I love smoothies!  Not so long ago I thought green smoothies were gross.  I hadn’t tried one yet.  It was just the idea of a green smoothie that didn’t appeal to me.

Then, while staying with my brother-in-law, his wife made us green smoothies for breakfast.  Timidly I took the first sip, and I was hooked!  She made a delicious, fresh tasting smoothie, made with kale, mango, ginger root, and fresh squeezed lemon.  I don’t remember exactly her combination,  just how delighted I was with the taste.

Prior to this experience, I had these two images in my mind.

First, I knew of people who juiced fruits and vegetables.  I am opposed to this idea on principle, knowing that juicing by definition removes all the fiber, and also condenses all of the calories.  To make one cup of apple juice, for example, requires approximately a pound of apples.  I understand that there are some arguments for juicing.  I just personally don’t agree with them.

The other image I held was of the smoothies you can buy at a chain smoothie company.  Many of those are so loaded with calories and sugar, you wonder what they are really putting in there.    I did find an interesting list of the best smoothies, if you are in a pinch and want to stay away from worse fast food choices.

So, after having my eyes opened by my sister-in-law to how yummy a wholesome smoothie can taste, I began playing with creating my own concoctions.  Some have been wonderful, and some were… less appealing.  There is no need to follow a recipe.  By playing with the ingredients, you can make them however you like with whatever you happen to have on hand.

So, what are the benefits of drinking smoothies?

1. Get at least one extra serving of green leafy vegetables.
2. Quick grab and go meal.
3. Extra fiber boost.
4. Concentration of vitamins and minerals.
5. A sweet dessert substitute.
6. You can sneak vegetables in on the kids.
7. Uses up a large crop of produce quickly (if you found a bargain, for example).
8. You can sneak in vegetables for yourself, that you wouldn’t otherwise eat.
9. Easy to prepare and clean up.
10. Easy way to add some extra nutrition, like with flax seeds.  I have successfully added turmeric (which has multiple health benefits!) without being able to taste it.

Bonus:  Drinking these smoothies will certainly help keep you regular.  😉

Just for some inspiration, here is a smoothie I made recently:

Frozen banana

pineapple
kale
grapefruit

It turned out a bit too frothy, but tasted great!

Frozen banana

pineapple
kale
grapefruit

It turned out a bit too frothy, but tasted great!