Smoothie questions!

[JTA Mom]

I'm thinking of making myself some breakfast or lunch smoothies. I think throwing everything in a blender is much easier than making a full meal.

So, I'm dairy intolerant. However, I will sub coconut yogurt & alternative milks in my drinks.

However, I'd love to move past fruits. What veggies do you put in your smoothies? Do you prep them in any way to make them blend better?

What are your fave combos of fruits & veggies?

Can one do smoothies in a regular (aka not Vitamix) Blender? I don't mind it being a bit chunky, but I'm afraid things like spinach would be stringy.

Oh, and I'm wondering, in winter, is there any fresh veggie/fruit combo you use? I'm thinking pumpkin might make a lovely shake!

Thanks!

Ami

[bananababies]

I've been making this smoothie lately and it's awesome!

1/2 to 1 whole banana
a big handful baby spinach
coconut milk (about 1/3 can)
water (enough to help blend)
a few ice cubes
a sprinkle of cinnamon
a dash of vanilla
a squirt of honey

Blend it all really well. I use a regular blender, and it's not chunky or stringy, but I blend it really well.

I've also thrown a little avocado in there, or a little romaine. Both taste great! I tried grapes once but the skins didn't blend in enough for me, so I won't do that again.

[es1967]

I always blend the greens (spinach,kale,redleaf etc) with water first to really liquefy it. Then add in a frozen bannana and any other fruits-strawberries,blueberries,peaches pineapple are all favorites. I also add in some hemp seed and just started with Maca and the raw cacao. I love the extra superfoods. I just have a regular blender thats why I blend the greens first. I'm still hoping to get a Vitamix someday.

I use my regular juicer for veggie juices.

[CrunchyChristianMama]

1 cup yogurt
1/4-1/2 cup apple juice (I use a fresh pressed, not from concentrate)
1 banana
8 ish frozen strawberries
1/2 cucumber (frozen in slices)
handful of spinach

sometimes I will add a whole apple, peach, some avocado, or whatever random fruit I have laying around that is about to go bad

Oh yeah, and I don't have a vitamix and have no problems at all with the spinach.