by Joanna | Green Smoothies, Kids, Smoothie Recipes
If you are looking for easy healthy recipes and an super-easy way to add super-important nutrients to your everyday diet, you are truly lucky to have found this page!
Because what you will learn here – if you just try it and stick with it – will likely change your life and health for the better (really, I don’t exaggerate one bit – because it happened to me a few years back).
Introducing…Green Smoothies
You probably heard about green smoothies by now, as everyone is raving about them. You may call them blended drinks, green shakes, green smoothies, green fruit smoothies, drinkable salads or salads straight from your blender.
It doesn’t really matter what you call them — as long as you drink them!
The fact is that if you are having problems with eating a healthy diet, and especially if you have picky-eaters in your house who will not eat a green vegetable if their life depended on it – this is a perfect solution to your problem.
The idea to blend various kinds of leafy greens, fruits and vegetables to create a liquid soup with a baby food consistency is not new. About 5 years ago that Victoria Boutenko (from the Raw Family) greatly popularized the concept of the Green Smoothie.
The Green Smoothie is essentially a blended salad made with fruits and leafy greens, with some optional water, blended at high speeds to smooth consistency. Generally, hard or savory vegetables such as carrots or tomatoes are avoided, or only added in small quantities. Only fruits, leafy greens, and some vegetables are included.
Many of you may cringe at the idea of adding spinach or kale to a fruit smoothie, thinking these greens belong to a salad or dinner side-dish and not in a sweet drink.
However, the fact remains that this is the EASIEST, FASTEST, and TASTIEST way to consume large amounts of greens on a regular basis.
Just think about it: it’s MUCH faster to drink the same amount of greens in a smoothie than that it would take you to prepare and consume (and that includes chewing properly!) the same amount of greens, fruits and vegetables in a salad or other dishes.
Great things I love about smoothies is they only take about a minute to prepare (with a good blender, such as Blendtec or Vitamix), and a minute or two to drink.
And, when you make a green smoothie, the smoothie making blender will do the chewing for you!
There is really no excuse not to have them!
Important: Quick preparation does not also mean quick consumption. Do not just gulp down the entire glass of smoothie quickly. It is recommended that you drink your smoothie SLOWLY – mixing it with your saliva for best digestion and assimilation of nutrients.
Benefits of Green Smoothies versus Green Juice
Drinking freshly made juices made from vegetables, greens and fruits is an EXCELLENT way to add important nutrients to your diet. Juices contain super-concentrated nutrients that the body can absorb almost instantaneously — there is no need to digest anything! This gives the body a rest, while flooding it with great nutrition — great for people who have serious health problems and want to heal quickly.
However, juicing may or may not be an ideal solution for you.
One problem is that you may be skipping juicing — and therefore not benefiting from it — because it’s more work. I used to do a lot of juicing in the past and I still try to do it, but let’s face it – it is quite time consuming and really messy. My problem is over since I started making green smoothies. Making smoothies is a super easy way to eat lots of greens, and a great alternative to juicing. It is much faster, less messy, and you also get fiber in addition to juice, so you get that feeling of satiety. If you can discipline yourself to make fresh juices regularly, great! Otherwise, stick with green smoothies, or — I believe the best solution is to drink both!
Another problem with juice is that you leave behind the valuable fiber that slows down the absorption of nutrients and provides the feeling of fullness. This can be seen as a benefit, but can also be a problem ;-). Drinking a juice is not a “satisfying meal” in itself. So if you juice, then go on to eat junk food because you feel hungry, it’s better to have a green smoothie, that will leave you satisfied for longer.
Fortunately, whichever option you choose, you cannot go wrong. Whether you are making vegetable juices or blending green smoothies, you are doing your body a huge favor.
So, How Do You Make A Smoothie?
Let’s start with some great ingredients for your smoothie creations.
Great Ingredients For Your Green Smoothies
GREENS: kale, bok choy, chard, spinach, parsley, romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, mint, basil, cilantro, or other.
FRUITS: bananas, pears, apples, mango, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, kiwi, pineapple, melon, papaya, watermelon, grapes, or other.
VEGGIES: cucumber, celery, avocado (small amount only).
Some fruit and green combinations you may want to try:
- Spinach with bananas and strawberries
- Spinach with apples, bananas, and some lemon or lime juice
- Spinach, bananas, peaches, mango
- Romaine lettuce with bananas
- Romaine lettuce with cucumber and bananas
- Romaine and celery with blueberries
- Parsley and ripe pears
- Parsley, celery, apple and pears
Add 1-2 cups of water and blend until smooth. Adjust proportions to your liking. Try to experiment with different greens and fruits. Fruits are added for sweetness, so make sure they are really RIPE, especially bananas. Beautifully ripened bananas look like this:
Okay, so I need to add more spinach here, but I really love sweet taste of bananas!
In the beginning, when you are just starting out with the green smoothies, you may want to add just a little bit of mild tasting greens (such as spinach), to let your taste buds get used to the taste. Start adding more greens of various kinds (many of them are stronger tasting) later on.
Greens to add to your smoothies: spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, dandelion, kale, collard greens, beet tops, and whatever else you can find in the store or in your garden. Young, tender greens are better. Iceberg lettuce, although not very green at all, can be used too.
This is what a green smoothie looks like:
Don’t be discouraged by the “greenness” of this drink. It tastes delicious, trust me on this!
Just try it for yourself, OK?
(Plus, if you really don’t want the green color, you can easily make it into a purple or red smoothie by adding lots of mixed berries, and fewer green ingredients).
Green Smoothie Recipes
Here are more ideas for your delicious green smoothie creations. Feel free to adjust the quantity of ingredients:
Spinach-Apple-Banana
- 1 head of spinach
- 1 apple
- 1 banana
- 1-2 cups of water
Spinach-Raspberry-Strawberry
- 1/2 head of spinach
- 1/4 cup of raspberries
- 1/2 cup of strawberries
- 2 cups of water
Pinapple – Mango – Romaine
- 1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 large mango, peeled, cored, and chopped
- ½ head romaine lettuce
- a tiny piece of fresh ginger
You may want to add some water.
Personally I don’t really love Romain in my smoothies, but sometimes it works well. You’ll just have to try it for yourself. If you don’t care for it, substitute a different green.
Kale – Banana – Berry
- 2 leaves kale (kale is rather strong tasting, so you may want to start with less)
- 2 bananas
- 1 cup of strawberries or blueberries or raspberries
- 1 cup of water
Apple – Mango – Lettuce
- 5 pieces of green leaf lettuce
- 1 ripe mango
- 1 apple
- 1 cup of water
One note here on using frozen fruits in your smoothies. Personally, I don’t like smoothies that are really cold, so if I’m using a lot of frozen ingredients, I add some hot water to the mix to make them room- (or rather – stomach-) temperature. I know that many people like frozen drinks, but drinking a lot of frozen smoothies is not really that healthy, in my opinion.
I admit – I am totally hooked on green smoothies!
However, I never use exact recipes – I constantly experiment by adding different ingredients, depending on what sounds good to my body each day. Even thought some concoctions taste more delicious than others, I haven’t been completely disappointed yet!
Now that you know how to make some basic easy healthy recipes for green smoothies, you can experiment with other variations on this theme. When you are ready, start incorporate other, stronger tasting greens into your smoothies.
Submit Your Smoothie Recipe!
When you find a taste you love, why not submit your favorite smoothie recipe in the comment section below!
Find more smoothie recipes and tips on my blog.
by Joanna | Blender Reviews
OK, if you read any of my previous blog posts, you know by now that you should be drinking lots and lots of fresh green smoothies every day.
So today, I’m going to talk about my favorite smoothie maker that I use at least 3-4 times a day to prepare green smoothies for myself or my family.
If you are searching for best blender for smoothies, keep reading and your search will soon be over 🙂
How my life has changed after getting a Vitamix Blender for my birthday
It’s been over four years now that I’ve been using a Vitamix blender, and – wow – it has made my life so much easier, healthier and more enjoyable to boot.
Prior to buying the Vitamix , I’d been using a different blender – I will not mention the brand here, as it does not matter. It was a regular blender that was probably quite similar to what most people have tucked away in their kitchen cabinet somewhere. It was doing an OK job blending fruits and soft greens, such as spinach, but as it comes to making smoothies with tougher plants – kale or celery, for example – it sucked!
It could not handle the tougher jobs at all, resulting in a chunky texture that was not very palatable. Also, I was afraid to run it for too long, as the engine was overheating quickly.
This resulted in almost complete avoidance of these greens and veggies – even if I could drink them from time to time (reasoning with myself that I’m doing it for my health), my son and husband refused to touch the stuff and I couldn’t blame them for that.
I did a bunch of research online and discovered that the general opinion was that a Vitamix is the best blender on the market. So, following long deliberation – after all spending over $400 bucks for a small kitchen appliance that you can get for a less than a fifth of the price sounds crazy to most people – I decided to ask my husband to get me a Vitamix for my 44th birthday.
My Totally Biased Vitamix Review
Warning! I love my Vitamix, so don’t expect an unbiased review. I use it every day, 2-3 times or more. I’m also an affiliate for Vitamix, so if you use the Promotional Coupon Code 06-004554, I receive a small commission while you save on shipping :-).
When it arrived, I went out and purchased all kinds of fruits, and tough greens: kale, collards, celery, etc., etc., and started experimenting – and I was elated. I could not believe how smooth the consistency was – I could not feel any of the chunkiness of un-blended fibrous parts of the plants.
Plus, the smoothies passed the hardest test – my son loves them!
He regularly drinks smoothies made with the kale, parsley, collards, dandelion greens, arugula, celery, romaine lettuce (although too much romaine is not very palatable to me), and almost every other green I can find.
The dimensions of the blender are quite impressive at 52.07 cm tall, 22.23 cm deep and 18.42 cm wide (update: they do have a smaller version now, one that easily fits under the kitchen cabinets on the counter), allowing for large fruits and vegetables to enter and blend in the machine at the same time. The blades are very durable and are designed to pulverize whole foods, saving you time and fuss in the kitchen so you can spend less time cutting and preparing the meal and more time enjoying it.
Whether you are preparing smoothies, making juices, hot soups, baby food, nut butters or frozen desserts, this efficient blender will prepare it in less than a minute. With it you can chop, cream, blend, cook and complete many more tasks, all with one single blender. This is impressive and saves you space in the kitchen and money, by only needing one machine for all of these different tasks. The machine even cleans itself. You simply add in a drop of dish soap and some water and turn it on High for 30 seconds. This means less muss and fuss for you in the kitchen, leaving you with more time to spend with your friends and family.
It is easy to use, so you will not have any trouble getting started and figuring out how to use all the different features. The soft-grip allows for easy handling of the container so you can take it on and off easily without spilling. The ergonomically-designed handle makes it comfortable and easy to grip onto the blender, preventing slippage.
It even features a spill-proof vented lid with plug, to ensure you are always safe while using the machine and can add in ingredients without having to continuously turn the machine off to add in new ingredients.
Every machine is designed to offer outstanding performance and unsurpassed durability, so you know you are making a smart investment and getting a blender you can rely on.
Vitamix is a company that stands behind its products. It has been manufacturing high performance blending equipment for nearly a century now, so you know you can rely in them as a company and what they have to offer. They supply only dependable, high quality blenders that work effectively and efficiently, and which last you for years to come.
They even offer reconditioned machines that can save you some money, which are backed by the industry’s best warranty and are offered to you with a 30-day no risk guarantee. They go through quality inspections for testing of all machine parts and functions, as well as replacement of components that cannot be reconditioned, so you always know you are getting the very best blending machine.
Is Vitamix really the only blender that will do the job?
Blendtec is another top pick. To be honest, I chose Vitamix before I even knew that Blendtec existed, however, after doing some post-factum research I still concluded that Vitamix is a better choice for me – mostly because it has a tamper. The tamper allows me to prepare smoothies with very little liquid, or no liquid at all – I can just push the ingredients down so the blade can process them, without worrying about what to put first so that the pieces do not get stuck.
Vitamix vs Blendtec
Here is side-by side comparison of both blenders.
(Here is a video I found on Youtube: a battle between Vitamix vs Blendtec. To be fair, I don’t think you need to put whole apples into your blender. I don’t do it when I make green smoothies, even though I have Vitamix, as I don’t like to use the tamper. But whenever I make blended salads with little or no water, I’m sure glad I can push down the tomatoes or cucumbers, as they do get stuck in the process.)
So, if you’ve been thinking about getting a new blender and still hesitating whether or not to buy VitaMix – because of the price considerations – I say, DON’T. Consider it money well spent, and an investment in your family’s health (think about all the savings on doctor’s visits and medications).
For more information about VitaMix you can go directly to the VitaMix website. You may also want to read my post about the Best Blender.
I LOVE my VitaMix and highly recommend investing in one if you are ready to make serious changes to your diet. I have had mine for almost 5 years and use it daily!
UPDATE:
But what about hand blenders?
Can they make a decent smoothie?
Absolutely!
A hand blender is a FANTASTIC option, especially in a small kitchen or when you’re on the road. For a long time, I didn’t consider a hand-held blender as a viable option for making smoothies, but boy, was I wrong!
For some reason, when I tried to make a smoothie, it didn’t come out right. Of course, after I discovered what I was doing wrong, making smoothies even with a handheld immersion blender is a breeze! After I learned a few tricks, the smoothies come out delicious every time!
Regardless of whether you want to make smoothies with immersion blenders or not, it’s still worth it investing in one of those. They’re super versatile, plus they’re cute too!
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!
by Joanna | Green Smoothies, Kids, Smoothie Recipes
Let’s face it – with our busy schedules, we don’t always have time to sit down and eat a healthy salad or prepare proper healthy dishes that the whole family would enjoy.
So I have a solution for you! Below are some super-easy smoothie recipes. Choose one that you like and whip up a quick green smoothie for yourself (and your family). It will give you energy, and fill your belly for a couple of hours with all the right foods.
Spinach is typically thought of as a lunch or dinner ingredient in a savory recipe, so spinach in a fruit smoothie may sound strange at first, but – even if you don’t enjoy its taste by itself – the other ingredients will mask the flavor, I promise.
If you haven’t been eating your greens every day, simply jump-start your day with a green smoothie, so that before you even start your day, you’ve already sucked down your veggies, greens, and fruit to boot.
And better yet? So have your kids and other family members.
Benefits of Spinach
Do I even have to talk about the benefits of spinach? We all know it’s good for us. Spinach has been cultivated in many parts of the world for hundreds of years, not just as a food source, but also as an important medicinal plant in many traditional systems of medicine.
Spinach benefits cannot be overstated. In the past it has often been regarded as a plant that helps restore energy, increase vitality, and improve the quality of the blood. The main reason for this is that spinach nutrition provides twice as much iron as most other greens.
Other nutrients it contains include calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, and the B-complex vitamins. It is also a good source of Niacin and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
Spinach, just like other greens that contain chlorophyll and carotene, is a remarkable protector against various diseases, including cancer, anemia, digestive problems, skin problems, as well as acting as a mild laxative. Women who are worried about osteoporosis should consume spinach because it is a rich source of calcium and vitamin K.
In fact, when compared calorie for calorie to other vegetables, some say that nothing is as nutrient dense as spinach, while also being very low in calories. And no, you don’t have to worry about the oxalates in spinach hurting you.
Spinach is Super Low In Calories & Super Dense in Nutrients = Great For Weight Loss!
Spinach, it’s really low in calories, so it’s an excellent ingredient for all weight loss smoothies, as well as meal replacement smoothies.
1 cup spinach, raw (30g) = 7 calories (!)
1 bunch spinach (340g) = 78 calories (!)
The great thing is that once you try a spinach smoothie recipe, you’ll be consuming lots of it and it won’t matter anymore if you or your picky-eaters at home don’t enjoy munching on spinach salad!
Just adding a few spinach leaves to a your smoothie recipe, is so easy, tastes delicious, and it’s also incredibly good for you!
A bunch of spinach has a mere 78 calories, while providing 10g of protein.
So, how do you prepare a spinach smoothie?
When preparing spinach smoothie recipes, as in the case in most other greens, feel free to experiment and include a wide variety of other fruits and veggies.
By experimenting with different combinations, you will be able to come up with something that you and the whole family will love. You’ll even have an easier time getting your children on board to adopting a healthier diet.
The great thing about spinach is that it’s mild tasting, so it’s a perfect starter green for green smoothies. Even the most picky eaters won’t mind a few leaves of spinach in their fruit smoothie (use some deep colored fruits, such as berries, or colored glass containers to mask the green color for those most green-resistant eaters).
Generally speaking, Vitamix or Blendtec blenders will do a great job with any type of greens, including the tougher greens such as kale, collard greens, or celery tops. These smoothie makers will give you smoother liquid, compared with other blenders.
However, even if you have an inexpensive blender you can make spinach smoothies without worrying about rough texture – spinach is soft enough, so most blenders will handle spinach well.
First, when buying fresh spinach it should be dark green and free from any evidence of decay. Choose spinach that has vibrant deep green leaves and stems with no signs of yellowing. The leaves should look fresh and tender, and not be wilted or bruised. Avoid those that have a slimy coating as this is a sign of decay. Slightly wilted spinach can be revived to freshness by dipping it in cold water.
Do not wash spinach before storing as the exposure to water encourages spoilage. Place spinach in a plastic storage bag and wrap the bag tightly around the spinach, squeezing out as much of the air as possible. Place in refrigerator where it will keep fresh for up to 5 days.
Prior to preparing a smoothie, wash spinach under running water. If using non organic spinach, you may want to soak or spray it with a biodegradable wash, then rinse. Use a salad spinner to dry.
The leaves can be used as is. You don’t need to remove the stalks, as you would for a salad.
Put the leaves into your smoothie blender together with your fruits and veggies – bananas, strawberries, apples, celery, etc.
That’s basically all there is to it!
Spinach Smoothie Recipes
Here are a few green smoothie recipes with spinach for you to try!
I encourage you to experiment mixing spinach with other fruits, greens and vegetables. Also, I’m really not good with exact proportions, so you will need to experiment with quantities, to get that perfect green smoothie for your taste.
More Green Smoothie Recipes with Spinach
Spinach-Mixed-Berries
2-4 cups of fresh spinach
a handful of strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 raspberries (fresh or frozen)
(OR 1 cup of mixed berries from BJ’s)
2 bananas (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 cup water (more or less, to desired consistency)
For the Mixed Berries Smoothie I usually use frozen organic mixed berries I buy at BJs – a big 3 lbs bag for $9.99 – they are amazing in smoothies – and this is simply my favorite smoothie!
Spinach-Blueberry
1 large banana, ripe
1 cup blueberries, frozen (or Wild Blueberries from BJ’s)
1 cup oz spinach, fresh
1 1/2 cups water (more or less, to desired consistency)
This is my son’s favorite. For this smoothie, I’m using frozen Wild Blueberries from BJ’s – a big 3 lbs bag for $7.99 – they are amazing in smoothies – and this is simply my favorite smoothie!
Spinach-Mixed Tropical Fruit
1 large banana, ripe and peeled
1/4 avocado
6 oz spinach, fresh
1/2 cup pineapple, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup mango, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup grapes, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cup water (more or less, to desired consistency)
For this smoothie, I’m using frozen mixed fruits from BJ’s – a big 5 lbs bag for $9.99 – great value and taste!
Spinach-Pear-Celery
2 pears
1 stalk of celery
1 cup spinach
1 cup water
Spinach-Peach
6 peaches
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
2 cups water
Spinach-Kiwi
1 banana
2 peaches
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
1 cup water
Spinach-Watermelon-Strawberries
One half small seeded watermelon, peel and all
10 strawberries
1 bunch spinach
1 cup water
Spinach-Mango Green Smoothie
1 large banana, ripe
1 cup mangoes
1/2 cup strawberries
5 oz spinach
1 1/2 cups water
Spinach-Banana-Orange Smoothie Recipe
2 large ripe bananas
2 oranges
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
Spinach and Cantaloupe Melon Smoothie Recipe
1/2 cantaloupe melon
1 cup of spinach
Spinach-Tomato
Here is a savory recipe for a spinach-tomato smoothie:
4 ripe plum tomatoes
1 handful of spinach leaves
4 leaves of basil leaves
One note here on using frozen fruits in your smoothies. Personally, I don’t like smoothies that are really cold, so if I’m using a lot of frozen ingredients, I add some hot water to the mix to make them room (or rather – my stomach) temperature. I know that many people like frozen drinks, but drinking a lot of frozen smoothies is not really that healthy, in my opinion.
I admit – I am totally hooked on green smoothies!
I never use exact recipes – I constantly experiment by adding different ingredients, depending on what sounds good to my body each day.
Although some smoothies taste more delicious than others, I haven’t been disappointed yet!
Note: Because of the high oxalic acid content of spinach, some experts recommend to keep your spinach intake down to once or twice a week. While I don’t subscribe to the view that greens (including those rich in oxalic acid, such as spinach) are dangerous, if you have any health issues such as kidney stones, speak to a qualified doctor or nutritionist about your concerns and any changes to your diet.
Now that you know how to make some basic spinach recipes, you can experiment with other variations on this theme. When you are ready, start incorporate other, stronger tasting greens into your smoothies.
For all my blending recipes I use Vitamix. If you don’t already own a VitaMix, I strongly encourage you to check out what this machine is capable of! For more information about VitaMix you can go directly to the VitaMix website. You may also want to read my post about the Best Blender.
I LOVE my VitaMix and highly recommend investing in one if you are ready to make serious changes to your diet. I have had mine for almost 5 years and use it daily!
If you decide to purchase Vitamix – be sure to use Promotional Code 06-004554 to get free shipping.
The Making of Spinach Smoothie: Inside of my Vitamix
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!
by Joanna | Guest Post
Colonoscopy is a procedure I heard a lot about, but never tried myself. I know that many people in the health niche highly recommend it, but I’m still a bit skeptical. If you’re thinking about it, here is a guest article on how to get ready.
There are a many things that scare people stiff when it comes to matters dealing with their health. Top of that list is needles. Needles keep a lot of people from hospitals as some of them are mortified by the thought of them entering the skin. That aside, blood is also another thing that can drive people insane. It is not rare to hear that someone fainted after seeing blood. If you are afraid of blood, then do not even think of medicine as a profession.
There are several other things in this list including the use of certain medication and the smell of hospital in general. However, the list can not be complete without including procedures such as colonoscopy. Many people just find it intrusive and even imagine it to be the most painful procedure on earth. You might find that you are scheduled for one at least once in a lifetime. So, how do you go about it so as to be prepared for it?
a) Getting prepared
Unfortunately, you cannot just wake and get this bowel checking procedure done without prior preparation. Here are a few tips on what you should do. The main aim of these tips is to clear your bowels so that the doctor can see your insides clearly.
A few hours to the procedure, you should take clear liquids only. This includes things like tea, coffee and broth. They are to help in cleansing your system.
Several man made chemicals can also be used as instructed by your physician. These include things like Polyethylene Glycol and oral sodium phosphates. Laxatives can also be added in this category. The main aim is to help clean your system and these substances make sure that all the waste in your body comes out. They should be taken the night before the procedure.
b) Additional tips
Just like any medical procedure, there are some few pointers that could make this particular procedure more pleasant and bearable.
As stated earlier, this procedure does not happen on a moment’s notice.Therefore, you need to go to your doctor’s in good time and make sure you receive the necessary instructions in good time. Some could recommend a week to cleanse your system and others a day. Whichever the case, just know you will require medicated wipes and tissues as you are bound to spend a considerable amount of time in the bathroom
You should consider wearing loose clothing. This is easier to manage when you get the urge to go to the bathroom. Another very important thing is to ensure that you are in close proximity to a bathroom or otherwise you might end up soiling yourself.
Variety is the spice of life. Having said this, just because you have been told to drink clear liquids does not mean you drink water alone. Get a variety of clear drinks such as broth and coffee.
by Joanna | Salads, Soups
Green smoothies are great, but they are sweet-tasting, and sometimes, for whatever reason, we want a more savory flavor.
Plus, the fruit content in many smoothie recipes may be a problem for some people with diabetes and blood sugar issues.
Also, the smoothies are really, …well… smooth (duh!)- almost like baby food – which is important for good assimilation of nutrients, especially if you add hard-to-chew greens, such as kale or collard greens. So, for variety, you may want to add some crunchiness to your meals from time to time.
Whatever the reason, I encourage to add some Green Power Soup and Salad Recipes to your blending repertoire :-).
Low-Calorie, Low-Sugar, Low-Fat Raw Blended Soups and Salads
Ingredients For Blended Soups: Green Power Soups are made of juicy vegetables and leafy greens. The idea is that you create a soup base first, by blending the tough ingredients with some water, and then add softer ingredients, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach and zucchini and blend everything at low speed to add texture. The soup should have thick, creamy consistency with crunchy texture, and can be eaten from a bowl.
Best Ingredients for Blended Salads. Green Power Salads are made of primarily juicy vegetables and greens, that are blended at lower speeds than smoothies, for shorter times, WITHOUT ANY WATER. They have thicker consistency, crunchy texture, and can be eaten from a bowl like a soup or stew.
The best ingredients for blended salads include cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, peppers, and zucchini, with only delicate greens added, such as spinach or lettuce. The reason not to add hard and bitter greens such as kale is that you are only blending the mixture to a consistency of thick salsa or stew – and these ingredients would make it unpalatable.
Herbs, Sprouts and Condiments. You will want to add lots of herbs, such as basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, and other for outrageously delicious taste. Sprouts are also terrific to add to the blend or just sprinkle on top. If you don’t have fresh herbs, dried herbs are fine too. You may also experiment with other condiments, such as curry powder or hot sauce, onion or garlic.
Sweeteners. Even though this is supposed be a savory tasting recipe, adding some sweetness is really important. Of course, you may skip sweeteners altogether, but – unless you have strong reasons to do it – I really advise you to also add a little bit of sweetness for more yumminess. I like to add some sweet fruits, for example, a piece of a sweet pear, apple, a few strawberries, or grapes, but you may choose to add a little bit of honey, agave syrup, or some other sweetener to make the blended salad even more delicious.
Green Power Creamy Avocado Energy Soup
As I said, the only difference between soup and salad is just that you add a bit of liquid, such as water, to your soup; whereas salads require no added liquid – which makes them a little bit more tricky to do, especially if you don’t have a powerful blender (see the tips below).
So, let’s start with a soup recipe that I put together in a spur of the moment – my husband was coming home soon and I wanted to make a blended salad, but did not have the usual juicy ingredients in my kitchen that are required for salad, such as tomatoes and cucumbers.
I blended the tougher ingredients first – in this case celery with a piece of avocado and a bit of water to create a soup base, and then added other ingredients on low speed to create some texture.
Here are the ingredients that I used (just because I had them in my kitchen at the moment) – and the soup turned out quite tasty!
Ingredients for soup base:
1 large stalk celery
2 lettuce leaves
1/2 small avocado
Blend well on high speed. This will create a nice creamy base.
Ingredients for texture:
1 small zucchini
1/2 pear or a bit of agave (for sweetness)
fresh basil leaves to taste (from my window garden)
a small piece of green onion
Blend on lowest speed that will get the job done. Optionally, you may just chop these ingredients and mix them with the liquid. I also a pinch of salt.
Pour into a bowl and enjoy!
Live Avocado-Cucumber Soup
Here is another soup recipe from my soup ebook. This rich and creamy blend of avocados, cucumbers, and cilantro is luscious and satisfying. It is garnished with pieces of cucumber and cashew sour cream. (To make cashew sour cream simply blend a handful of cashews with water and add a splash of lemon juice.)
Simple and delicious!
Live Avocado-Cucumber Soup
Ingredients
- 2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
- 4 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
- ½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few springs for garnish
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ cup water
- For garnish:
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 julienned radish, for garnish
- ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips, for garnish
- ½ cup fresh corn kernels, for garnish
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Variations:
- Substitute cilantro with fresh dill, chopped for Cucumber-Dill soup.
- Add 1 cup chopped spinach or lettuce.
Instructions
- Put the avocados, cucumbers, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, lime juice, lemon juice, water and a dash of salt, if using, in a blender and process until smooth. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about one1 hour or up to 3 hours. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each portion with radish, bell pepper, corn, and cilantro. Serves 4-6.
- Garnish with cashew sour cream. To make cashew sour cream, squeeze some lemon juice into cashew cream.
3.1
https://greenreset.com/green-blended-salads/
How to Make a Blended Salad?
This is important.
Because you are not going to add any water to your salad, so it is important to start with ingredients that contain most water – tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. – so, cut them into pieces and put them into your blender FIRST. Switch your blender ON and keep it on the lowest speed that will get the job done. Next, gradually keep adding other ingredients – leafy greens and herbs. If adding honey or other sweetener, add it to the mix at the end, so it doesn’t just stick to the container.
This is important especially if you are using a regular blender to make the blended salad, and not VitaMix – which is the best blender on the market to make green smoothies and blended salads. It’s expensive, but totally worth it!
Low-Calorie, Fat-Free Blended Salad Recipe (No Salad Dressing Required!)
The problem with many salads is that the greens are soaked in fatty dressings with many unhealthy ingredients. Of course, you may make healthy low fat salad dressing yourself using a blender, like I describe in one of my other posts.
This Italian-flavored Green Power Salad requires no salad dressing whatsoever – and it still tastes delicious!
Ingredients:
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 2 scallions
• some fresh basil leaves (adjust quantity to taste)
• some fresh oregano (can substitute dried oregano)
• raw honey or raw agave nectar (adjust quantity to taste)
• optional jalapeno or other hot pepper
• 5 oz spinach
• optional toppings: handful sweet bell pepper, diced, 1 chopped celery stalk
Step 1.
Save 1/2 tomato and a piece of cucumber for garnish. Blend the remaining tomatoes, cucumber and celery in your blender.
Step 2.
Chop the remaining ingredients and add to your blender and blend on slow speed. If you don’t have a powerful blender, then you may want to add spinach gradually as you blend. Remember to use low speed. If you have a Vitamix, use the pusher to help do the job.
Step 3.
Pour the salad into a bowl. Chop remaining tomato and cucumber and sprinkle on top.
Enjoy!
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!
