We buy a lot of fruit. I buy in bulk at Costco and it usually gets eaten. If it does get a bit old, I just pop it in baggies and freeze it. Then we add the fruit to smoothies. My kids love smoothies and the daycare kids love smoothies as well. Of course I love to be able to give them a treat that is so super healthy.
I've been drinking green smoothies for awhile. Mostly it's consisted of adding spinach to my fruit smoothies. Sometimes kale. Then I began reading Elena's site Vegalicious. I started a 3 day smoothie cleanse. I loved it! And I learned so much more about what to put in smoothies. I bought a whole bunch of greens that I had never tried before. My regulars I keep in the refrigerator now are mustard greens, kale, radish greens and of course, spinach. I do like to try other ones too for variety.
I clean the leaves, chop them up and throw them in the freezer and the refrigerator. I've been shopping at Whole Foods and getting organic greens which is awesome! They have a huge variety of greens.
I used to add the fruit first to the food processor and then the greens. It was a bit chunky. The greens didn't process all the way. Now, if you have a Vitamix, then you probably won't have that issue. Mine is the Ninja and might not be the best for smoothies but it's sturdy and it's lasted a long time.
Anyways, I found if you add your greens first and then your water. Then process the greens and they get much smaller. I try to add as much green as possible. The more green the better! The mustard greens do have a bite so there is some flavor but for the most part, my smoothies just taste like fruit. I also have been adding dulse flakes and ground flaxseed to my smoothies. I'll experiment with more additions eventually.
So, so, so many different fruits you can add. I buy a big bag of frozen strawberries and organic mixed berries at Costco. I also buy a bag mixture of frozen strawberries, peaches, pineapple and mango at Sams Club. These are my staples in my freezer. I also like to buy a ton of bananas when the are on sale and chop them up, stick them in baggies and throw them in the freezer.
I also often have grapes, plums, nectarines, watermelon, pears and various other fruits in the freezer as well. I told you, we buy a LOT of fruit!
Puree your veggies, then add whatever fruit you'd like and blend away. If you add dark berries, you're smoothie might turn brown and look like mud. It still tastes wonderful so don't let the look of it dissuade you from making these. I actually have a cup that is tinted green that I like to use, it makes it look like a nice pretty green. I like pretty food. :-)
I can't tell you exactly how much water to add. It really is a matter of personal preference. I add a lot of water. I used to drink them thick but found I didn't enjoy them as much. I like them thinner with a lot of water. Then I drink them for breakfast and usually finish off the pitcher by the end of the day.
This is day 6 of 30 days of vegan recipes. I find that if I start my morning with a green smoothie, the rest of the day just goes better. I think of it as my daily medicine. My DELICIOUS morning medicine.
Green Smoothie Recipe
Assorted greens
Assorted fruit
Water
Blender, vitamix or food processor
For more information about green smoothies, check out Vegalicious!
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