Top O’the Mornin’ To Ya!
So last week I was sucking down a Green Smoothie (as usual) while on my mastermind Zoom call.
When one of the gals on the call sends me a private chat message that asks:
What’s in your Green Drink?
Since I was trying to be attentive to the class, I just quickly replied: Spinach & Banana
Truth is…some days it’s much more than that, and some days that all I want or need in in it.
But since I often get asked that question…and, since it’s St. Patrick’s Day (oh, I love my Irish ancestors!)
I think a Green Smoothie is the perfect way to Celebrate this holiday…
or any holiday…
or any day at all.
For many years I’ve been drinking a green smoothie every day. Have there been times I got lazy and fell off the wagon for a month or so? Yes, – and those times I just never feel as good, vibrant, or mentally clear. I can definitely feel a difference in my overall well-being from this one powerful daily habit!
Green Smoothies get more greens in your body than you’d normally eat if you were chewing all that food. So all that goodness takes up a lot of room in your gut and provides fiber, nutrients, vitamins, and yes, protein.
Adding in all the right ingredients, green smoothies can help with weight loss, increased energy, mental clarity, better digestion, improved immunity, improved skin, less cravings, and have been found to reduce many common health complaints.
A few years ago, one of my friends thought it was a great idea to start having a daily green smoothie, so she jumped right in. And after a week, she called me saying, “I don’t know how you do this. I’m literally standing over the sink gagging every morning to get these smoothies down.”
After asking her a few questions I knew exactly what the problem was. Too bitter, too thick, too chunky – too much pressure to swig it down and not waste it! Ugh, that’s miserable…drinking a daily smoothie should be joyful!
So here are my 8 helpful tips I shared with her, and maybe something here is helpful for you too:
1. It shouldn’t be chunky! Ugh. Keep blending, a bit longer!
If you have a great blender – Blendtec, VitaMix (I have years of experience with both) you still need to whip it and whip it good (oh man, I just had a flashback of a dance team performance from my college days).
My point is, even with the expensive blenders, you still need to let it blend long enough to get the chunks out.
And you don’t have to have one of those expensive blenders. We just recently got a little Ninja ($69.) and we love it! Oh my gosh, it blends really well and is fast and easy! It’s what I use every day now.
2. Unless you love the taste of bitter greens, don’t use too much of swiss chard, arugula, chicory, kale etc. Yes, those are all super healthy for you, so FOR SURE use some. But I’ve found I won’t make and drink smoothies consistently if I don’t love the taste.
I use a lot of spinach (it’s mildest), then add in a little of other greens – depending on what I have: beet greens, chard, any left over greens – throw them in…just not so much that the bitterness overpowers the taste.
3. Keep your greens in the freezer. That way you’re not wasting money on greens that have gone bad and you end up throwing out. And it’s so easy to grab handfuls of the frozen greens to put in your blender. And no, you can’t use those in a salad, but the frozen greens are handy-dandy to add to soups, pasta dishes, etc.
4. Smoothies are great with plain WATER. Yep, that’s all I ever use for my liquid. I know many people use nut milk or juice but for me that’s not necessary, I don’t want to add extra, unneeded calories by adding those. And…be sure to add enough water so it’s not super thick -ugh that was my friend’s problem, and yes that’s hard to drink down. I like my smoothies on the thinner side, do what you prefer but don’t be afraid to water it down a bit.
AND…speaking of liquid, I usually squeeze 1/2 lemon in mine as well.
5. A little squirt of liquid Stevia can make a big difference, that’s what I use, but if you don’t want to use Stevia, go to tip #6….
6. A great natural sweetener is dates. Ahh, my love for dates knows no bounds! If you like a little sweetness in your green smoothies throw in a date or two (make sure the pit is out!). Deglet dates are firmer than Medjool dates, so if you use deglet just be prepared for some little chewy nuggets at the bottom of your glass – it’s a delightful treat when you get to the end of your smoothie.
Pro tip: I keep some medjool dates in my fridge…if I ever just need “a little something sweet”, one of those is the perfect snack. It’s like eating a little piece of caramel *wink*
7. Frozen fruit adds flavor, variety, nutrition, AND a bonus I’ve found is, those frozen berries, etc. spinning around in the blender, really help to smooth out any remaining chunks of green, so I usually throw a little in. Personally, I’m not one who needs/likes lots of other frozen fruits in my smoothie because I’d rather eat fruits in their whole form during the day, instead of all blended up in my smoothie where I can’t really taste their deliciousness anyway. But yes, I usually do add 1/2-1 cup of frozen fruit. (Except pineapple – it can have a “stringy-ness” that’s weird for me.)
A few ice cubes kicking around in your blender will do the same – help break up the green pieces.
8. It’s ok to make earlier and keep in fridge until you’re ready to drink it. I’ve heard people say you must blend and drink your smoothie as FRESH as possible. Umm…ok, but that makes it tough for anyone who has…you know…a life.
Dean the Dream makes a big blender full every evening, and puts in his glass jars in the fridge to take to work with him the following day. If I know my morning will be busy I also make mine the night before. I personally don’t think they taste as great longer than 36 hours after blending, but if I know I’ll be drinking it within a day, I don’t mind making it ahead.
(And we are both a little picky about exactly how we like our own smoothies…so we each like to make our own separately. And that’s how we’ve stayed married 40+ years, hahaha!)
9. BONUS tip: Anytime you have fruits/veggies that are still good, but not for long, put them in the freezer now and use them in an upcoming smoothie. This is a great way to use up those grapes, bananas, celery, spring mix…anything! Anything that, if not eaten, you’d end up throwing out in another day or two, unless…you save it by putting in a baggie in the freezer. Those items will add variety to your smoothies and make you feel warm and fuzzy because you didn’t waste it that food, you still got good use out of it. You’re welcome!
These are some things that I’ve discovered over the years work for me, but a lot is personal preference -you do you!
I’d love to hear what smoothies tips you’ve discovered and love. Really…let me know! Also, I’ve had a few requests to shoot a video showing how I quickly make my smoothies, so if you want me to do that, reply to this email and let me know.
And really, make sure you eat (or drink) something HEALTHY and GREEN today!
As the Irish saying goes….May the wind always be at your back,
Much Love,
