I’ve been sharing a lot of green smoothie recipes lately, like my Blueberry Green Smoothie and my Cherry Kale Smoothie. The reason why I’m love green smoothies so much is that they’re a really easy and delicious way to eat your green leafy vegetables and fruit, too. This article is all about how you can make your own green smoothies with whatever combination of greens and fruit you like so that you can get all of the health benefits of green smoothies with the tastes you love!
Why is it so important to eat green leafy veggies? Leafy green vegetables are one of the best foods you can add to your diet to improve your health. You’ll get in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, all important to eat in order to have a healthy diet. Dark leafy greens also contain tons of antioxidants, which can help reduce your risk of getting cancer. Some greens like kale and spinach contain compounds that can help protect your vision, too.
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With so many health benefits, it’s a no-brainer that you should be eating your green leafy vegetables, but it’s hard to eat spinach and kale salads every day. I try to have a green smoothie every day so that I can get more leafy greens into my diet without feeling like I’m even trying. Try adding a green smoothie to your breakfast routine and see how great you feel when you’re eating more healthy foods in such a simple way!
Here’s the basic formula that I’ve found works really well:
- 1 c dark leafy greens (spinach, kale, etc.)
- 1/2 c frozen fruit
- 1 scoop protein powder
- 1 c chilled liquid (milk, juice, water)
- Sweetener, if desired (agave nectar, stevia, etc.)
- Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
- Protein powder isn't necessary, but it's a nice way to get in extra protein. I suggest choosing a protein powder flavor that compliments your ingredients or choosing an unflavored protein powder.
- The frozen fruit will act like ice to cool the smoothie, but you can always add ice if you like your smoothies extra cold.
- Adding in juice as your liquid will add in extra sugars, so be careful about what juice you add and be sure to read the nutrition and ingredients label if you're not juicing yourself or you could be drinking a ton of added sugar that doesn't come from fruit!
There are so many possible combinations to play around with! Some I’ve thought about trying:
- Greens + frozen pineapple chunks + orange juice
- Greens + frozen peaches + white grape juice
- Greens + blueberries + vanilla almond milk
- Greens + strawberries + tart cherry juice
If you come up with any other great combinations, please leave them in the comments!
Do you have a favorite green smoothie add in?
Favorite way to sneak in healthy fruits and veggies?
Amy @ Mama Running for God says
01.31.15 at 9:34 AMI absolutely love green smoothies. They are a staple for me in my house. Since I got my Vitamix I have been trying so many different varieties. I like water, chia seeds, green grapes, 1 green apple, spinach, 1 banana and cucumber. Cucumber gives a very nice crisp, clean taste to green smoothies.
Beth @ Running with the Sunrise says
02.03.15 at 8:11 AMSo jealous you have a Vitamix. Someday… 🙂 That sounds like a great combination! I’ll have to try some cucumber in my smoothies! Do you use seeded or seedless cucumber?
Sandra Laflamme says
01.31.15 at 8:39 PMI am in love with green smoothies. It is so great to have a formula for making the perfect green smoothie every time!
Beth @ Running with the Sunrise says
02.03.15 at 8:10 AMI totally agree, Sandra!