(about 1 medium sized wholes)
½ cup sliced banana
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup water
Preparation:
1. Wash all vegetables and fruits thoroughly before handling them.
2. Put romaine lettuce, spinach and water together in a blender. Process at low speed until mixture becomes smooth.
3. Add celery, apple and pear. Blend mixture at high speed.
4. Lastly, add the banana and lemon juice and puree until well blended.
5. Pour into glasses and serve fresh.
Variation:
Add ½ cup each of parsley and cilantro for an even greener smoothie. Using stems are okay, but chop them so they do not ruin your blender or smoothie maker.
Add an inch of ginger to recipe for an extra zing.
Smoothie fact:
This smoothie is 7 parts green vegetables and 3 parts fruit, so this will help you put more greens into your diet than you normally could in one sitting. This well-mixed green smoothie is easy to digest, which will make your body absorb more vitamins and minerals. Plus, this smoothie is amazingly filling, so it will keep you from reaching for that carbohydrate packed snack just to pacify your hunger pangs.
Energy Booster Spinach and Collard Greens Smoothie
Yield: 1 glass
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh spinach
1 cup fresh collard greens
4 whole medium sized oranges
3 cups pineapple chunks
Preparation:
1. Squeeze out the juice from the oranges. Use this fresh juice as liquid base for blending the spinach and collard greens together. Blend at slow speed until smooth.
2. Add the pineapples to the orange and greens mixture and blend at high speed until well mixed.
3. Pour and serve immediately.
Variation:
Want this smoothie to double as a cold thirst quencher? Add 6 ice cubes into the mix and blend until smooth.
Can’t find collard greens? Take it easy by replacing with a cup of chopped kale.
Smoothie fact:
Packed with fruits and vegetables that are rich in minerals, proteins and vitamins A, C, E and K, this smoothie is a surefire energy booster that will allow your body to function at an optimal level. That’s real, green and mean energy in a glass!
Minty Papaya Green Smoothie
Yield: 1 glass
Ingredients:
3 cups spinach leaves
2 cups cubed ripe papaya
1 cup cubed pear
2 tablespoons goji berries (dried or fresh)
10 fresh leaves of mint
1 cup filtered water
Preparation:
1. Pour water into blender. Add papaya first, followed by the pear, berries and then mint leaves. Add the spinach last.
2. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until the smoothie turns into an even and creamy consistency.
3. Serve fresh.
Variation:
Substitute papaya with an equal part of banana and you will still have a creamy smoothie.
Pour smoothie into an airtight container and chill in the refrigerator overnight to make a refreshing morning smoothie meal replacement.
Smoothie fact:
This smoothie recipe packs in an abundance of protein, folate, magnesium and potassium. It is also high in vitamins A, B1, B6, C and K.
Aside from its high nutritional value, ripe papaya is also a good creamy fruit base to your smoothie.
Green Piña Colada Smoothie
Yield: 4 glasses
Ingredients:
1 cup chopped dandelion greens
4 cups fresh ripe pineapple chunks
½ cup shredded coconut meat
4 tablespoons dried pitted dates
2 cups unsweetened coconut water
2 cups ice cubes
Preparation:
1. Put all ingredients in a blender. Remember to put the liquid first and the greens last. Add ingredients in between.
2. Blend on high speed until a creamy and smooth puree is achieved.
3. Pour into glasses and serve.
Variation:
For a nutty taste, add 4 tablespoons raw cashew nuts to the recipe. Just be sure to choose the right cashews (plump, uniform in color, smells nutty and sweet) and always soak them first to remove enzyme inhibitors and make them more digestible.
Smoothie fact:
Dandelion greens may be bitter when eaten raw, but adding this super green vegetable to the mix will make your smoothie taste like it has alcohol in it. Best of all, dandelion greens are said