ENERGIZING GREEN SMOOTHIES
It is said that we should eat at least half a kilo of vegetables and fruits per day. Because of the hectic pace of everyday life, many people just want to get easy and quick meals, often ending up with bread, buns or other similar foods. Energizing green smoothies are an excellent way to enjoy valuable nutrients effortlessly and easily. You can start your day with a green smoothie and make it part of your breakfast. Smoothies are easy to make and even the kids tend to like these nutritious drinks. We think that these green smoothies are the best way to start a day.
Nowadays several cafés serve green smoothies as well, but the best and most nutritious smoothies are made at home. Mostly the smoothies served in cafés contain yoghurt and lot of sugar, so we recommend the home-made drinks. Smoothies are not only easy to make, but those are also easy to take with. Just pour your smoothie to thermos bottle and add few ice cubes. This way you can enjoy your smoothie anywhere and get a healthy energy boost when needed. Do not forget that the digestion starts from the mouth, so remember to "chew" your smoothie properly.
We have received many questions regarding the green smoothie recipes, so we have gathered here some guidelines on how to make these lovely drinks.
Greens
About 2–3 handfuls, depending on how strong tasting greens you are using.
- spinach
- dandelion
- kale
- herbs (eg. parsley, cilantro, watercress)
- sprouts and shoots
- romaine lettuce
- cucumber
- etc.
Liquids
2–3 dl depending on the desired texture of the smoothie.
- water
- almond milk
- coconut milk
- coconut water
- self-squeezed juice
- etc.
Always mix first the liquid and greens. Then continue with other ingredients.
Fruits and berries
3 dl depending on how sweet you want your smoothie. You should also favour the colours, because this way you can easily add nutritional and antioxidant properties.
- banana
- berries
- orange
- apple
- pear
- grapes
- lemon
- avocado
- pineapple
- mango
- etc.
You may also use frozen fruits, which will improve the texture and cool the smoothie. A good way is to have ready made (sliced) bananas, pineapple and mangos in the freezer, not to forget the frozen berries.
Fats and protein
About 1–2 tablespoons depending on how creamy you want your smoothie. Fat soluble vitamins absorb better, when little fats are added to smoothies.
- coconut oil
- almond butter
- hemp seeds
- your favourite protein powder
- chia seeds
- cashew nuts (soaked)
- avocado
- etc.
Superfoods
One of the easiest ways to enrich your smoothies are superfoods. Just add small amounts of your favourite nutrient rich superfoods and enjoy. Here are just some of the famous superfoods that we can recommend.
- raw cacao powder (good source of antioxidants, one of the most nutritious foods in the world)
- spirulina powder (Hawaiian spirulina pacifica)
- chlorella powder (Yaeyama chlorella)
- maca powder (gelatinized version is the best for the stomach)
- lucuma powder
- chaga extract (triple-extracted liquid tinctures are the best, but triple-extracted powders are also good)
- reishi extract (triple-extracted liquid tinctures are the best)
- nettle leaf extract (triple-extracted liquid tinctures are the best)
- pine bark extract (dual-extracted liquid tinctures are the best)
- acai powder (freeze-dried, lot of omega fatty acids)
- acerola powder (freeze-dried, good source of vitamin C)
- bilberry powder (freeze-dried, good source of multiple vitamins and minerals)
- camu camu powder (good source of vitamin C)
- freeze-dried berries (whole)
- etc.
You may also use some spices. For example vanilla powder is a wonderful addition to banana and avocado.
If you desire more sweetness to your smoothie, add dates, coconut sugar, high-quality stevia, honey or yacon syrup. The fruits should anyway provide enough sweetness for your drink. Finally, add ice cubes to make your smoothie cold, because cold smoothie tastes lot better than the warm one.