Dirty Dishes: Green Smoothies 3 Ways

I am fanatical about green smoothies. What started out as a once in a while treat has quickly become a mid-day-on-the-go meal that I crave. I’m busy, you’re busy, we’re all freaking busy and to be honest, I don’t like wasting time sitting around eating when I have to get kids to school, dinner on and blogging to do. I’ll save my longer, more relaxed and leisurely meal for dinner when I can socialize with my family or friends.

Ok, so we’ve established that I drink a lot of smoothies but the shocking thing is that my kids LOVE my smoothies too. YES, even though they’re green! People ask me all the time how I get my kids to love drinking green slime so I’m finally sharing my favourite 3 recipes and some great smoothie tips.

Tip: Always use water. Don’t reach for juice or milk when making a smoothie. They add extra calories and sugar that you don’t need. The actual fruit is more than enough to keep things sweet. If you’re going for a creamier taste then add 1 or 2 tablespoons of natural greek yogurt!

Tip: Pineapple cuts the taste of anything! It’s true. If you absolutely can’t get over the bitter taste of kale but you want the health benefits of it, try 1/8 of a pineapple chopped up.

Tip: Not all protein powders are created equal. Do your research. There are as many protein powders on the shelves as there are muscle heads in the gym. Some are whey, some are hemp, some are vegan some are soy. Read labels for calories, sugar and protein and make sure you pick one that adds the most protein with the least amount of sugar and calories.

Tip: Buy organic if you can. This is just my opinion but a lot of the items I put in smoothies are high on the Dirty Dozen which is a list of foods with high pesticide levels and since I’m pulverizing said foods in a high speed blender and then consuming them in liquid form, I want them to be as clean as possible. Especially the greens!

Tip: Invest in a good quality blender. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. My blender can grind ice into slush and boil soup just by running it on high! Spending the extra money for a reliable product also means you’ll get coverage on the motor under the warranty.

Strawberry Banana Mango

Put these ingredients in the blender IN THIS ORDER!

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 scoop of chia seeds

6 frozen strawberries (if using fresh, no need to take the caps off, add some ice cubes) *tip* freeze fresh strawberries that are about to go over ripe and use them in smoothies!

1 banana (peeled)

1 cup of frozen mango (if using fresh, add some ice cubes)

1 or 2 BIG hands full of spinach leaves or equivalent in kale

Blend slowly at first until all ingredients start to turn, then on high until smooth.

Makes 2 large glasses

 

 

Orange Banana Raspberry

Put these ingredients in the blender IN THIS ORDER!

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 scoop of chia seeds

1 banana (peeled)

1 orange (peeled)

1 cup of frozen raspberries (if using fresh add some ice cubes)

1 or 2 BIG hands full of spinach leaves or equivalent in kale

Blend slowly at first until all ingredients start to turn, then on high until smooth.

Makes 2 large glasses

 

 

Apple Banana Blueberry

Put these ingredients in the blender IN THIS ORDER!

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 scoop of chia seeds

1 apple (quartered and stem removed)

1 banana (peeled)

1 cup of frozen blueberries (if using fresh add some ice cubes)

1 or 2 BIG hands full of spinach leaves or equivalent in kale

Blend slowly at first until all ingredients start to turn, then on high until smooth.

Makes 2 large glasses

 

Enjoy!