Benefits of Green Smoothies
Green smoothies are an easy way to incorporate nutrition from whole foods into your diet. All you need is a blender, and an assortment of produce, and some ice. You can make green smoothies using a variety of combinations of fruits and veggies so feel free to experiment and find your favorite combination. I usually use a 50:50 ratio of veggie and fruit. A typical green smoothie for me can include the following: 1 handful of dark leafy greens, 1/2 small cucumber (skin and seeds removed), 2-4 pieces of broccoli, 1/2 apple, juice of 1 lime, 1/2 handful of mangoes or pineapple and 1 TB flax seed. The following is a list of benefits of drinking green smoothies.
1. Whole food nutrition – Chop and blend a mix of fruits and veggies such as broccoli, celery, spinach or parsley with apples, kiwi, pineapple, or frozen mangoes. The blender’s chopping action will break down cellular walls, making the vitamins easy to absorb.
2. Extra fiber – Using whole foods as opposed to juicing them keeps the fiber intact. Blend on High for at least 2 minutes (depending on the power of your blender) to get a smooth consistency. Fiber fill you up quickly and keep you satisfied.
3. Less mess – Blending usually requires less cleanup and creates less byproducts than juicing. Because you’re using less produce, you end up saving money in the long run.
Suggested Smoothie ingredients:
Dark Leafy Greens: Kale, Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, carrot tops, beet greens, spinach, parsley
Vegetables: Broccoli, celery, cucumbers, avocados
Fruits: Apples (any kinds, remove core and keep skin), kiwi, pineapple, grapes (red or green) berries, pears, bananas (fresh or frozen), mangoes (fresh or frozen), melons,
Other ingredients: Fruit juices, coconut milk, almond milk, yogurt or other dairy
Optional supplements to add: Green tea extract, whey protein, flax seed, omega-3 fatty acids,
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