The Big Green Hump: A Beginner's Lesson

We've been making green smoothies and posting the recipes nearly the entire time we've had this little blog. Muffin Top and I are HUGE advocates of the yummy, green smoothies we've been making, and we truly cannot say enough about them. Over the past couple of weeks, we've received lots of questions about how you make the smoothies and what you put in them, so I figured it was time for a refresher of sorts. I wanted to get back to basics and give people a post they can refer to if they have green smoothie questions.

So, let's assume you are new to this party. You may be wondering what's wrong with your old smoothie. You throw a little fruit and yogurt in the blender, and voila. Healthy. If there aren't any greens in your smoothie, however, it's just not cutting it. Greens are where it's at. Adding some green goods to your normally fruity faire will add to the health benefits like nobody's business. Fiber, chlorophyll, and dense nutrition come packed in every leafy green. Trust me. You have to try these. At least give them a fighting chance!

So let's talk foundation ingredients in a green smoothie. First you need a liquid. Right around 2 cups, maybe more if you are blending a big batch or are incorporating a lot of frozen ingredients.

-Almond milk, coconut milk or soy milk
-Pure water
-Tea (any kind, knock yourself out!) I prefer green or black.
-Fresh Juices (again, knock yourself out, but make sure it's not processed)

Next comes the rock stars of this smoothie, the greens. Feel free to mix and match these as you see fit. You can add just a handful or a few cups if you are feeling frisky.

-Collards
-Baby Spinach (great for beginners!)
-Kale
-Romaine
-Bok Choy
-Celery
-Cabbage
-Cucumbers (make sure you peel them if they aren't organic!)
-Broccoli stems

Finally, add some fruit to make it taste yummy. I try to stick with in season or frozen fruits, so I only have to add minimal sweetener [agave nectar] to make the things edible. Today for the first time this year, I actually put fresh, organic strawberries in my smoothie. Oh my hell! It was delish. I must do this every day from here on out. Anyways, add some fruit to your smoothie and say hello to all the marvelous antioxidants.

-Banana (a smoothie staple)
-Strawberries
-Blueberries
-Pineapple (a must for me)
-Mango
-Cherries
-Melons (all varieties)

Always taste your blend after you've finished to see if it could use a little somethin' somethin' to give it a sweeter flavor. It might need more or less sweetener, depending on how ripe your fruit is. [Did that sound dirty to anyone else? Maybe it's just me...]

-Agave nectar (my fav)
-Honey
-Dates (remove the pits!)
-Figs
-Coconut flakes
-Stevia (use sparingly)

Mix and match all this yummy goodness and be completely amazed at how you feel. I really can't describe how much energy these give me. Here's the smoothie I had for breakfast and the point value (by request!). It was SO freaking good.

2 cups black tea (0 points)
2 cups baby spinach (0 points)
2 carrots (0 points)
1 cup strawberries (1 point)
1 cup pineapple (1 point)
1 cup blueberries (1 point)
1 tbsp agave nectar (1 point)

Total 32 oz smoothie = 4 ww points [not bad!]

If you have any questions regarding green smoothies, don't hesitate to email Muffin Top or myself. We'd be more than happy to answer them for you!