When I found Dontfearthevegan.com and I asked Steffi for an interview, I’m sure she was surprised, especially since (as I found out later) she doesn’t really like smoothies (?!?) and I’m the owner of a green smoothie recipe site, GreenReset.com.

Well, my interest in her certainly wasn’t because I was trying to expand my smoothie making skills.

So, let me explain…

You see, I’m a new vegan and (although it now seems incredible to me) until about a year ago, I had never personally met a vegan  – not until I became one myself, and began seeking them out.  I met a few vegetarians – but they were not close to me – just people I came across once or twice, never to see them again. For most part my family and friends are very meat oriented in their food choices, and when I tried eliminating meat  from my diet (while experimenting with raw foods) – I was met with harsh criticism, and failed miserably.

I feel that part of this failure was the fact that I haven’t had any support or role models. Being vegan (or even vegetarian) seemed so difficult and unattainable for regular people, with kids and family, like myself.

Now, I’m really passionate about this lifestyle. It took me 46 years to get to this point, and I wish I could help others “see the light” sooner.  So that’s why I decided to create a series of interviews with people who have been vegan for a while, and post it on my website, with the goal of sharing these experiences with non-vegans, and perhaps compiling their wisdom later on into an ebook or other resource.  I want to show different profiles of people living a vegan lifestyle, so that people who are hesitant or doubtful could see that it’s not only doable, but also a very rewarding choice.

But back to smoothies…

I think smoothies can be a great help when someone is just transitioning to plant-based diet–they make consuming large amounts of fruits, veggies and greens really easy and delicious.

The recipe I want to share with you calls for strawberries, avocado, papaya, and greens. It doesn’t include a banana, but you can certainly add one (it will make the smoothie sweeter). There is really no reason to avoid adding bananas to your smoothies, unless you are one of the people who just dislike the taste and texture that they add to a smoothie (my husband is one of them). I like banana-free smoothies, from time to time, when I feel a bit stuck in a rut with my recipes.

So, here is a simple recipe that I made this morning with ingredients I had in my kitchen.

Avocado-Papaya-Strawberry Smoothie

• 2 handfuls spinach or other leafy greens (I like to use organic Spring Mix)
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup papaya, peeled and deseeded
• 1/2 avocado (makes the smoothie creamy)
• 1 celery stalk (optional)
• sweetener of choice (optional)
• about 2 cups water (adjust the amount depending on how thick you want it)

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Note: This smoothie will not be very sweet, which I like, so if you want more sweetness you may decide to add a bit of agave syrup, stevia or a few dates to make it sweeter.

Enjoy!

More Banana-Free Smoothie Recipes

So, here are three simple recipes for you with easy-to-find ingredients, which are really delicious: sweet and creamy, just as they should be.

Avocado-Papaya-Strawberry Smoothie
2 handfuls spinach
1 cup strawberries (frozen or fresh)
1 avocado
2 cups water or non dairy milk (such as coconut milk)

Avocado-Apple Smoothie
1 green apple (for example, Granny Smith)
1/2 avocado
1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice
1/2 – 1 cup water

Pear-Strawberry
2 pears
1 cup whole strawberries
2 cups baby spinach (or other leafy green)
1 celery stalk
1 cup of water

Mango-Strawberry Green Smoothie
1 mango
1 cup whole strawberries
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
1/2 – 1 cup water

Papaya-Orange Smoothie
2 and 1/2 cups papaya, peeled and deseeded
1 orange, peeled
1 pear, cored
1 celery stalk
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
1/2 – 1 cup water

Papaya-Apple Smoothie
2 and 1/2 cups papaya, peeled and deseeded
1 apple, cored
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
1 whole carrot (optional)

Pear-Blueberry
2 pear
1 cup blueberries
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
¼ avocado
1 cup water

Pear-Apple
2 pear
1 apple
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)
½ cup water

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!

I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!

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