Green smoothies sound, well, green and honestly when I started making them many years ago they actually tasted like freshly mown grass. Not fun, but I would choke them down for the health benefits! The deliciousness has come a long way since then and now I savor, rather than just try to get through, the smoothies. And I can attest to their skin glowing power, not to mention the energy!
It’s fun to experiment with combinations and find new favorites. There are so many options. Try different fruits (apples, berries, oranges, banana) and vegetables (cucumber, lettuce, carrots), yogurt (watch the sugar content), and add-ins for super, extra health benefits (suggestions below). Green smoothies are a fast and easy breakfast you can take on the go on those extra busy mornings and pack a big nutritional punch as well.
I like to start with a big handful of spinach leaves as a base. You could use kale if you want. Then I add half a banana, a handful of ice, a cup or so of plant milk, a teaspoon of spirulina and vegan protein powder. That is my plain old go-to smoothie. Some days I’ll add a 1/4 avocado for some extra good fat. Some days I’ll use a handful of raw nuts, such as almonds or cashews and 1-2 cups of water to make the nut milk at the same time as the smoothie – just throw it all in together! Print
Base smoothie – modify to your heart’s desire!
Prep Time 5 minutes Servings 1 Author Claire Bartlett
Ingredients
- Handful ice cubes
- Big handful spinach leaves
- 1/2 banana
- 1-2 cups almond/cow’s milk, depending on your desired consistency
- 1 tsp spirulina
- 1 serving protein powder
Instructions
- Throw everything (in the order listed) into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth (1-2 minutes).
You could also add in superfoods or adaptogens such as maca – for an energy boost or hemp, chia seeds or flax seed meal – for omega three goodness.
The kiddos love blueberries and yogurt added to the base smoothie and over the summer we tried out the Summer Smoothie recipe below, which was definitely kid-approved (many times). I did try adding a couple of mint leaves, which I liked, but it was definitely not kid-approved! Print
Kid-Approved Summer Smoothie
Prep Time 5 minutes Servings 3 Author Claire Bartlett
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1/2 banana
- 2 handfuls spinach leaves
- 1 handful of raw unsalted cashews
- Dash honey or 1 medjool date (pitted), if vegan
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Throw everything (in the order listed) into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth (1-2 minutes).
Have fun with your smoothie creativity and let me know your fave combination!
Love,
Claire.
freespiritedsisters.com 