A green smoothie is a delicious drink made with green leafy vegetables and fruit. With one green smoothie you can consume 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables!  Green Smoothies are simple to make. Take any fresh greens you like and blend them with your favorite fruits in a small amount of water. If you’re not crazy about the taste of greens, don’t worry. The sweet fruits cover up the flavor of the greens so these smoothies can actually be quite delicious. Use different produce throughout the week so you get the full spectrum of nutrition. Here are my green smoothie tips…

1. The basic recipe is 50/50 ratio of fruits and greens with enough water to blend into a smooth drink. You can even use herbs and other vegetables if you like such as celery and cucumber. But try and stay away from the starchy vegetables for better digestibility and lower sugar content.

2. If your palate is not accustomed to the taste of greens then start with milder tasting greens such as spinach, kale, collards and chard.

3. Tasty fruits to consider are berries, bananas, mangos, papayas, lemon, pears, apples, oranges, pineapples and kiwis.  (Note for diabetics: Fruits with high amounts of glucose such as bananas, dates, grapes, watermelon, and oranges should be eaten only in small amounts as they can spike blood glucose levels.  Good fruits for diabetics are apples, pears, blueberries, apricots, kiwis, pomegranates, avocados, pears, guavas and mangos.

4. Use a greater percentage of fruit than greens until your taste buds adapt. Overtime, as you get more used to the taste, then you can add more greens than fruit, and eventually try some of the stronger greens as well, like dandelion and cilantro.

5. Throughout the week, rotate your ingredients to keep your smoothie interesting and tasty and so you get a variety of nutrients. The variety of flavors and combinations for green smoothies is endless. Have fun experimenting and creating your own recipes!

6. I highly recommend organic produce so that you’re not drinking harmful pesticides. Or, if not organic, make sure you wash your produce really well.

7. If you do not own a high powered blender (like Vitamix or Blendtec) then make sure you cut up your produce in smaller pieces and blend longer so you end up with a smooth and yummy drink.

8. If your palate is more used to the stimulating taste of processed food then you may have to add a dab of healthy sweetener like raw honey or stevia for awhile until your taste buds adjust to the natural flavors of health foods.

9. Be open to trying new things!

Capture the benefits of Earth’s superfoods and try a yummy green smoothie!

Recipes:
Mango Madness Green Smoothie
Jeanette’s Emerald Essence

Please share your experience, ideas and questions below. Thanks!