green smoothie

I do that for most lunches (and I usually have some leftover for snacks). My office is next to the house, so it makes it easier to do it mid-day, and I can generally blend and then take it to the computer, so it's a quick lunch to boot.

1) Vitamix (or similar). I don't recommend juicing as it's a PAIN to clean and you lose a lot with it.
2) I use either water or unsweetened almond milk. Choose your liquid wisely as it can introduce all kinds of nasty into that good juice.
3) I mix it up based on what I have around and the season. We have a large garden, so I toss in whatever I'm growing if in the summer. In the winter, it depends on what I can find that's fresh from the store. But I always (always) use two main solids as a base, and that's apples and bananas. Apples for the sweet, and bananas to thicken some (and sweet if ripe). If you don't like banana, consider avocado. I use avocado for blending my own tomato soup (in the vitamix [or similar]) as it thickens it and makes it creamy. I expect it would do the same for a smoothie.

Sample recipe:
* 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
* 2 apples
* 2 bananas
* 3 cups (roughly) spinach
* 2 cups kale
* a couple collard green leaves
* watercress if I have it
* goji berries if I have them

I had some lettuce yesterday that I knew I wouldn't get around to eating as a salad so I tossed that in. Basically, toss in your liquid and fill to the top with greens. Blend quickly just to break it down to make room for the rest. Add cored apple, whole bananas, and whatever else you want. I'll then add two double handfulls of ice - very important as warm green juice is pretty nasty. Toss on the juice setting and I run it through twice to break it down fully. By blending the greens first I don't have to use the tamper.

I'll include a carrot (just toss in whole), have used beet (again, whole), broccoli, blueberries, strawberries, almonds (whole - they grind up very fine in the vitamix), and just used up my last bit of rainbow chard. It makes quite a bit, but I'll drink 1/2 of it for lunch and then toss the rest in a jar and have it as juice for snacks. As you change ingredients, you change taste, so you don't get bored. I've even tossed in a handful of peanuts (not too many - strong flavor).

Bonus: Strawberry smoothie
* 2 cups of almond milk
* 1 back of O Organic Strawberries
* 2 bananas
* if strawberries are sweet, no need to sweeten, but if not so much, I'll toss in a bit of stevia

Killer snack for the family. Lost 50 lbs since doing that, my bp has dropped from 160/98 to 115/65, my cholesterol was 137 last month, and I'm not sick of it. Figure you're getting exactly the same as if you'd eaten it, but you're actually able to absorb more of the good stuff, and it doesn't upset your stomach (NO upset from doing it this way!). It's also not concentrating the calories since you're still getting the entire package, just broken down extra.

I make a green smoothie nearly every day, usually as a snack between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner.

My liquid of choice is usually coconut water: you get added flavor with far fewer calories than something like orange juice, for example. I use about three cups of baby spinach, or sometimes kale if I happen to have it, a banana, and then usually some kind of frozen fruit. Trader Joe's has really good prices on decent sized bags of organic frozen fruit like mango, pineapple, tropical blends that have banana and strawberries, etc. Or, if we happen to find something like pineapple or mango on sale, we'll chop it up and pop it in the freezer ourselves. I just find it to be a great way to keep your smoothies cold without adding ice, but that's just my personal preference.

You can also play around with things like chia seed, hemp hearts, flax seeds, all super good for you and hidden in a smoothie is a great way to get them into your diet.

Thank you, love to share more green smoothie recipes.....especially if they are low calorie and healthy

Sipping on mine now. Mmmm.

http://ohsheglows.com/recipage/?search_term=beverage&ui=133&c=1

I would like to add green smoothies to my diet....I will, I just have a hard time with how they look. I'll just close my eyes.

usually works for most of the ladies

Hi! Thanks for the recipes and tips! How do you calculate your calories with the smoothies?

this is what i eat for breakfast most days before i leave the house:

-1 cup unsweetened almond milk (usually vanilla flavoured--i choose this over coconut due to the added calcium)
-1/2 frozen banana
-1 cup frozen berry mix (whatever giant bag is on sale at time of purchase)
-1 scoop whey protein (also usually vanilla flavoured)
-a couple handfuls of greens (spinach, kale, broccoli, whatever)

works out to about 275-300 calories

i found myself getting hungry sooner than seemed reasonable, so now i have a small handfull of almonds when i get to the office. the delicious fat seems to hold me until lunch.

I have a green smoothie daily for breakfast and have for years. It keeps me full until lunch and I look forward to it every day! Here is my basic recipe that serves 2:

1 c. almond milk
1 c. greek yogurt
4 c. (or more) greens (spinach/kale/collard greens)
1 wedge cabbage
10 baby carrots
1 two-inch slice zucchini
1 two-inch slice yellow squash
1 banana
1 c. frozen pineapple
1 c. frozen strawberries
1 c. frozen raspberry/blueberry/blackberry blend

If you are new to green smoothies, start with less greens and gradually increase as you get used to it. You need a GOOD blender. I have a Vitamix but my daughter has Blendtec and it's also good. It's important to blend your liquids and greens first, then add the fruit and blend again. You can get more greens this way. I add the liquid and pack the blender FULL of greens, but once blended, it's only a little more than 1/2 the blender.

I add other things sometimes too --- chia seeds, flax seed, other fruits/veggies as I have them. Sometimes I add honey if I taste it and it's not as sweet as I would like. I buy all my frozen fruits/berries at Costco -- they are the least expensive around.

I am getting an Optimum blender next weekend and plan on doing lots of green smoothies!