A Green Revolution

May 12, 2010

Have you noticed that every one is talking about green smoothies these days? Or is it just in my little world where people are whizzing up these healthy cocktails and extolling the virtues of drinking your salad?

Green smoothies are nothing new for the raw foodie types, but they are a relatively new addition to our menu. Last summer, during my mother-in-law's visit she prepared green smoothies in the afternoons for snack.

Green snacks are one thing but drinking a green breakfast is another! Damien and I have been doing just that for the last month and absolutely loving it. Damien's been wanting to do this for years but I've been stuck in an oatmeal and rice rut. This is a lovely change, especially for this time of year. My body craves greens and new growth.

The kids have taken sips but have yet to embrace the green-ness (or brown-ness depending on the ingredients) of the experience. Brienne, who least likes vegetables, enjoys these drinks the most - go figure. I am still preparing other breakfasts for the children and I eat a bit of that also. A drink for breakfast, even with nuts added, just doesn't give me enough oomph in the morning. And I should add I drink my coffee right along side with my smoothie.

I wish I had better photos of these tasty meals to show you but quite honestly green smoothies are disgusting to look at, especially when you add berries, which we often do. Instead of being bright green, which is lovely in my opinion, they are baby poop brown. Once you get over the appearance though the taste can't be beat.

I really love starting off the morning this way. I incorporated this morning ritual into my weekend with mom and here she is juicing the fruits to make our morning smoothie. Go mom!

Green Smoothie Recipe

What goes in a green smoothie? Anything you want. We have a Vita Mix (best kitchen investment ever) that can handle nuts and seeds and will blend them up really well so some days we add those also.

This morning's recipe was this:

2 oranges, juiced*
1/2 grapefruit, juiced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 banana
8 oz. spinach
handful of frozen strawberries
handful of ice cubes
1 mango

Makes approximately 32 oz.

*We use the little hand juicer you see below. You could put the whole fruit in, minus the peel, but Damien prefers the texture of juiced fruits better.

Green Smoothie Resources

Green Smoothie Challenge. A whole blog dedicated to drinking more greens.
Beauty that moves blog has a post dedicated to green smoothie answers. Recipes, blender talk, links and answers to other pressing questions about drinking spinach.
Earth Mama is participating in the Green Smoothie Challenge blog. She's posted Raw Stuff, a photographically luscious post and From the Wild - making smoothies with foraged and garden greens.
How to Make a Green Smoothie. An un-cooking video from the folks at Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen.
Jenn at Promise of a Rainbow shares her own comical story about the worst green smoothie ever. Lesson: be careful what foraged greens you add!
My mom's post Shades of Green on our Menu includes a smoothie recipe and the wisdom from a mom and nutritionist about eating (& drinking) your greens.