My First Attempt(s) at Green Smoothies

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a bit of a trend follower. I definitely didn't invent the Green Smoothie. But, I did my research on them, read up on how they are soo freakin' good for you so I decided to give them a try and see if they were good TASTING.

Now, my research mostly (okay totally) comes from Kimberly Snyder. She's kind of a big deal in the Green Smoothie arena. She has a blog and a book, and she has all kinds of famous people endorsing her and drinking them. By famous I mean Fergie, Hilary Duff, Josh Duhamel, Channing Tatum (swoon), Drew Barrymore, and Dr. Oz. I mean, come on. If I can look like Fergie, I'll drink a gallon of this stuff everyday. So here's what I learned from her website:

1. Greens have more nutrients than anything else. Sadly, very few people eat as many greens as they should and thus don't get as many nutrients as they need. AND, even if you are eating lots of green vegetables, you may not be getting all the nutrients because chewing alone probably doesn't break down the veggies enough for your body to get all the goodness. So, blending them to a creamy consistency is the way to go, it'll ensure you get all the good stuff.

2. Each serving (16 ounces) gives you 3 CUPS of dark leafy vegetables. That's a lot.

3. Drinking these things are like a daily cleanse. I learned that cleansing is your best shot at good health and beauty. Cleansing helps keep your body clean. I know that seemed like a stupid sentence, but it makes sense. Keeping your body clean can improve your skin, your energy level, your metabolism, and your urge to eat bad stuff. And as a girl who loves her fast food (and who's skin has decided it wants to resemble that of an adolescent again) this seemed perfect for me.

So, taking all that into consideration, I decided to go for it. I made this decision about a week ago and have been drinking them every day. I've made two batches and mixed up the recipes slightly, but you'll still get the idea from pictures below.

Here's what I used:

- 1 banana
- 1 mango
- 1 apple
- 2 stalks celery
- 6 cups of spinach (about one bushel of the normal-sized spinach)
- 5 cups of romaine lettuce (about one head of lettuce)
- Juice of 1 lemon (not pictured)
- 2 cups cold, filtered water

This picture was taken during my first attempt. The second go-around, I swapped the mango for about 1/2 container of strawberries.

Kimberly stresses how varying the fruits and veggies is okay, just keep the fruit / veggie ratio the same. The berries were a good choice. Next time, I think I may try some kale or seaweed. Romaine lettuce, while a lot better than iceberg isn't as nutrient-rich as some other greens. Also, I may throw in some blueberries. Blueberries are supposed to work wonders for belly fat (also known as: I like beer and wine fat).

Now, I'll be honest, the worst part is the time it takes to chop everything up. But, once you hit your groove, I think you can knock it out in about 10 minutes, uninterrupted.

Here's some picture of the process:

I have a plain old, run-of-the-mill Black and Decker blender. No muss, no fuss. I don't have a juicer or a fancy mixer, and honestly, it's super creamy as is. Add your water to the blender to start. 

Then, add your greens. I only have a 6-cup blender, so you have to add some then blend, then add more and blend. 

Next up, apples. I used a granny smith in the second rendition, a boring old gala the first go around. The granny smiths win. 

Strawberries! So good. I love strawberries. I will say their little tiny seeds tried to sneak in between my teeth, but I liked the flavor nonetheless. 

Bananas! Kimberly, made a point of saying the banana and the lemon juice should go last. Keep that in mind. Please excuse my disgusting, green-covered, slimy hands.  

Squeeze the juice of one lemon into a cup (or a coffee cup like me) and then get rid of the seeds before pouring it in. (At this point, Sarah, the photog, remarked "Ew, that looks like pee." Sick.) 

Mmmm. It bubbles and spurts once you take off the top. Mmm ...

My first statement to Sarah when trying it? "It's not that bad!" You're not chewing a beverage, and it doesn't taste like pulverized greens. It tastes ... like a healthy, good for you, morning beverage. You feel good drinking it. And it doesn't take long to drink, at all. 

Now a die-hard ANTI-banana person, the banana is essential, as it masks the flavor of the greens. I thought the mango would be the star of the first batch, but it really was the banana. And everyone knows bananas are full of potassium, which is good for energy, among other things. Another reason to incorporate this in your morning routine. 

A serving of this drink (again, 16 ounces) is perfect to sip on before heading to yoga and I don't feel weighed down or overly full of liquid during a class. It really was good. And, because each recipe will make 3 days worth, it's not a huge time suck or drain on the bank account.

I definitely recommend giving it a go. If I liked it, you'll like it!



Blogger's Note: Kimberly Snyder's Glowing Green Smoothie recipe can be found here.