My green smoothie recipe.

I was telling some friends the other day about how amazing green smoothies are, so I thought I'd share this recipe since it took me a while to perfect. (Doesn't seem complicated but keeping it from tasting too strong, too bland, etc. took a while.) I've been making this almost daily for either breakfast or lunch.

 

 

Layers from the bottom:

-Frozen kale or spinach. I use frozen because it's already in little pieces and just seems to blend better and not give you the distracting texture you can get using fresh. Plus I always fail at using up an entire container of the fresh stuff before it spoils. You want the kind that comes loose in the bag so you can just use what you want. (I get mine at WalMart.)

-Banana for creaminess and sweetness.

-Two oranges. I used to use orange juice but that's SO much sugar I don't like to have it every day. But smoothies taste bland to me without the bright citrus flavor. So I use whole oranges now so we're getting them the way God designed them, with all the fiber. :-)

-Frozen fruit of your choice - this is the only thing I change from day to day. (If the green color is weird for you use a berry mix and all you'll see is purple!)

-Not in the photo, but add a big dollop of yogurt. (We use full fat because it's best for toddlers so we just don't buy fat-free dairy products right now. It was weirdly hard to find, but I buy it at the Asian grocery store by the Imax theater.)

-Totally optional add-in: I throw in a mix of chia seeds, flaxseed, and rolled oats. This adds nutrition, makes it more filling, and acts as a thickener so if we have leftovers to refrigerate for a snack later they stay thick instead of separating and getting watery. Just one of these is fine too.

-Top with enough unsweetened almond milk to get it to blend (Two cups? It'll depend on the quality of your blender) and blend it up. You'll want to blend it longer than a regular smoothie to really get those greens to disappear.

 

This makes enough for two good size adult servings (a light breakfast in their own right, or nice with eggs), plus a sippy cup full for the kiddo.