Fresh: How To Make A Green Smoothie

Okay. Let me level with you. Me and Green Smoothies? We did not have a good relationship. I was scared of Green Smoothies, in fact. Possibly I was scared to the level of being phobic. To me, Green Smoothies were the evil Hulk of healthy drinks. I just figured that they would taste like the very worst kind of green baby food. I figured they would have the texture of the stuff that Popeye shovels into his mouth right before he lovingly squeezes the bejeezus out of Olive Oil. And I figured that people who drank green smoothies were the smug, virtuous kind who did 12 hours of Bikram Yoga every day, eschewed sugar and looked horrified if you mentioned your longing for a Milky Bar or some Cheezels. I was wrong.  I was actually REALLY wrong.

Let me back-track a bit… As part of a ‘Be A Little Bit Healthier Challenge’, the ubiquitous Green Smoothie was first on my list of things to try.  (I am all for the baby steps approach to new things and I figure I can ease myself into these healthy habits one step at a time.)  So today, I baby-stepped gingerly towards a Green Smoothie. The step was small. But step I did. (I have to be honest. I shuddered at the idea of becoming one of those smug, super healthy, bendy people. I did not want to wear those ‘happy pants’ and Birkenstocks. Oh no.  I guess somewhere between A Little Bit Healthier and the bendy Birked is where I was aiming for.)

I also worried about drinking spinach. ‘Why would you drink spinach?!’ I wondered. ‘Why not just stir-fry it with some garlic, ginger and chilli?’

I did some research and found out that the (spinach-packed) Green Smoothie is super good for detoxifying and providing raw nutrients which Spring clean our bodies and make us feel BETTER. Healthier? I think so. And no need to crack out the wok. Win.  I was ready to take a Green step.  Would you liked so see where my non-Birky un-smug step took me? Yes? Well, here’s how I made my Green Smoothie…

I kid you not, this tasted REALLY good!  Like, I wanted another one straight away. I could not taste the spinach AT ALL. As in, not one bit. Instead, it was a smooth fruity blend of tangy lime and kiwifruit, smoothed out by the less zingy banana and pear. SO GOOD.

You can also add heaps of other stuff to your Green Smoothie: frozen banana (for a creamy texture), honey, soaked chia seeds, yoghurt, frozen mango, berries,  apples, grapes, kale (which has a gentle green flavour too and is REALLY good for you!), lemon juice… the list goes on!

What I want to know is, are you into smoothies? Do you like Green Smoothies? Or are you a bit scared to Go Green, like I was?  What do you know about Green Smoothies? What can you teach me, now that I’ve come over to the Green side?!

xx Pip

PS: I can’t believe I LIKED it. Omg.

This post is part of the Coles Fresh and Real story. Fresh food to inspire.