If you have been looking at any blogs similar to the ones I follow, you will have noticed by now that everyone has a green smoothie recipe that they rave about. Well, I am no different! I made a couple attempts at trying them in the weeks prior to this, but have always had trouble finishing them, and I only did because I knew what I was doing was good. That is because I foolishly looked at the ingredients and thought, "nutbutter and spinach? no way that could be good!". Well, let me tell you that I finally tried it, and boy did that make a difference!
In case you don't know, green smoothies are an excellent way to incorporate those really, really, really good nutrients in an easy, delicious way. And you will probably get a lot more in than you would if you tried to just eat each ingredient on it's own.
I adapted my recipe from one of my favorite blogs, "Oh She Glows", http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/13/classic-green-monster/. This is yet another one of those recipes that you will adapt and change with what you have in the fridge, but I have found that having a few of the ingredients is a must, at least when you are just starting out on the Green Smoothie train. I use my immersion blender to make my smoothies, and I fill up the blender cup most of the way with spinach. Obviously, any leafy green works here, but I typically get some really yummy spinach in my Veggie Delivery. Being a green smoothie, this is an important ingredient. The next thing, which surprised me, was the nut butter. You could use peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, whatever you like. But this adds a bit of protein, and oddly enough cuts the spinach taste in the most wonderful way!. I use about one and a half tablespoons. The next ingredient that is a super nice boost is a tablespoon of coconut oil. It's got natural antibiotic and antifungal properties, plus it's loaded with healthy fat. Score! Then I add in a tablespoon or two of ground flax meal. This has good Omega 3 fatty acids, and also is a really good way to keep things....regular. If you are not accustomed to using flax seed meal, start with a small amount and work your way up. Trust me. The final important aspect of this is to put some kind of frozen fruit in. Bananas are really easy, inexpensive, and taste great with the mix. Next you can add in yoghurt, almond milk, fruit puree, honey, or a number of other fruits and veggies you have around. If you use too many berries, your smoothie may not be green. This may or may not help the look of your drink!
As you can tell by my excessive use of exclamation points, I feel really good after having a few of these. The other reason why I love these, is that it actually makes me feel full for a long time, which is really hard to do. My other recommendation is to only make what you will drink in one sitting. These will not hold up well in the fridge, unfortunately. Especially if you decide to throw an avocado in there. That will taste great, but it will turn brown after a little while. That is not appetizing. Anyway, I get to fill up the cup my immersion blender came with, and it's enough for two normal people (i.e. two of these mason jars), or one nursing Mom.
1 frozen banana
1 handful of spinach
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1.5 tablespoons of ground flax meal
1.5 tablespoons nut butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
enough liquid (almond milk, pear puree, orange juice, etc) to blend
Possible additions/substitutions: kale, collard greens, mixed greens, lettuce, yard greens, cucumber, carrots, avocado, mango, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries...you get the idea! Try to have more veggies than fruit though!
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