute or until all the green is smooth.
Super Green Goddess
This is perfect for a beginner’s smoothie as you don’t taste the spinach.
2 cups spinach
2 cups water
1 cup mango
1 cup pineapple
1 banana
Delicious coconut lime super green smoothie.
This smoothie is creamy and delicious. It is a little more advanced with the celery and kale, but the cashews make it heavenly.
1 handful kale
1 stick celery
Juice of 6 limes
1 litre coconut water
1 Apple, leave the peel on but remove the core
1 Cup home brewed kombucha for excellent gut health and added probiotics
4 ice cubes, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 cup cashews
1 banana
Blend for 2 mins on high to make it super smooth.
The Bees Knees
This is one of my favourite super green smoothie recipes and one I use to substitute breakfast. It is filling, energising and slightly savoury.
1 Cup of homemade Almond milk
1 handful Kale and baby spinach
1 few sprigs of mint and parsley
1 stick of celery
1 organic cucumber with the skin
1 apple – skin on but core removed
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup kombucha tea
1 cup coconut water
1 teaspoon colloidal minerals
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon super green powder
1 banana
1/ avocado
1 scoop of hemp seeds
1 pinch of chia seeds and a smidge of bee pollen.
