It's Easy Being Green

As an athlete and an adult, I know the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables, though it is hard to get all the daily servings into my day. 

A little known secret is that I am a pretty basic, bland eater. When I go out to eat, I often pick the item on the menu that is the least objectionable. And if I don't like it, which happens often, my husband usually switches with me. Whatta guy! I'm not allergic to anything, I eat gluten, I eat red-meat (although not that often) and while I have an aversion to fennel and many types of nuts, I always find something to eat anywhere I go.

However, I did think that I could eat more fruits and vegetables. So, on a recent visit to Cleveland, my cousin Jill introduced me to the Green Smoothie. At first I was a bit hesitant. I didn't know what to expect. I thought since it looked like grass, that it would probably taste like it too. But, she was so excited to share this with me that I just said, "Sure, I'll give it shot." 

For my inaugural green smoothie, Jill added a bit more sweetener for my benefit.  The color was a bright, fluorescent green and I was a bit hesitant before taking my first sip. But ... much to my surprise I loved it! While it looked green, it didn't taste green. With my eyes closed, it just tasted like bananas and pineapple, not carrots, celery and kale.

Every morning during my visit, Jill blended me another delicious green smoothie and my day was set!

I know that I'm a bit late to the Green Smoothie Party, but better late than never. After speaking to two other friends, I am armed with more information to start down the road paved with green smoothies! I'm still in the experimental stage. I'm not quite sure if I can make the leap and purchase the super-duper expensive blender yet. But when my son drank his first green smoothie and said, "I loved it!" I thought the new blender might not be such a stretch. 

It's not a replacement for whole vegetables at dinner or fruit as a snack, but as a way to supplement what I already eat. Plus, I seem to feel a bit fuller after drinking one, so I eat a bit less. If that is a placebo effect, so be it.

It's comforting to know that in one glass you can get a jump start on your daily fruit and vegetable servings. It's even more comforting to know that my children will drink them, too. While still a novice in the Green Smoothie world, I'm open to learning more.

This is my first attempt. I'm tweaking it as I go.

This makes 3 servings at approximately 100 calories per serving.

1 medium banana
1 c of frozen mango bits
1 c of frozen pineapple bits
2 lime wedges
4 leafs of kale
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
2 cups of water
1 c of ice
1 tbsp of chia seeds

As I've been researching, I'm learning that I could make it even more simple.  Ditch the carrots and celery and add more water. Here's my attempt on Day 3.  I'm pretty happy with this one.

1 medium banana
1 c of frozen mango bits
1 c of frozen pineapple bits
2 lime wedges
4 leafs of kale
1 c of spinach
2 cups of water
1 c of ice
1 tbsp of chia seeds

It can be easy to be green! Check out some of these links to learn more.

Here is a great article on how Green Smoothies are a great addition to your diet.

Blended Salads by Healthy Girls Kitchen

Here are some great Green Smoothie Recipes to try. I'm sure you'll find one or more that you'll love!

Big List of Green Smoothies by Healthy Girls Kitchen

How to Make a Green Smoothie

Raw Family Green Smoothie Recipes