Basic Green Smoothie
Yesterday when we shared our 2012 foodie goals with you, the one at the top of our list was getting more fresh fruit and leafy greens into our diet. We promised you a killer green smoothie recipe, and here it is! Given our aversion to vegetables, we had been giving the skeptical side-eye to green smoothies for the better part of a year before we finally caved in and tried one. We love smoothies and we love fruit, and (shockingly) we even like spinach (although it has to be raw, like in a salad – we hate it cooked), but we just never thought we would like it. When we took our first sips, there was definite shock and awe – not only did we not gag, but we actually really, really liked it. Such a bright, fresh flavor and if you do happen to be spinach-averse the good news is that you absolutely cannot taste it at all. Seriously! It just tastes like a blend of banana and citrus – we love it!
Last year our mom and sister each did a pretty intense cleanse and our mom put together a binder of smoothie recipes that were in line with the cleanse guidelines. Not surprisingly, we are not a cleanse girl. Attempting to eliminate anything from our diet pretty much guarantees that we will crave it in 0.2 seconds. We just can’t do it, we love food too much. Instead, we stick to our “everything in moderation” and 80/20 rule of eating lighter 80% of the time so we can indulge and enjoy what we want the other 20% of the time. It pretty much works for us, but we know that we have trouble with fresh fruits and vegetables. We simply don’t eat enough of them. Enter the green smoothie – a great solution to our problem and A straightforward way to get 2+ servings of fruit and 2 cups of leafy greens into our daily diet without trying. We mixed and matched some different elements of the smoothie recipes our mom had saved, with this being our favorite combination.
This makes a little over 2 cups of smoothie – you can drink it all at once or separate it into two servings. When we make this we usually like to drink half for breakfast, and then save the second half for an afternoon snack. You can store your portions in airtight containers in the refrigerator. (we actually think the smoothie tastes even better when it’s well-chilled.) When you’re ready to drink, give them a good stir (it will thicken in the fridge) and enjoy!
Do you have any favorite smoothie recipes? Feel free to share them in the comments below, we're always looking for great new ideas!
Two years ago: Chocolate Babka
Four years ago: Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Basic Green Smoothie Recipe
Yield: 1 large smoothie (1 to 2 servings) A rich and lighter green smoothie- 2 cups (500 ml) cold water
- 1 banana, cut into chunks
- 1 orange, peeled and separated into segments
- ½ (0.5) apple, your favorite variety, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
- ½ (0.5) lemon, peeled and separated into segments
- ½- inch (0.5 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 cups (60 g) baby spinach
- Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth and completely combined.
- Drink all at once, or separate into two servings. The smoothie can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. When it comes out of the fridge, it will have thickened, so give it a brisk stir (or use a small whisk) and enjoy!
- Yield: 1 large smoothie (1 to 2 servings)
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Total: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups ( 500 ml ) cold water
- 1 banana, cut into chunks
- 1 orange, peeled and separated into segments
- ½ ( 0.5 ) apple, your favorite variety, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
- ½ ( 0.5 ) lemon, peeled and separated into segments
- ½- inch ( 0.5 inch ) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 cups ( 60 g ) baby spinach
Method
- Add all ingredients to a blender and puree until smooth and completely combined.
- Drink all at once, or separate into two servings. The smoothie can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. When it comes out of the fridge, it will have thickened, so give it a brisk stir (or use a small whisk) and enjoy!
