Green Smoothies

Lately we have gotten into making and drinking green smoothies. It all started with an excess of greens in our CSA box. I threw a handful of chard in the blender with some fruit and voila! A new obsession!

Not only are they delicious, but they are an easy way to up your fruit and green intake. I have been pretty amazed at how good they taste and how good they make me feel. A great way to start the day. Olive loves them too, which is awesome since she is kind of boycotting fruit and veggies right now.

Our basic recipe consists of:

2 oranges

1 banana

2 c. frozen fruit (tropical blend with mango, pineapple, peaches and strawberries)

1 c. water

~3 c. greens (we alternate between baby spinach and kale, but pretty much any green will work)

Throw the fruit and water in the blender first and blend until smooth. Add the greens and blend again until smooth. Really blend it well so it's nice and smooth otherwise you'll end up with chunks of greens, which aren't the most appetizing. It helps to have a good, high powered blender. Which I don't. But that's a whole 'nother post.

Like  I said, I am amazed at how good they are. You might have to play around with the amounts of fruit/greens to find a flavor that's good to you. And adjust the water amount depending on whether you like your smoothies thick or thin. I prefer them on the thin side so I can slurp them up with a straw.

I like to drink a green smoothie in the morning for a little boost of energy. I am not a big breakfast eater (or at all), so I have been drinking a smoothie when I wake up and then eating something an hour or so later. It seems to set me up for healthier eating for the day. Well, most days.

If you want to read more about green smoothies and get some great recipes, I found this book to be helpful: 

Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Towards Natural Health by Victoria Boutenko.

So why not whip up some green goodness tonight? Who knows, you might like it!

Do you already know about the goodness of green smoothies? What is your go-to recipe? Feel free to share!