Green Smoothies

These are very popular in the raw foods movement.

How do you make a green smoothie? It's pretty simple. I personally start with one banana and then I add some berries for their color, taste, and the spectrum of anti-oxidants they contain. I buy my berries in the frozen fruits section of the supermarket. I buy organic varieties when they are reasonably priced, but lately I have been relying on non-organic frozen fruits as they are much less expensive.

My current favorites are wild blueberries, red raspberries, and dark sweet cherries.

Blend your banana and berries with some water and then add your greens. Good choices for mild greens that you won't even taste in your smoothie include some chopped romaine lettuce, a small head of baby bok choy, or a few handfuls of baby spinach or arugula.

If you use a Blendtec, Vita-mix, or other high speed blender, the greens get blended in very well (this is a great way to get your kids to secretly eat some healthy veggies, by the way). Kale is incredibly nutritious and is a wonderful addition to a green smoothie, too, but it can be a little bitter so I would not recommend it for children.

One of the great things about green smoothies is that there are so many variations. If you don't like banana, you could just use berries or you can use a some pineapple or mango or papaya. You could use coconut milk or coconut water or raw milk or kefir or organic plain yogurt (or a combination) for the liquid. You can also add some soaked nuts or seeds or ground hemp seeds for protein and you could also add some raw chocolate powder for a really nutritious treat. You might also like to add 1 tsp. of local bee pollen and/or 1 Tb. of coconut oil to your smoothie as these have great health benefits.

See some of my favorite green smoothie recipes here and be sure to read my healthy smoothie hints.