Green Smoothies – Going for Greens
It’s been green smoothies for breakfast for us for a week now. We were inspired by the passion of our dear friends Olivia and Christopher. They’ve been drinking green smoothies daily for about two months and loving how great they feel. We left their home excited to give green smoothies a try.
Over the week, with my recipe-centric mind and inclination, I’ve created a basic recipe with lots of room for you to make substitutions, additions and deletions. Today’s green smoothie was the best so far with greens and veggies outnumbering the fruit about 2:1.
In the beginning
Just starting out, most people prefer more fruit than greens in about a 3:2 ratio. We did. We used more fruit the first couple of days, thinking that too many greens would make our green smoothies too “green” to enjoy.
Fortunately (for our health) we’ve come to appreciate greener-tasting green smoothies. Perhaps not a coincidence that today, Saint Patrick’s Day, we enjoyed our greenest green smoothie of the week.
Nutrient boosters and flavor enhancers
I’ve also experimented a bit with a few nutrient boosters and flavor 
enhancers. Early on I added a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. Then I switched to matcha green tea powder. My current favorite nutrient booster is Dr Schulze’s Superfood Plus powder. Other possible boosters to try alone or in combination: hemp seeds, flax seeds, almond or other nut butter, coconut oil, cinnamon, cayenne, etc. 😉
This is such a fluid recipe. Play and experiment and come up with your own favorite blend. What can you add to increase the nutrients? Vary the taste? Make it thicker/thinner? Increase your energy?
A note on the health benefit of green smoothies
“An even more efficient way [other than chewing really well] to ensure you receive these needed nutrients is using a blender to purée raw, leafy greens. The blending process aids your body in the work of breaking down and assimilating nutrients. It guarantees that a higher percentage of nutrients will be absorbed into your bloodstream. Making “green smoothies” or “blended salads” is also a delicious and convenient way to pump up your consumption of greens.”
Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Eat for Health
Green Smoothies
For the highest amount of available nutrients, soak the almonds (or other nuts) in water for at least 8 hours before blending. For greens I’m currently using Costco’s organic Power Greens blend of kale, chard and spinach. Do adjust the amounts and ingredients to your taste, the season and what you have in your fridge that needs to be enjoyed.
A high-speed blender works the best in creating super smooth, velvety textured green smoothies. Plus you can make a lot at a time. Place any leftover smoothie in a container with an airtight lid to limit oxidation before storing in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Note: with a regular blender, make less and blend longer. To keep your mixture from getting too hot, replace some of the water with ice cubes.
Makes 6-7 cups
Start to Finish 10 minutes Printer-Friendly Recipe
Ingredients
Nut and Seed Milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds soaked in ½ cup water for 5 minutes
½ cup pre-soaked whole almonds, drained
3 cups water
2-3 Medjool dates, pitted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch Himalayan or Celtic salt
Options: cashews, hazelnuts, coconut, etc.
Nutrient boosters, flavor enhancers
1-2 tablespoons Dr Schulze Superfood Plus powder
Options: matcha, unsweetened cocoa powder, hemp seeds, flax seeds, almond or other nut butter, coconut oil, cinnamon, cayenne, etc.
Greens and Vegetables
4 or more large handfuls (4 ounces/4 packed cups) greens of choice (I use Costco’s organic mix of kale, chard and spinach)
½ avocado, peeled
1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch chunks
Options: Chinese cabbage, watercress, arugula, romaine lettuce, cucumber, fresh ginger, fresh herbs, etc.
Fruit
1 cup fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, cut into1-inch chunks
½ -1 frozen banana, cut into 1-inch rounds
½ apple, cored, cut into 1-inch chunks
Options: berries, orange, kiwi, peach, mango, grapes, pomegranate arils, etc.
Instructions
- Put the soaked chia seeds with their water, the drained, soaked almonds, water,
Medjool dates, vanilla, salt and Superfood powder in the blender jar of a high-speed blender. Blend on the highest speed for 1 ½ minutes. - Add the greens and prepared vegetables. Blend on the highest speed for 1 minute.
- Add the prepared fruit. Blend on the highest speed for 1 minute until smooth.
- Enjoy immediately. Or store in the refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 2 days.