They say it takes 10,000 hours of doing something to become a master.
According to my blendtec counter, I have blended 1655 smoothies. I am not sure where this translates on the scale of novice to master, nor do I consider myself a master, but I have blended quite a few green smoothies in my day.
A few years ago, my sister-in-law Katie showed me how to make green smoothies. I remember watching in awe as she placed handfuls of spinach into the blender along with frozen berries, bananas, and orange juice. Genius! This was in the early days of green smoothies and my mind was blown. My sister-in-law Katie is a few years older than my husband and I. And since I only have brothers, I’ve always looked up to her and gleaned her knowledge of all things food and baby. I hurriedly wrote down what she was doing on a post-it note and put a nice blender at the top of my Christmas list that year. Lucky me Santa brought me one!
Since then, I make a green smoothie almost everyday. I fell even more in love with green smoothies when my son was a baby and learned to drink out of a straw. Watching him happily gulp down kale still makes me feel a little giddy. And sneaky. Green smoothies are like my mom guilt-insurance policy. If my son rejects a healthy dinner I make later in the day, I think back to the green smoothie he had earlier, and feel a little better about life. Green smoothies just make everything in life better.
You also might like this recipe for slushies!
That is with one huge exception. I only like green smoothies when they don’t taste “green”. A green smoothie can go from amazing to awful pretty quick. Nobody wants to gulp down something mealy, room temperature, watery and grassy tasting.
This week I’m going to post some of my favorite green smoothie combinations. All of these smoothies don’t taste green at all! I don’t usually use recipes or measure things out when I make smoothies, but I tend to follow a few green-smoothie rules. The Green-Smoothie Commandments, if you will.
Even with these rules, I know it’s still nice to get some new inspiration if you’re in a green smoothie rut or if you’re new to green smoothies.
Here are the green smoothie recipes I’ll be sharing this week:
Green Smoothie Week:
Day 1 – Mixed Berry Mango Kale Smoothie
Day 2 – Strawberry Banana Spinach Smoothie
Day 3 – Mango Avocado Smoothie
Day 4 – Super Green Back-On-Track Smoothie
Day 5 – Cherry Almond Spinach Smoothie
The first smoothie I’m sharing is the same combination my sister-in-law showed me years ago. It is still one of my very favorites! This smoothie is great if you’re introducing them to a skeptical loved one. I like using purple kale because it keeps the smoothie a nice purple huge.
This Pineapple and Banana Coconut Oil Smoothie also looks delicious! You also might like this strawberry beet and carrot juice.
Green Smoothie Week: Mixed Berry Mango Kale Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries
- 1 cup frozen mango
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice or 3/4 cup orange juice + 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup something creamy yogurt, kefir, coconut milk
- 1-2 cups kale
Optional Mix-Ins:
- Chia Seeds
- Hemp Seeds
- Protein Powder
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
I give this to my husband to help him get some extra greens in. He loves it and can’t even tell there’s kale! 🙂
I just tried this smoothie, and I thought it was pretty good. I had to cut the recipe in half, since it’s just me drinking smoothies. Thanks for the recipe!
Even cutting the juice with water, I thought this recipe was way too sour!
Glorious smoothie mix, added a few Goji berries and chia seeds, now must have a run to the store for more kale. Next to roasting kale or putting it in soup, making smoothies with it has become my favorite way to enjoy it. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Erin, What a beautiful post and what great information. You’re blog is so helpful. Thank you for making it easy to keep up with the important things in life — such as making good/healthy food for the kiddos!