Have you ever wondered what the green smoothie craze was all about? I mean a fruit smoothie with nice sweet things added, sherbet, fruit juice, etc. sounds good. But why would anyone want to ruin something so good with green things?
Health is the answer. No surprise, right? But health does not need to be a death sentence for taste—I promise. Green can and should taste amazing. We can get our veggies and enjoy the experience. In fact, if you are trying to get more veggies into your diet and struggling with massive helpings of green things at lunch and dinner, I say get a head start on the day and drink some of your veggies for breakfast. And enjoy the experience!
Let me share my quick and easy smoothie recipe that I used this morning for breakfast. I call it the *”Running Late” Quick and Tasty Green Smoothie.* It is just easy and quick and delicious. I literally made it on the way out the door as I was running a bit late getting my daughter to school today. Here’s how to do it:
In a blender, put two firmly packed cups of spinach and two cups of water. Blend on low for about 30 seconds and then turn up the speed to medium high for another 90 seconds.
With the blender off, add two cups of frozen fruit. I like peaches and mangos, about a cup of each. This morning, being rushed, I pulled out a bag of organic mixed fruit with peaches mangos, pineapple, and strawberries. Blend the fruit in first on low and then gradually moving up to high as the fruit begins to break down. Blend until smooth. Usually 2-4 minutes. I also added a 1/4 teaspoon of liquid stevia as an additional sweetener.
This yields about 32 ounces of green smoothie. I drank the first half right away and then sipped the rest for the next hour or so.
Simple, quick, and crazy healthy. I mean I ate (drank) two cups of vitamin and protein-rich spinach before 9 AM. The best part is that after starting the day that way, I am more likely to eat healthy the rest of the day. Why throw away a good start, right?
Here’s the recipe in an easy to follow format that you can save or print:
“Running Late” Quick and Tasty Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
2 Cups Firmly packed spinach
2 Cups Water
1 Cup Frozen Peach Slices
1 Cup Frozen Mango Chunks
1/4 tsp Liquid Stevia
Directions:
– Blend spinach and water, first on low and then medium high for 90 seconds.
– Add frozen peaches and blend on high for 60 seconds
– Add frozen mango and blend on high for another 60 seconds
– Add the liquid stevia and blend for another 30 seconds
– Pour into glass and serve (or pour into a shaker bottle if your rushing out the door).
– Enjoy a tasty and healthy green smoothie.
I’ll post other smoothie recipes in the coming weeks. It’s alway nice to have some variety.
And for those who would like to substitute, please do. These smoothies are easy to adjust. Don’t have or want to use stevia? Try honey or add extra fruit. Substitute almond or cashew milk for some or all of the water if you want a creamier consistency.
Also, if you are using a high powered blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec, you’ll make quick work of the frozen fruit. If using a lower powered blender, don’t worry, just go slower when adding the frozen fruit to avoid binding the blender.
Enjoy!