You would have to be living under a rock to not have heard the buzz about green smoothies. And I have to admit that I am a big fan! They really are a fantastic way of getting more veggies into your day. It is my belief that plant based products hold the key to our health, and that most people don’t consume anywhere near enough. Plants provide us with concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are essential for health. They are super easy to make, as long as you are prepared and have all the ingredients on hand. And while they might sound a little ‘green’, if you make them right they taste delicious too!
There are many reasons that I believe that making a smoothie with your fruit and veggies is better than having a fresh juice. Making a green smoothie involves blending with whole fruit and vegetables in a blender until smooth. This enables for all of the nutrients and fibre from the whole plant product to be consumed. There is less waste product and less raw material used than when making a fresh juice, so it does work out cheaper. For example, a green smoothie can be as simple as a banana, an orange and some spinach with water. Some form of liquid needs to be added to ensure the final product is able to be consumed as a drink (and not sludge!). You can add water, coconut water or herbal teas to your fruit and vegetable blends. You are consuming all the fibre from the plant product which aids appetite, digestion and keeps your feeling fuller for longer than a fresh juice would.
Making a smoothie is also the perfect base for other superfoods. You can add superfood products such as chia seeds, cacao powder, flaxseeds, maca powder, psyllium husks or acai powder etc to bump up the nutritional value even further.
I believe I have discovered the key to a great tasting green smoothie which is…. always add a frozen banana! It sweetens the greens and veggies up perfectly and can make any combination taste great.
My Green Smoothie Recipe
1 frozen banana
Half a mango cheek
1 cucumber
Half a zuchinni
¼ of a lime
BIG handful of greens of you choice- spinach, rocket, baby spinach, kale etc
300mls of water + ice (optional)
* Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading!
Hayley Stockbridge
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