Green smoothies

[3lilpunkins]

I've read ppl mentioning these green smoothies everwhere. What are they? What the benefits? How do they tatse? What brands are good?

[CParker]

We make our own using frozen mixed berries, banana, OJ and a leaf or two of greens (kale, swiss chard, etc.). Unless you go crazy with the greens you don't actually taste them. Both my kids (20 m/o and 4 y/o) slurp these down .

[3lilpunkins]

Do you add any ice or yogurt or anything?

[gentlestrengths]

Originally Posted by 3lilpunkins

Do you add any ice or yogurt or anything?

I add yogurt or kefir, whichever I have. I also add flax seeds, and I use romaine, and spinach usually, because that is what we buy. It turns it green, but you can't taste it even a little bit. I freeze old bananas too (peel them first), and sometimes we do peanut butter and banana green smoothies, MMM. Be careful though - these things are LOADED with sugar - with all the fruit!! You don't need sweetened yogurt/kefir, just use plain. I generally make them as snacks and not breakfast or another meal, just because they are so high in sugar (sugar is sugar, natural or not!). They *ARE* tasty though!!!!!!!

[3lilpunkins]

Wow, I can't wait to make these!
I thought it was some kind of powered thing that you added water & ice to, or something. I got a little booklet in the mail trying to sell these "All day greens" I thought they were similar to the green smoothies.

[EdenLove]

Generally, the point of the real green smoothie is to get loads of greens, without thinking you're getting loads of greens. I think the Green Smoothie thing was really started by Victoria Boutenko, who wrote a book called Green for Life - she also just came out with a book called Green Smoothie Revolution. She found that even raw fooders weren't eating enough greens, and they are SO important in our diet - we all need to be eating lots and lots of greens for optimal health! But - it is difficult for most of us to spend the time and energy chewing chewing chewing all those greens to be digestible enough and to extract all the nutrients from them. By blending them into a smoothie, they are broken down and made easier to digest, and all the amazing nutrients are made more available to our bodies! And, they actually taste great!

The way I make them can change day-to-day, but the basic formula is this:
I put about a half a bunch of greens (usually kale) into the blender - pretty much fill up your blender with the greens. Then add a few cups of water, coconut water, fresh oj, whatever you want... Blend this into a green liquid. Then I add whatever fresh or frozen fruit I want, plus superfoods like goji berries, maca, green superfood powder, blue-green algae, etc... You can also add a sweetener like raw honey, agave, etc if you just used water and you want it sweeter. You don't even have to add any superfoods, you can keep it very simple. Blend this, drink it, share it with the family, feel the amazing green goodness enlivening your cells and rejuvenating your body!!!