Green Smoothies You'll Actually Drink
Happy New Year! I have gained almost 15lbs back from the 70 that I initially lost. Why? Because I stopped doing what I was supposed to do. I overate. I didn’t eat mindfully. I ignored the diet my doctor suggested. Lesson learned. I don’t know why I’m like that. I don’t know why I’m arrogant and think “Oh, I’ll just restart tomorrow!” Because tomorrow never comes. It’s always the next tomorrow. Ugh.
That being said, my plan is to do the right things. That starts with going back to having a green smoothie for breakfast. Every. Day. This is super hard for me because my favorite foods are breakfast foods. In order to do this though; I need to caveat that if I do not have a green smoothie for breakfast. I will substitute one for lunch or dinner. The key here is to get the nutrients and the GREENS. I’m not a nutritionist. I don’t pretend to know anything other than, when I drink a green smoothie for breakfast; I tend to make better food decisions throughout the day.
So if you’ve ever looked at someone’s green smoothie and thought “ewwwwww, gross” let me tell you, you’re not alone, but you also might be wrong. Here are some green smoothie recipes that actually taste good, are good for you, and will help you get more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet.
Greens - choose baby spinach, mixed organic baby greens (mix of kale, chard, spinach). If you use straight kale; it will overpower the taste and if you don’t like the “green” taste… you won’t drink them. Mild greens like spinach work best.
Measurements: I use a Nutribullet and I make mine within the cup size provided. You can eyeball the fruit and vegetable servings but alway use at least a handful of greens.
Fruit: My fruit is usually frozen (except for the banana and avocado) - this serves two purposes; it keeps the smoothie super cold and I avoid having my fruit go bad before I get to use it. Win win. Also, you’ll notice I use pineapple in all my smoothies. Pineapple provides the sweetness. This makes it palatable. If you don’t like it so sweet, skip the pineapple if you like. But I would caution against adding artificial sweeteners or honey.
Liquids: Coconut water is used only sparingly as it has a lot of sugar and you’re already getting a lot of sugar from the fruits so use ONLY if you are willing to intake that sugar. My favorite liquid that I use is Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk (Kirkland from Costco). It’s only 30 calories and it mellows out the tart fruit flavors and makes the smoothies a bit more creamy and the vanilla is very subtle.
Supplements: The ONLY supplement I ever use is Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides. I have never liked the way protein powders taste, feel, etc. but this particular one adds zero flavor and blends smoothly with the fruits and vegetables. I does give it a more creamy texture but that’s what you’re looking for. It’s not noticeable with or without it but the benefits it provides make it worth the addition.
Tropical Smoothie - greens, 1/2 banana, pineapple, mango, coconut water, unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Cherry Peach Smoothie- greens, 1/2 avocado, pineapple, cherries, peaches, unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Berry Good Smoothie - greens, 1/2 banana, zucchini, pineapple, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Strawberry Banana Smoothie - greens, 1/2 banana, strawberries, pineapple, carrots, unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Green Apple Smoothie - greens, 1/2 avocado, zucchini, pineapple, apple, cooked frozen butternut squash, unsweetened vanilla almond milk
