There are countless recipes to make green smoothies – you can tweak them to suit your mood or your ingredients on hand.

Here is a look at the ingredients I like to put in my typical green smoothie. It’s a good idea to switch up some of the basics or go simple sometimes too. 

One thing you may notice missing – spinach, kale or swiss chard – my Go To Greens.

I am out at the moment but have some sprouts in my sprouter, so that’s what I am using.

You can buy organic greens at the grocery store or your local health food dealer but you can also grow your own a lot cheaper with much less packaging. More on that coming up along with some more great smoothie ideas.

Remember to buy organic when you can – it is better for your health as well as your compost (invaluable when you continue the cycle and grow more of your own veggies and fruits.)

HOW TO BUILD A GREEN SUPER SMOOTHIE

RAW GREENS

If I am making a meal replacement green smoothie I usually like to add greens – spinach, kale, swiss chard, wheat grass or sprouts. Organic and even better – homegrown baby greens are the best.

ORDER I ADD THEM TO MY BLENDER

I like to put the liquid in first, it blends better that way.

The chia or flax seeds should be added to the liquid first, they absorb it and create a gel.

Then I add the greens and any powders, the yogurt, bananas, fruit and anything else.

That’s it! Blend away!

I like to use the pulse feature on my blender so that I can easily stop it to stir the sides of the blender and it seems to have more power that way.

NOTE OF ADVICE

DO NOT BLEND WHILE STIRRING OR POKING WITH ANYTHING IN THE BLENDER. IT MAY CATCH ON THE BLADES AND SMALL BITS OF METAL OR PLASTIC CAN GET IN YOUR SMOOTHIE WHICH CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE THROAT OR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.

GREEN POWDER

This is a pricey little tidbit that I get at the Independent grocery store (health foods and large grocery stores will likely have it) but it is full of nutritious greens that I wouldn’t be able to add, tastes fantastic and most importantly – when I use it I feel and look noticeably better. 

Combining the powder and fresh greens in at least one smoothie per day really does give me noticeable results so I find it worth it – I hate to be without it!

PROTEIN POWDER

There are pro’s and con’s to using protein powder. I like to boost my protein input with it but try to mix up the type of protein powder and use vegan protein sources regularly. I also sub peanut butter or leave it out sometimes, especially if I am drinking more than one smoothie a day.

THICKENERS AND PROTEIN SOURCES

I find that a lot of the items I like to use for thickeners also double as a protein source. I like to use peanut butter, oatmeal (raw or cooked), chia seeds, avocados. 

Organic bananas are great thickeners that add sweetness and flavour, but no protein. 

Flax seeds are also a great addition that will thicken and give many benefits although protein isn’t one of them. You do need to grind them in a coffee grinder first, otherwise they will not break down in your digestive system.

PLAIN BALKAN YOGURT

Almost any yogurt is nice and a regular addition for me but plain balkan has the highest protein count and contains no additives such as sugar/fake sugar/geletan. I do treat myself to vanilla, banana or a favourite fruit yogurt sometimes although I prefer to eat these plain with some ground nuts/granola or seeds and raw fruit for a snack or meal.

ALMOND OR COCONUT MILK

Rather than cow’s milk I like to use either of these with a little added water. They add flavour, nutrition and bypass some dairy. I get organic when I can.

FROZEN OR FRESH FRUIT

I often use frozen fruit, it makes a cold, thick smoothie. Sometimes I will use fresh though, it is good too. You can always add some ice cubes, I find this lightens things up a bit, adds some water and makes it a little ‘slushier’.

A bit of frozen orange juice concentrate tastes great in a tropical or citrus smoothie – I like to use low acid pure orange juice concentrate, usually 1 or 2 heaping teaspoons.

NOTE ON DENTAL CARE

Due to the high acid content in a typical smoothie due largely to the raw fruit, they can wear on the enamel of your teeth. You should always brush and floss after drinking your green smoothie. If that isn’t possible, try to rinse your mouth with some water or chew some gum.

GREEN SMOOTHIES ARE PRETTY FAST FOOD

It may seem like a lot of trouble, but you can make a smoothie in about 5 minutes! A lot faster than cooking, tastes great and I have found many benefits from regularly making them a part of my daily meal plan.

If you work out, they are also a great way to get a before and after workout protein boost to help build your muscle tone to max out your metabolism – and look good too!

– better skin

– better elimination

– better moods

– less bloating

– more energy

What else could you ask for!