Green Smoothies Made Simple

Smoothies are an easy way to ensure you are getting your daily vitamins and nutrients. In just a matter of minutes you can have a daily dose of fruits and vegetables whether you are 5 months old or 105 years old. Let your taste and desire for good nutrition determine the best green smoothie recipe for you.

To some, green smoothies may be a bit intimidating. I mean, the drink is green after all. No worries, green is a natural and pretty color. Only when people associate green with healthy and icky does
it get a bad rap, otherwise it is just another pretty color of drink, like pink, purple, blue or white—all can be natural colors for smoothies.

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Some helpful books on green smoothies:

• Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko
• Green Smoothie Bible by Kristine Miles
• The Healthy Green Drink Diet by Jason Manheim

When I began making green smoothies for my family I started with only a few leaves of spinach and added my normal amount of fruit. There was no change in taste. I began adding more greens and equal fruits. I had a thought, if I could add greens I could add other vegetables. This is not rocket science and could not believe I had not thought of this sooner (think V-8).

I began adding carrots and even sprouts to my fruit smoothies. As for the sprouts, make sure you have a super-powered blender (think Blendtec or Vitamix) to blend them up smooth, or lots of sweet fruits to mask the powerful taste of some sprouts. If your family is not used to the taste of fresh sprouts you will get some instant feedback about the taste.

Today our greens smoothies are little fruit and mostly veggies and our ice cream is green too. There is nothing sweeter to a mom’s heart than to hear her children ask for Green Ice Cream after dinner. Ice Cream made in our High-Powered Blender with all natural ingredients, including lots of spinach to make it a beautiful green. But, I might add, this did not happen over night in our family. It took some time of me slowly incorporating and teaching my family the benefits of good nutrition.

Green smoothies should not be scary at all. They are quite simple and nearly impossible to mess up. So simple your children could make them, and even shop for their own special green leafy veggies to go in their smoothie. If your green smoothie tastes ‘too green’, then add more bananas or other sweet fruit or natural sweetener, such as orange juice concentrate or honey.

To begin with there are only a few ingredients you must have on hand when preparing your green smoothie.

• Leafy greens
• Liquid (water or fruit juice)
• Fruits

What you add to this determines the taste and nutrition level. For your first green smoothie, I recommend that you just start by adding a few greens to your favorite fruit smoothie. Once you break the ice you will be ready to experiment with different recipes.

The following chart gives you an idea of how to create a green smoothie to your liking and skill level (I am sure you didn’t know smoothie making is a skill).

Tasty Green Smoothie = Green Leafy Veggie + Liquid (H2O) + Fruit + Spices

Just use the table below to mix and match whatever you have in your kitchen to make your first green smoothie.

Beginner

• Green: Spinach
• Liquid (use one) : Fruit juice; Water + 100% OJ concentrate
• Fruit (use one or both): Bananas; Blueberries

Intermediate

• Green (use one or both) Spinach; Kale
• Liquid (use one): Water; Fruit juice
• Fruit (use one or more): Bananas; Blueberries; Apples; Grapes; Dates

Advanced

• Green (use one or more): Spinach; Kale; Bok choy; Collard greens; Cabbage greens; Swiss Chard; Beet Greens
• Liquid (use one): Water; Fruit Juice; Apple Cider; Pineapple Juice; etc.
• Fruits/veggies/spices (use one or more): Carrots; Beets (top & root); Lemon & Ginger root; Pumpkin; Cinnamon; Herbs (mint); Tomatoes

For one of my favorite green smoothie recipes click here.

Green Details …
Spinach is a mild and sweet green (as far as greens go) and is easy to mask in taste. It is a good source of dietary fiber, protein, and Vitamins A, K, C and E.

Kale can be a bitter green, but is labeled a cancer-fighting super-food. Make it a staple in your house.

Collards have more of a ‘green taste’, but are a healthy green nonetheless. They have the ability to lower cholesterol and contain cancer-preventative properties.

Blender Considerations …
Your green smoothie experience will vary based on the type of blender you are using. For instance, if you are using a hand blender or small … low power blender like the Magic Bullet … be prepared for small bits of spinach leaves to be left un-blended in the smoothie.

There is a significant difference in the silky smooth texture produced by a professional grade blender versus the chunky lumpy texture of the cheaper lower speed machines. The super high blade speeds produced by top end blenders literally explode the food into small bits versus cutting the food with razor sharp blades. One machine can not be compared to the other, so if you have an opportunity to test one out do take advantage of the opportunity. Especially if you are on the fence about upgrading to one of the more expensive blenders.

Most people find chunks and lumps to be very unappealing and I think this results in them making fewer smoothies. For my family of four the investment in a professional grade blender was a worthwhile investment for producing super smooth smoothies that get rave reviews.

April Jones is the publisher of Kitchen-Blender-Reviews.com. She is very passionate about green smoothies, healthy eating and teaching others the value of eating a balanced, nutritious diet.

• Here are more of VegKitchen’s recipes for green smoothies.
• For more ways to stay healthy and go raw, visit VegKitchen’s Raw Vegan Kitchen.
• For lots more features on healthy lifestyle, please explore VegKitchen’s Healthy Vegan Kitchen page.