Green Smoothie – a Power Punch of Nutrition

So what is a Green Smoothie I hear you say!

Basically, green smoothies are a blended drink made up of three main components –  fresh green leafy vegetables, some fruit and a liquid – usually water, coconut water or milk (regular, soy, almond, coconut etc). Green vegetables (the darker the better!) like spinach, lettuce, kale, silverbeet, bok-choy, celery, cucumber and herbs like parsley and basil are incredibly nutritious foods – packed full of fibre as well as essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

The problem for most people however is the ability to get enough of these important veggies in their daily diet (or knowing how to cook them in a yummy way) – which is why green smoothies can be a great option! These are also a fun way to encourage kids (the little ones and the big ones) to get their daily greens.

The best thing about a green smoothie is you can literally add anything to them. The only rule is that they must contain green vegetables and liquids.  The rest of the ingredients you can add as you please. (In fact, they are a great way to hide powdered supplements like Maca powder, spirulina, hemp powder, chia seeds, glutamine etc.).

If you are new to green smoothies, a good idea until you get the taste for it, is to start with about half fruit (whole, not juiced) and half vegetables – starting with milder tasting veggies like spinach.  The ultimate goal however is to get mainly vegetables in there and perhaps just half a serve of fruit for a little sweetness.

To help you get started, here are some yummy recipes to inspire. Blend them altogether in a powerful blender (Vitamix’s are awesome!) otherwise a food processor will also work.  Most of these will make quite a lot so store in the fridge for up to two days and drink as snacks.

Another great idea (especially for the kids), is to freeze these into ice block moulds for cool and refreshing treats).  If you have any other favourites, I would love to hear about them!