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Monday, January 14, 2013

Green Smoothies - Not Love at First Taste

I have to say that I didn't jump right onto the Green Smoothie band wagon.  In fact at first I absolutely despised green smoothies!  The thought of actually drinking spinach made my stomach turn (and I love spinach)!  So what changed you might ask?



Well, my entire perspective on the Green Smoothie changed when I simply just started experimenting with different flavor combinations in my blender (Oh, and the fact that they are insanely good for you helped too)!  You see I always like to challenge myself when it comes to New Years resolutions.  And I always have at least one New Years resolution focused around health and nutrition, and drinking 2-3 Green smoothies a week def. fits the bill!  

I  knew if I was going to be successful in accomplishing this little New Years resolution of mine that I better find a combination of fruits and veggies I actually liked!  

I started by looking at popular recipes online and then just started throwing random fruits and veggies together in my blender.  I have tried countless fruits and veggies; bananas, spinach kiwi, apples... the list could go on.  And I didn't only experiment with fruits and veggies but bases as well - like water, coconut water, milk and kefir all of which added a slightly different texture, consistency and flavor! 

So what Green Smoothie has been my favorite so far - Pineapple Banana! 

Pineapple Banana Green Smoothie:
Serves 1 

3/4 Cups Frozen or Fresh Pineapple (I like Frozen Trader Joe's Pineapple Tidbits - they blend well!) 
1 Ripe Banana (Since I use frozen fruit I don't freeze my banana) 
2 Handfuls of Baby Spinach 
1-1.5 Cups Water (or Coconut water) 
1 Spoonful of Vanilla Protein Powder (optional - I don't always use) 
Ginger

1 - Place everything but your spinach and iceberg lettuce in your blender and blend until smooth. 
2- In small batches blend your spinach and iceberg lettuce into your smoothie until there are no large chunks. 
3-Pour into a glass and enjoy! 

Often times I take my green smoothie to work with me.  If I make it the night before I just pout it into a sealable container (I love blender bottles, they stay sealed tight) and pop it in the fridge! 


Tell me - Do you like Green Smoothies? What is your favorite one?