Go To Green Smoothie

Want an easy way to load up on veggies and stay satiated for hours?

This is the Recipe for you!

I have been making some variation of this smoothie for years! The recipe has evolved as I have learned and studied more about Metabolic Health throughout my career. It is heavy on the greens for fiber and micronutrients, low on the sugary fruits and still tastes fantastic!

My smoothie obsession likely started when I still lived in Oregon after college and worked at our local Co-op’s juice bar. I loved being in that environment, all the hippies and health food, making smoothies and juices all day! It was a 20-something’s dream gig. I would always make myself one, thinking I was quite healthy - usually apple juice, frozen fruit, a banana and maybe a bit of protein powder. It would usually resemble something like this:

Honestly, these didn’t always make me feel great. And if memory serves me correctly, I’m fairly sure I ran straight to the bathroom after downing 16 oz. of that gut bomb and thought nothing of it. I was young, had a wicked fast metabolism and thought everything in that juice bar was healthy, no matter the combination. I was wrong!

Most smoothies are a sugar bomb!

When we know better, we do better. Now that I know better, I realize what was missing from those concoctions - everything but sugar! Most smoothies truly are sugar bombs, so it is important to balance that out with fat and protein. I do realize that not everyone has blood sugar dysregulation (although it’s likely 1 in 3 people do!), and not everyone is watching their sugar intake to this degree. But it is a sneaky little substance and smoothies just happen to be a popular hidden source of excess sugar. So, try this one out and take notice on how it makes you feel - immediately after, then 20 minutes later, 1 hour later, 3 hours later.

This green (or often purple if using blueberries!) smoothie is great for:

• A meal replacement if you add quality protein powder, protein rich seeds and/or nuts or nut butter.

• Getting in those veggies! The guidelines for daily intake of vegetables for adults is around 2.5 cups. Not nearly enough according to this health coach, and yet over 80% of Americans don’t meet this minimum daily requirement. You can easily drop 2 – 3 cups of spinach or kale into a smoothie and be good for the day! (if you think this is enough. It’s not!)

• Breaking the fast - aka breakfast. It’s full of fiber, fat and protein which is the best way to start your day! 

• Experimenting in the kitchen. Play around with this! Learn what greens you like raw…I find that collard greens are the least bitter raw, while others prefer kale. I usually use water as the base, while others may enjoy a nut milk. I prefer almond butter and seeds for protein while others prefer protein powder. 

• Get creative and comfortable in your kitchen! Find your inner Kitchen Witch!

Ingredients: Makes roughly two 16 - ounce smoothies

1 1⁄2 cups liquid: Almond milk, coconut milk, or water

2 cups of greens, any combination: kale, romaine, bok choy, swiss chard, spinach, collard greens, beet greens, cucumber or celery

Your protein blend of choice if using as a meal replacement: Options include: Hemp seeds, protein powder of your choice, 2 tablespoon almond butter, or 1⁄4 cup *chia pudding (see recipe below)

1⁄2-1 cup of frozen fruit: blueberries or mango are my favorite

Optional add ins:

• 1 tablespoon green powder: HealthForce Super Foods Vitamineral Green, Vitamin C Powder, spirulina and/or chlorella powder, maca powder

• 1/2 cup frozen cauliflower rice

• If you are used to a sweeter smoothie, this may taste a tad bitter at first. Feel free to ease into this by adding more berries, a banana or dates for whole food sourced sweetness. As your palate adjusts, start lowering the amount of sweetness. It happens quickly and I promise it’s worth it!

Directions:
 1. Put all ingredients in high speed blender. Blend and enjoy! 

Pro Tip:

If you don’t have a Vita Mix or other high speed blender, it’s a good idea to blend just the veggies, liquid, extra powders and protein options first. Then add your frozen fruit for the smoothest smoothie you can get!

 *Chia pudding:

• 2 tablespoons chia seeds 

• 6oz of dairy free milk, or water 

• Combine in lidded mason jar, shake and store in fridge for at least an hour or overnight