What Greens To Put In A Smoothie:
Honestly, theres really no limit to what kind of greens that you can use in a green smoothie. While greens such as spinach, kale, and romaine are most often used, really any leafy green would work well in a smoothie.
Heres a list of greens that Ive enjoyed in smoothies before-
- spinach
Let me know if youve tried others that I should add to the list!
Fruit To Use In A Green Smoothie
Here are some suggestions for fruits to use in this green smoothie recipe. In this post I used half mango and half pineapple, which is my favorite combination! Be aware, that if you use darker fruits like blueberries, blackberries, cherries, etc. the color will change and you will likely make a brown smoothie that is delicious but not green in color!
- mango
- celery
Ditch The Ice And Freeze Some Fruits
Want your green smoothie to be extra chilly? Freeze your favorite fruits like ripe bananas , grapes, pineapple or berries. This is also a great way to not waste ripe fruits . You can also freeze your leafy greens in a freezer-safe bag. Just make sure to add your frozen greens straight to the blender .
Read Also: How To Make A Yogurt Smoothie Bowl
How To Freeze Celery
Dont let extra celery go to waste! Learn how to freeze celery, how long to blanch it, and how to use it in recipes like soups, smoothies, and juices.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.
Its time for another tutorial on how to freeze veggies! This post focuses on how to freeze celery for later use so that you can cut back on food waste and keep more veggies on hand. In case you missed some of my other tutorials, check out How to Freeze Carrots and my tips on Freezing Garlic.
Celery is one of the easiest veggies to freeze. It be added directly to hot recipes like soups and stews, saving future you time and energy when prepping meals.
Ready to make the most out of those crunchy green stalks sitting in your crisper drawer? Check out the following sections with my tips and tricks for freezing celery.
Benefits Of Green Smoothies
- Green smoothies that include spinach or kale are rich in a variety of B vitamins, fiber, and iron.
- These types of greens also contain vitamin-C, which can aid in immune support.
- This smoothie uses banana, which is packed with potassium.
- Green smoothies are an incredibly easy way to increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables, especially if you dont enjoy eating them on their own.
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Tips For A Healthy Smoothie
If you havent read my post on how to make the healthiest green smoothie, make sure to do that. But heres a few quick tips:
- Add more greens: If you want that boost in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, use fresh produce from the market or your local farmers market. You dont want wilted or dirty greens that lack in nutrients. A few leafy greens that blend well are kale, spinach, or chard. But, feel free to switch it up with celery, mustard greens, or romaine!
- Stick with a healthy liquid base: Since youll already be adding fruit into your smoothie, its best to not add any additional sugars with fruit juice. Instead, opt for water, coconut milk, or any nut milks such as almond milk or cashew milk.
- Mix up your fruits: For most people, 2:1 ratio between fruits and vegetables is a good rule of thumb. Some of my favorite fruits to slice and freeze are apples, bananas, strawberries, mangos, or pineapple.
- Dont forget about healthy fats: If you didnt know, healthy fats help absorb all the nutrients from the veggies and fruits so this is crucial! You can do this simply by adding coconut oil, nuts, seeds, or 1/4 of an avocado.
- Boost with superfoods: While the 4 steps above make a perfectly good green smoothie, it doesnt hurt to add additional superfoods or mix-ins, like I do on my post-workout green smoothie recipe. You can add spices such as cinnamon or ginger and superfoods like maca powder or bee pollen.
What Are Some Healthy Smoothie Ideas
Use berries, bananas, peaches, pears, cherries and melon to create yummy smoothies. Make your smoothie with 100 percent fruit juice as another way to add vitamins and minerals to this healthy treat. You wont get as much fiber, but your smoothie will taste good, and youll get vitamin C and potassium.
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Try A Cleansing Green Smoothie
Green smoothies have excellent cleansing properties to clean the body inside out. As the luxurious fibrous content travels through your stomach, it absorbs all the toxic gunk and flushes it out. Your digestion and metabolism improve and you start eating better.
Several celebrities, A-listers and sports persons also vouch for green smoothie detox programs to rest their dietary habits. In the process, they get clear skin, improved eyesight and other health benefits. However, it is far superior and beneficial to a simple juice cleanse.
With green smoothies, you do not filter out the pulp of the veggies and fruits after blending. Hence, there is no loss of fiber actually, there is no waste at all. You consume the leafy greens whole, as puree, and peel certain fruits, remove the seeds.
Another reason for the effectiveness of a green smoothie cleanse is that it is not a starvation fad diet. Your stomach feels full after consuming green smoothies and you don’t have hunger pangs or cravings until your next meal. This advantage makes green smoothies ideal to be meal replacements.
Why Should I Take Greens Powder
Its sometimes tricky to get an abundance of nutrients through food, which is where supplementation comes in. I love adding superfoods and supplements into my diet as a sort of safety net on top of my regular diet. Is consuming greens powder necessary to be healthy? No. Will greens powder contribute to good health? Quite possibly, yes! I think adding a greens powder to your morning smoothie can be really great especially if you are struggling with specific health issues that require more specific nutrients that are found in greens powders I like recommending supplementing with greens powders for my clients who are looking to reduce joint pain or inflammation in the body, promote healthy skin or strong hair/nails, and so on. In the end, the decision is entirely up to you and your body some people thrive off of greens powders and some dont. Personally, I feel more satiated and satisfied when I add a scoop into my smoothies.
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What Greens To Add To Smoothies
This post highlights the best vegetables for smoothies and recipes that use them! Youll learn about the best greens for smoothies and the best veggies to blend. Thats why I put together this post on the best vegetables for smoothies. 7) PeasGreen peas are among the best frozen vegetables for smoothies. And thats a wrap on my list of the best vegetables for smoothies! .
The Best Ratio For Leafy Greens In Smoothies
Dont just throw everything in your blender and keep your fingers crossed itll turn out well. Chances are itll taste awful!
Its better to plan your green smoothie and decide on the ratio of fruits and veggies youre going to use. If youre a green smoothie beginner, start slow and work yourself up!
In the beginning, a 50/50 ratio is a good start. That means 50% of veggies and 50% fruits. Fruits act like a spoonful of sugar that makes you enjoy your medicine .
I know many people are concerned about adding too many fruits can let your blood sugar spike.
I wouldnt worry about it too much.
Its more likely youll keep your new habit of making green smoothies if you can enjoy the taste. Once youre getting used to green smoothies, you can easily reduce the number of fruits and add more leafy greens. An 80/20 ratio is a great ratio to aim for once youre more experienced.
Also Check: Best Smoothie Recipes For Health
Best Vegetables For Smoothies
Published: by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN //
This post highlights the best vegetables for smoothies and recipes that use them! Youll learn about the best greens for smoothies and the best veggies to blend. Use my tips to get your daily vegetables in a smoothie that actually tastes good.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.
When my readers ask about easy ways to increase their veggie intake, I almost always mention smoothies! Drinking vegetables is more palatable than eating veggies for some people. Plus, you can put a LOT of produce in a single smoothie.
Even better, whipping up a smoothie requires minimal prep time. But making a vegetable smoothie that actually tastes good does require some thought. Thats why I put together this post on the best vegetables for smoothies. Spoiler alert: leafy greens arent the only veggies you can blend.
What To Put In A Green Smoothie:
As for the other ingredients, I suggest playing around with it! If youre new to green smoothies, start out with my formula and make adjustments as you get more comfortable making them! Here it is-
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Why Does Your Body Need A Cleanse
Your body gets exposed to harmful substances regularly. Even when you are going to the gym five days a week and eating healthy, environmental toxins surround you all the time.
Pollutants like exhaust from cars, cosmetics, perfumes, food additives and cleaning products in the house contain several elements that can create adverse reactions in your body. Besides, you may be naturally allergic to pollen, cats, dust, etc. Either way, your body needs to purge from the continued exposure and consequent dangers.
For this reason, proper cleansing or detoxification is the right way to minimize these effects.
The human body has various natural systems in place for detoxifying the cells. Examples are kidneys that filter your blood and excrete urine and intestines that remove waste products through bowel movements.
How To Counteract Bitterness From Leafy Greens
Bitter foods aren’t necessarily a bad thing most are rich in antioxidants which prevent cellular damage from free radicals. Risk of heart disease and diabetes may also be reduced by consuming bitter foods.
Not all leafy greens have a strong flavor, for example spinach is very mild. Baby varieties of bitter greens such arugula, kale, and bok choy tend to be sweeter and milder than the mature greens. Those grown in the colder times of year will also be sweeter. Summer kale can be extremely bitter due to the heat.
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Common Questions About Green Smoothie Consistency
What ingredient makes a smoothie thicker?
The best way to thicken your smoothies is to use frozen fruit or even just ice. The frozen nature will blend into a creamy consistency. If you dont have anything frozen on hand, try using chia or hemp seeds, nut butter or psyllium husks for a thicker smoothie.
How do you thicken smoothies?
To thicken a smoothie you need to use the right ingredients. You can use oats , psyllium husks, chia or hemp seeds and frozen fruit to thicken a smoothie. You can also add ice or a thick, creamy veggie like avocado or sweet potato.
Why is my smoothie watery?
If your smoothies keep turning out watery, its probably time to invest in a high powered blender. A regular blender needs more liquid to help it blend properly, so the smoothie turns out thinner. You dont have to spend hundreds on a blender to get one that makes a good smoothie the Nutribullet is affordable and does the job well.
Faqs About Green Smoothies
To be as helpful as possible, I want to take a minute and answer a few frequently asked questions about making this green smoothie recipe for beginners!
Is a green smoothie good for you?
Yes, a thousand times yes! This green smoothie recipe has loads of protein, a good dose of fiber and is packed full of nutrients! It’s a great healthy and filling breakfast or snack!
Can you taste spinach in smoothies?
No! If you make this green smoothie recipe as it is written you will not be able to taste the spinach at all!
Is spinach or kale better for smoothies?
Spinach and kale are both great choices for green smoothies, however I prefer spinach, Kale has a stronger taste than spinach, and can be detected by my veggie police children!
How do I sweeten my green smoothie?
You do not need any sweetener to make this simple green smoothie recipe! The fruit imparts all the sweetness necessary for even the youngest members of my family to enjoy!
If you make something from JoyFoodSunshine I would love to see your creations. Follow along with me on , , , and . Tag me in your photos #joyfoodsunshine @joyfoodsunshine Don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below.
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How To Use Frozen Carrots
Now that you know how to freeze carrots, lets discuss ways to use them. Frozen carrots are best used in soups, stews, casseroles, or other hot dishes. You dont even need to thaw them, or shorten the cooking time, when using them in these kinds of recipes.
If you want to thaw frozen carrots and eat them in cold dishes, they wont be as good as fresh ones. They can get soggy or lose their texture. Stick to hot dishes.
Some of my recipes that can use frozen carrots in place of fresh ones include the Carrot and Celery Soup with Thyme Pecan Crumble, Carrot and Swede Mash, Tater Tot Casserole with Veggies, One Pot Veggie Mac and Cheese, Mini Vegetarian Pot Pies, and the Slow Cooker Mushroom Barley Stew.
Id love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on ,, , and . Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
The Benefits Of A High
Since were talking about smoothies, I also wanted to quickly mention that the type of blender you use will make a big difference in the final result.
Im in love with my Vitamix , but Ive also had good results with KitchenAids K400 blender, the Instant Pot Ace blender, and certain models of Ninja.
A high-speed blender will give you a smoothie that is silky-smooth, with an ice cream-like texture and no flecks of leafy greens to chew. Smoothies are so much more pleasant that way.
If you think youll be making green smoothies often, or dairy-free sauces like Cashew Queso or Cauliflower Alfredo, or healthy desserts like Avocado Pudding or Vegan Frosting, then a good blender is a worthy investment.
I use my blender at least twice a day every day!
Also Check: Fruit And Vegetable Smoothie Recipes For Weight Loss
Blend These Extraordinary Greens Into Your Next Smoothie
Adding greens into your smoothies is a great way to sneak healthy ingredients into your diet. But throwing spinach and kale into the blender day after day can get boring. Increase the nutrients and flavor in your smoothies by experimenting with all different types of greens. Here are 5 greens to add in that might surprise you!
How To Freeze Celery: Step By Step
Read Also: What Is The Healthiest Smoothie To Make
Freezing Your Leafy Greens
Ever wonder how to use up all that beautiful produce you just bought, before it starts to wilt? Even though I make green smoothies daily, I still find that my greens never stay fresh as long as I need. To lengthen the shelf life of those leafy greens, and make rotating your greens as easy as opening your freezer, I came up with a way to freeze your greens. This way, you can have your greens and eat them too! Since I typically buy spinach and kale at Costco, I found that freezing them in ice cube trays then storing in freezer containers is the perfect solution to maximizing the freshness. Plus, frozen greens can really help keep that smoothie cool.