Anyone having green smoothies?
 

Hello there! I'm not really doing a whole foods diet, but I'm convinced that I should start having green smoothies. I just made one that I got from Dr. Oz. It was really hard to make because it hardly fit into my blender and it was very hard to blend since it didn't have much liquid. Next time, I'll do the green apples first and that will add more liquid....plus I'll cut the recipe in half because I have way too much now. ;)

I just drank some of it and I can't explain how energizing it seems. Maybe it's psychological but the smoothie is kind of awesome, while disgusting to me at the same time. ;) So, am I the only crazy one doing this? I"d like to make it a lifestyle change. I'm hoping that it will lead me to make other good changes in my eating habits.

Anyone else? If so....do you have recipes or websites that you'd recommend? Thanks! :hug:

I made the Dr. Oz one and loved it. I've got more veggies in the 'fridge with the intention to make it again. The parsley taste is strong, but I liked it.

I think such smoothies are a convenient way to get those veggies in. I'm going to try my food processor instead of the blender. But, don't use a juicer because we need the fiber.

I was doing green smoothies everyday for a while, I like them. I just came across some new recipes, I'll post them later. I'm thinking I need to do smoothies more often.

Green smoothies have been our go to dinner on hot nights. We love them. There are a few threads around here with recipes. If you google green monster you will find lots of recipes. Mine usually include Greek yogurt, greens, baby zucchini, chia, and frozen fruit. If I want more protein I add a scoop of plain hemp powder.

I just started making green smoothies about a week ago and I don't know if it is all in my head, but I really think they have helped with cravings. I blend, 3/4 cup coconut water, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 cup kale, handful of collard greens and 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed. It certainly is not good, but I know that it is super good for me.

Me!! I have found a TON of great recipes in the book 'Green Smoothie Revolution', I got it from my library. One favorite is SUPER simple. 1 mango, 1 cup kale, 1 cup water. YUM! We have tried, I think 3 different recipes and so far so good!

good habit to get into!
 

Yes! I have green smoothies and homemade juices several times per week (usually once a day but sometimes every other day).

Especially in the peak of the summer and one of best time for picking of the wild edibles growing around us; One of the most prevalent edibles and perhaps the most under-appreciated is the green smoothies.
I don't like then either...

I've been drinking a breakfast green smoothie almost daily for the past 6 months. Well, not while I was on vacation during the summer, but when I'm home, my blender is my best friend ;)

Since it's fall, I've been trying to incorporate pumpkin flavors into my breakfast...

Chocolate Pumpkin Green Smoothie

1 c pumpkin puree
1 c swiss chard
1 small banana (optional)
1 Tbsp ground flax seeds (omega-3s!!)
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (optional)
water (4 cups or so)

Lol, the color will probably not be green. The pumpkin color is pretty overpowering, and so is the chocolate.

i love green smoothies!!! and a morning juice. if you havent read the green smoothie revolution or green for life. i recommend you read these!

When I was trying out a raw food diet, I used to do green smoothies for snacks. I'm a little picky about textures and colors, though, so my green smoothies were never really green :-) (in color, that is). I also didn't have the courage to stuff a bunch of greens in there - mine were dominated by fruit.

I think my usual recipe was something like this: 1 cup packed spinach leaves, 1 cup frozen fruit, juice of 1 orange, a touch of agave (if I needed the sweetness) and water as needed. I may have thrown in a tablespoon of ground flax in there as well, I don't recall.

They were very delicious, as the spinach gave the smoothie a very creamy texture but didn't dominate the taste. I tried smoothies with other greens (parsley, lettuce, celery) and just found them too dominating. Spinach always worked well for me.

I haven't had a smoothie in more than a year because I'm in Israel for the time being and they don't have fresh spinach here. I kid you not. Fresh local grown produce is very widely available here as Israelis are big veggie and fruit people but because it's focused on local stuff, I guess that spinach doesn't grown well in a Mediterranean climate :(.

Tam

I have a lot of spinach that needs to be used so I made Chocolate Spinach Smoothie and it tastes a treat. The two servings of fruit provide enough sugar that it doesn't need any other sweeteners, but take out the banana if the sugar seems too high.

makes 1 serving (about 1 1/2 cups)
100 grams of spinach (leaves or defrosted from a package - not salted!)
50 grams of frozen banana
100 grams of frozen blueberries
100 grams of milk (I use 1.5%)
1 1/2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa (or less, as you like it)

172 calories
3.8 g fat
9.2 g protein
30.8 g carb
17.9 g sugar
11.3 g fiber

I just make this because I hate. hate. hate. spinach any other way.

You can use frozen spinach in your smoothie? How does that come out and what does it taste like?

Also, do you guys know any green smoothie recipes that call for coconut butter? I have a big jar of this stuff that needs to be eaten. I imagine something tropical-ish, would be nice?

Any green smoothie recipe for collards? I have a bundle that needs to go soon too!


I just tried this recipe the other day and my DD whose 5 years old actually drank a full glass and wanted more! It's not green and so I think it is a good starter green smoothie.

CREAMY FRUIT AND BERRY SMOOTHIE
1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup unsweetened soy/hemp/nut milk
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup mangoes
1 banana
1 tablespoon of ground flax

Start off by adding one small handful of a light-flavoured green and then increase.... I usually add 1 handful of raw spinach or kale.

BLENDED MANGOE SALAD
1 ripe mango
1 cup chopped spinach
4 cups romaine lettuce
1/2 cup unsweetened soy/hemp/or almond milk

Love these babies. :-) My fave so far:

3 cups spinach leaves (the more the merrier)
1.5 cups almond milk, unsweetened
1 banana
1 Tbsp. rolled oats or flaxseed
1 scoop Nectar protein powder
1 apple, cored but not peeled (optional)
1 tbsp. organic peanut butter (optional)

The basic stats on this is about 300-350 cals, and if I need extra protein I add the 1 Tbsp. peanut butter. It makes 2 full 12 oz. glasses.

[QUOTE=TempleBody;4099101]You can use frozen spinach in your smoothie? How does that come out and what does it taste like?

Also, do you guys know any green smoothie recipes that call for coconut butter? I have a big jar of this stuff that needs to be eaten. I imagine something tropical-ish, would be nice?

I use a lot of frozen spinach, cause it's cheaper and easier to keep on hand. It tastes fine to me, I'm sure fresh tastes better though ;)

I've never had coconut butter... does it taste like coconut? Then I'd pair it with pineapples and make it a pina colada smoothie =P

Paula Deen has one: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/p...ipe/index.html


By the way, I rarely go by recipes these days. I start with 2 cups of greens, add 4 prunes (vit A, fiber, potassium, copper) and 2 Tbsp Chia seeds (protein, omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, calcium, ...). Finally, I add a fruit (for example, one of these: 1 banana, 2 small apples, 1.5 c frozen strawberries, 1.5 c frozen mango chunks...)

I agree on the energy, especially if you're hungry! My husband alternates green smoothies and (homemade) kefir smoothies every other day for himself and the kids (they LOVE them!!). I don't like his green smoothies because he puts a ton of funky fruit in them and I like mine very smooth and mild. I've been making the same one for myself for over a week and I'm not tired of it yet:
2 bananas
1 head romaine or ~4 leaves kale with stems removed
3 dates
1-1.5 c frozen strawberries
~1 c ice water

It makes roughly 4-5 cups of smoothie, which is a good lunch or breakfast for me.

My husband's green smoothies include several different greens from his garden (kale, collard greens, swiss chard) and pineapple, bananas, oranges, frozen berries, spirulina, ground flax, grapefruit, etc. (whatever fruit he can find to stuff in there), usually with some stevia added for sweetness.

Hi Tammay,

I meant to reply a couple days ago and forgot.. I'm an Israeli and I can tell you that fresh spinach (called "terred" Hebrew) is readily available here but usually not in summer. Try looking for it in supermarkets and stores now or in a month or two and you'll find plenty...

Naama

While I do like smoothies, usually with coconut milk and fruit not green ones, I would not call them a whole food.

I don't see the benefit of putting veggies into a blender, why not just cook them or eat them raw? Blending them will probably cause an insulin response, which is not ideal for fat loss.

But how do you keep them after you make a whole blender full? My husband is picky and he most likely won't touch a green smoothie which means I'll have tons leftover. Are there any massive don'ts when it comes to green smoothies?

Glad that I found this smoothie thread. I am looking for green smoothie recipes along with the # of calories.

Dr. Furhman "Eat to Live" is a great proponent of the smoothie. My usual blend is leafy green + fruit + ground flax seed: spinach/orange blueberry or apple. The blending makes the greens easier to take in greater quantities. If the green taste is too much, add a little banana. I drink them right away, some times they look funky if they've been in the fridge for the day. I don't like very sweet ones, even though the fruit is whole, with its fiber, but if I don't have any greens I'll use frozen fruit + yogurt + extra fiber. Sometimes I add protein powder (chocolate). I find that smoothies, esp. the green ones, cut down on cravings.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!! My kids love them too. They're amazing! I notice on days I forget to fix them one after school they go berzerk, in a bad way lol...

My normal formula is a handful of whatever greens I have on hand (spinach, kale, etc)... frozen fruit (Costco has a great big bag that works well for this)... Half a frozen banana to make it creamy... some honey or agave... water or juice. Sometimes I put some yogurt, kefir, or oats in. Pretty much whatever I have in the fridge :).

I found Dr. Oz's green smoothie and will try that.

Eww its nasty to me.. yuck.

I do!

A few months ago I decided to cut dairy out of my diet due to the fact that it gives me acne and makes me feel generally awful. I don't really miss it like I thought I would, but I quickly became concerned about where I was going to get my calcium from.

I knew that dark leafy greens like kale were good for that, but of course I thought they tasted awful raw, so I decided to try a green smoothie one morning on a whim. I haven't looked back. Even just that first morning, when my smoothie was probably more fruit than "green," I didn't need my coffee. It felt great. Digestive problems quickly worked themselves out, I've lost 7 pounds this month, and I get to walk around feeling like a bada$$ because I am the only person I know who actually eats lots of vegetables.

I drink about 40oz every morning. A typical smoothie for me is 2 cups of "exotic" greens (kale, chard, collards, parsley), 2 cups of "base" greens (spinach, bok choy, lettuces), 1.5 cups of another vegetable (butternut squash, green beans, carrots, etc.), 1 whole piece of fruit or a cup of berries, then a little bit of 100% pomegranate juice and about 3/4 cup of almond milk so that the fat-soluble vitamins have something to work with. I rotate all my ingredients every few days when I shop so that I never have the same thing for more than a few days per month or so.

I am trying to get on the green smoothie bandwagon! I have had one for breakfast 4 out of the last 5 days. (My husband, aka the dishwasher, made me buy solo cups so he doesn't have to clean him...the cups are kinda gross!)

Spinach, strawberries and banana has been the best so far. I read that the trick to getting it to blend well is to put water in first, then the fruit. Blend that. Then add the greens. Then I add some ice. I have had no trouble using that method w/ my cheap blender. (The berries are not frozen. I am thinking of buying the costco bag of frozen berries and just putting a serving in the fridge at night to thaw.)

so glad i found you all
 

ok, i have been doing the calorie counting for 2 weeks and it is going pretty well. I normally have to eat a HUGE breakfast and then it is late afternoon before I am hungry.

I want to do more green smoothies. Does anyone suggest or have done say a 14day green smoothie challenge? how did it work for you? how was it going back to adding more foods in your lifestyle?

We live in Taiwan and so fruits and veggies are AWESOME!!! I am curious though, do you get hungry quick? What if you are not home all day, do you make a huge one and take it to work?

I am reallyh oping to get on this and get healthy!! I have about 60lbs to lose.

THis am I made spinach, banana, strawberry one!!! WOW!!! awesome taste. Last week I made, spinach, banana, papaya one!! This afternoon might do romaine, papaya and pineapple (fresh pineapple!!) and see how that goes. It might be just a weekend to explore!! any good websites to try?

On some post somewhere about green smoothies someone said that there was a concern about green smoothies giving a glucose surge. This person did not say why. I assume it would be about the food being essentially pre-masticated by the blender/food processor. Does anyone know about this?

I've been amazed by how much better I feel when I drink them.

Ohmigosh,
I completely forgot about green smoothies.
I pass by the cupboard and think to myself, "Why haven't you juiced at all since Summer?". How could I forget the green smoothies!?

I will have to add them back to my diet!! Starting tomorrow- I'll have one for breakfast :)
They're so much easier than juices, and you don't feel like you waste so much produce!

Why are you going to use your food processor instead?

My morning smoothy consists of:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 cups of baby spinach
1/2 frozen banana
1 cup of Pineapple (or other fruit I have on hand if I don't have pineapple)

Mine is this exact recipe...sometimes i add. 1 Tbs of natural peanut butter:). Love it!!

Mine is more like a gazpacho type of green smoothie:
2 c. spinach
1 tomato
1 clove garlic
1 green onion stalk
big handful each of parsley and cilantro
lime juice
cayenne pepper
coconut oil or olive oil (1 TBSP)

Yummy way to start out the day, especially if it's warm outside.

I usually have a green smoothie every day :) Today's had a mixture of kale, turnip and mustard greens, swiss chard and spinach; blueberries, a kiwi, a banana and hemp seeds and then water and ice cubes.

I like to make these in the morning.. very simple-

1 small to medium frozen banana
1 c greek yogurt (I use Fage 0% plain)
1/2 c coconut milk (Mine is Silk PureCoconut Unsweetened)
1/2 c spinach

Put it in all in a little blender and give it a whirl. Makes enough for a good smoothie and you can adjust how much of each you put in depending on what you like. The banana keeps it nice and cold too.

I also like a good berry smoothie. It's not a green smoothie but I like it all the same :)

1 c frozen berries (I use a mix by Cascadian Farms that has strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
1 c greek yogurt
1/2 c coconut milk

If I happen to be really craving something sweet I'll make this and put about a teaspoon of agave syrup. Just like with the green one, you can adjust what you want that goes into it and how much.