Green Smoothies

mlbazemore
mlbazemore Posts: 252 Member
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
My husband and I want to start drinking green smoothies, myself especially. I wanted to ask if anyone had any recommendations on blenders and tasty green smoothie recipes. I want a vitamix but is it really necessary to spend $500 on a blender. I love the warranty and I do plan on using it everyday if I can find smoothie recipes I like.
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Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I have a blender, and a nutribullet. I used a blender for about a year? Now, with the nutribullet I see how much easier it is, and how much better it blends the tougher stuff.
    And I like how small its "footprint" is and how easy it is to clean, and carry the drinks with me. Super convenient!
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
    I have a cheapish blender from Walmart (mayyyybe $50) and it works great for smoothies.
  • HeidiHirtle
    HeidiHirtle Posts: 126 Member
    I have a Vitamix, thankfully it was gifted to me by my mother who bought a new one. Now that I have one, I wouldn't NOT want to live without it. It makes way smoother smoothies than a regular blender. Recently the container "died" (20+ years old) and while waiting for the new one we ordered, we had to use our old blender. Oh my word, it was not enjoyable eating smoothies made in that!

    I generally start my day with a green smoothie. My hubby does too and says that when he's not feeling the greatest, having one makes him literally feel better pretty soon after.
  • fevrale
    fevrale Posts: 170 Member
    You can use any blender for green smoothies. You should just blend the greens in liquid (water, whatever you're using) first before adding the fruit and other ingredients to avoid the green leafy chunks. Simple Green Smoothies has a lot of recipes.

    I used to drink green smoothies before I began calorie counting...they're typically around 250-500 calories. But the calories can really creep up. I loved the idea of Simple Green Smoothie's Skinny Mint Smoothie (meant to be like a Shamrock shake) but the recipe adds up to over 700 calories.

    If they're a meal replacement (like breakfast), you're not counting calories, or have a higher calorie threshold, they're probably worth it. They just weren't worth it to me when I am trying to net 1200.
  • I have an old Vitamix and I don't care for it. My blender didn't blend smooth. I have a 3 yrs old Ninja and really liked it so for Christmas I got their Mega Kitchen which has 2 smoothie cups with lids to blend and go. Love it!!! Use it most every day.
  • mlbazemore
    mlbazemore Posts: 252 Member
    I have an old Vitamix and I don't care for it. My blender didn't blend smooth. I have a 3 yrs old Ninja and really liked it so for Christmas I got their Mega Kitchen which has 2 smoothie cups with lids to blend and go. Love it!!! Use it most every day.

    I had a ninja that I loved but I burnt the motor out...my first thought was to replace it but I've never made a green smoothie let alone in my ninja...I do miss it!
  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    I have a nutribullet. It does a good job. Put the greens and some of the liquid in first, blend, then add the rest of your ingredients. Makes for a smoother smoothie. :D I like spinach and dandelion greens.
  • mlbazemore wrote: »
    I have an old Vitamix and I don't care for it. My blender didn't blend smooth. I have a 3 yrs old Ninja and really liked it so for Christmas I got their Mega Kitchen which has 2 smoothie cups with lids to blend and go. Love it!!! Use it most every day.

    I had a ninja that I loved but I burnt the motor out...my first thought was to replace it but I've never made a green smoothie let alone in my ninja...I do miss it!

    Lol... I donated my old blender, was in need of a food processor and wanted to make smooth smoothies :-) and this has filled the slot! I did wait and shop around to catch it at a good $$!
  • Any good green recipes out there? Or ones using more veggies? I do have a tendency to make more fruity smoothies.
  • kathyk519
    kathyk519 Posts: 197 Member
    I use a blender for my smoothies. We do smoothies every morning for breakfast. (3 of us). We use:
    1/2 container unsweetened vanilla almond milk
    1/2 bag of frozen spinach
    1 banana
    5 frozen strawberries
    1/3 - 1/4 cup frozen pineapple tidbits
  • I have a ninja and love it for smoothies
  • questionfear
    questionfear Posts: 527 Member
    I make one most mornings, this makes two smoothies (my wife LOVES them so it works out well, we split a pitcher):

    2 small apples
    2 cups spinach
    1-2 cups water (depends on how thick or watery you want your smoothie, we usually do just about 1 cup)
    2 carrots OR 2 celery sticks (Depends on what we have around)
    1 teaspoon cinnamon

    You can add more cinnamon if you wish, or tweak the mix-ins, but I like using apples because they blend nicely and add natural sweetness. When you add the cinnamon it's very tasty! Depending on the size of your veggies and apples and which you use, the smoothie runs between 75-100 calories per serving, so it makes a great breakfast starter or mid-morning snack. Just beware that if it sits for a while you will need to stir it because there will be some unpleasant looking separation.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    mlbazemore wrote: »
    My husband and I want to start drinking green smoothies, myself especially. I wanted to ask if anyone had any recommendations on blenders and tasty green smoothie recipes. I want a vitamix but is it really necessary to spend $500 on a blender. I love the warranty and I do plan on using it everyday if I can find smoothie recipes I like.

    Vitamix is worth every penny. I have had mine for 13 years. IMO, nothing compares...
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    fevrale wrote: »
    You can use any blender for green smoothies.

    No you can not...

  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    fevrale wrote: »
    You can use any blender for green smoothies. You should just blend the greens in liquid (water, whatever you're using) first before adding the fruit and other ingredients to avoid the green leafy chunks. Simple Green Smoothies has a lot of recipes.

    I used to drink green smoothies before I began calorie counting...they're typically around 250-500 calories. But the calories can really creep up. I loved the idea of Simple Green Smoothie's Skinny Mint Smoothie (meant to be like a Shamrock shake) but the recipe adds up to over 700 calories.

    If they're a meal replacement (like breakfast), you're not counting calories, or have a higher calorie threshold, they're probably worth it. They just weren't worth it to me when I am trying to net 1200.

    Wow! What's the ingredients in that one? My shakes only come out to between 300 and 400 calories, and that is when I use 2 scoops of protein powder.

    I use about 2 cups of Spinach
    1 cup of unsweetened Almond milk
    1/2 to 1 frozen banana
    1 to 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
    2 T Splenda
    Around 1/4 t peppermint extract
    And a few ice cubes
    (If I want the extra calories I will also add about a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips, but it has to be really thick or they just sink to the bottom.)

  • fevrale
    fevrale Posts: 170 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    You can use any blender for green smoothies.

    No you can not...

    Yes, I can. And yes, I have. It's not "high performance" but it works.
  • fevrale
    fevrale Posts: 170 Member
    dave4d wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    You can use any blender for green smoothies. You should just blend the greens in liquid (water, whatever you're using) first before adding the fruit and other ingredients to avoid the green leafy chunks. Simple Green Smoothies has a lot of recipes.

    I used to drink green smoothies before I began calorie counting...they're typically around 250-500 calories. But the calories can really creep up. I loved the idea of Simple Green Smoothie's Skinny Mint Smoothie (meant to be like a Shamrock shake) but the recipe adds up to over 700 calories.

    If they're a meal replacement (like breakfast), you're not counting calories, or have a higher calorie threshold, they're probably worth it. They just weren't worth it to me when I am trying to net 1200.

    Wow! What's the ingredients in that one? My shakes only come out to between 300 and 400 calories, and that is when I use 2 scoops of protein powder.

    I use about 2 cups of Spinach
    1 cup of unsweetened Almond milk
    1/2 to 1 frozen banana
    1 to 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
    2 T Splenda
    Around 1/4 t peppermint extract
    And a few ice cubes
    (If I want the extra calories I will also add about a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips, but it has to be really thick or they just sink to the bottom.)


    http://simplegreensmoothies.com/green-smoothie-recipes/skinny-mint-green-smoothie

    It's not an everyday type smoothie for sure but, still, the calories can really add up sometimes. It looks really good though. I liked adding mint to regular green smoothies for the refreshing and cooling feeling.

  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    fevrale wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    You can use any blender for green smoothies.

    No you can not...

    Yes, I can. And yes, I have. It's not "high performance" but it works.

    Sorry but the vitamix is the only blender that completely obliterates all the ingredients to make a perfect drink. I have tried others and the smoothies have all come out gritty... never smooth. I have been making smoothies for over 10 years so I have plenty of experience...
  • fevrale
    fevrale Posts: 170 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    You can use any blender for green smoothies.

    No you can not...

    Yes, I can. And yes, I have. It's not "high performance" but it works.

    Sorry but the vitamix is the only blender that completely obliterates all the ingredients to make a perfect drink. I have tried others and the smoothies have all come out gritty... never smooth. I have been making smoothies for over 10 years so I have plenty of experience...


    You don't have to be sorry. Not everyone is seeking the same elusive smoothie perfection.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    fevrale wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    You can use any blender for green smoothies.

    No you can not...

    Yes, I can. And yes, I have. It's not "high performance" but it works.

    Sorry but the vitamix is the only blender that completely obliterates all the ingredients to make a perfect drink. I have tried others and the smoothies have all come out gritty... never smooth. I have been making smoothies for over 10 years so I have plenty of experience...


    You don't have to be sorry. Not everyone is seeking the same elusive smoothie perfection.

    You clearly have not had a good one yet. If you did, you would know...
  • fevrale
    fevrale Posts: 170 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    You can use any blender for green smoothies.

    No you can not...

    Yes, I can. And yes, I have. It's not "high performance" but it works.

    Sorry but the vitamix is the only blender that completely obliterates all the ingredients to make a perfect drink. I have tried others and the smoothies have all come out gritty... never smooth. I have been making smoothies for over 10 years so I have plenty of experience...


    You don't have to be sorry. Not everyone is seeking the same elusive smoothie perfection.

    You clearly have not had a good one yet. If you did, you would know...

    I'll add it to my bucket list so as to not offend the blender gods. :)
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I love my nutribullet - blends everything nice and smooth.
  • mlbazemore
    mlbazemore Posts: 252 Member
    I make one most mornings, this makes two smoothies (my wife LOVES them so it works out well, we split a pitcher):

    2 small apples
    2 cups spinach
    1-2 cups water (depends on how thick or watery you want your smoothie, we usually do just about 1 cup)
    2 carrots OR 2 celery sticks (Depends on what we have around)
    1 teaspoon cinnamon

    This sounds delicious... Does it taste like apple pie, or is that just wishful thinking:-)

  • mlbazemore
    mlbazemore Posts: 252 Member
    dave4d wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »

    just weren't w

    Wow! What's the ingredients in that one? My shakes only come out to between 300 and 400 calories, and that is when I use 2 scoops of protein powder.

    I use about 2 cups of Spinach
    1 cup of unsweetened Almond milk
    1/2 to 1 frozen banana
    1 to 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
    2 T Splenda
    Around 1/4 t peppermint extract
    And a few ice cubes
    (If I want the extra calories I will also add about a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips, but it has to be really thick or they just sink to the bottom.)
    dave4d wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    I use about 2 cups of Spinach
    1 cup of unsweetened Almond milk
    1/2 to 1 frozen banana
    1 to 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
    2 T Splenda
    Around 1/4 t peppermint extract
    And a few ice cubes
    (If I want the extra calories I will also add about a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips, but it has to be really thick or they just sink to the bottom.)

    I'm sure I didn't do this quote right but I'm new the the MFP app and I got tired of fulling with it...kinda new to cell phones all around....Anyway....I just wanted to say that this recipe sounds good, almost like a thin mint, which happens to be my favorite girl scout cookie 8*]

  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    fevrale wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    fevrale wrote: »
    You can use any blender for green smoothies.

    No you can not...

    Yes, I can. And yes, I have. It's not "high performance" but it works.

    I agree. It certainly is nice to be able to spend hundreds of dollars on a vitamix but if you can't afford a luxury like that a less expensive blender most certainly does the job.

    I stumbled on a fantastic deal in Walmart one time and got a $90 Ninja for $24.97. Best deal ever. Love the Ninja...it does a better job than a regular blender...but if a regular blender is your only option don't let that hold you back.

  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »

    Sorry but the vitamix is the only blender that completely obliterates all the ingredients to make a perfect drink. I have tried others and the smoothies have all come out gritty... never smooth. I have been making smoothies for over 10 years so I have plenty of experience...

    That's like telling people that only a Porsche will get them to their destination.
  • Laughter_Girl
    Laughter_Girl Posts: 2,226 Member
    I have a Nutribullet, and I love it. My go to smoothie is as follows:

    1/2c unsweetened almond milk
    2 1/2c spinach or kale
    1/4c of pineapple chunks
    1/4c of strawberries
    1 small pear
    1 serving of vanilla protein powder

    It's absolutely delicious. :smile:
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I have the $50 George Foreman blender, it mixes everything no problem
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,002 Member
    I have had my vitamix for over 13 years. So in that sense, it really is not that expensive...
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    edited February 2015
    Good for you. I have had my $100 Oster blender for 19 years. Your point?
This discussion has been closed.