Make The Perfect Green Smoothie: The green smoothie is super healthy, nutrient-rich, and loaded with fiber. Moreover, it is straightforward to make. It is made from leafy greens, liquid bases, fruits, berries, and some boosters if you like them.
There are many reasons to drink green smoothies. It is the easiest way to introduce into your daily meal more veggies, primarily if you struggle to eat greens and salads with greens. Green smoothies also can boost your immune system, which means you will get sick less often and may lower the risk for many health conditions such as diabetes and cancer. Green smoothies provide natural energy without caffeine. So, you will no longer need to rely on coffee to get through the day, and your energy levels will increase substantially.
Here are step-by-step instructions that will help you create the perfect Green Drink.
Table of Contents
A Liquid Base – Step 1
Add 1 cup of water, coconut water, or plant-based milk to your blender. While it might be tempting to use milk or yogurt as a liquid base, it is not recommended to use these ingredients in green smoothies. Because leafy greens are a good source of calcium, the same as dairy products, mixing both types of food can overload green smoothies with this mineral.
A Fruit Base — Step 2
The best fruit option for a green smoothie is rich and creamy fruits like banana, peach, pear, apple, mango, or papaya. The rich fruits will provide a smooth and creamy texture for the smoothies. The best fruit proportion is one banana or another fruit for the 1 cup of liquid base you already added into your blender container. If you use more than one creamy fruit and 1 cup of liquid, you divide the number of fruits in appropriate proportion; for example, if you add banana and mango, so use half of the banana and half of the apple.
You can also add some berries or more water-rich fruits like oranges, kiwifruits, or pineapples with base fruit. It not only adds some delicious flavor to the drink but will also sweeten it because of the naturally-occurring sugars found in these fruits.
Leafy Greens – Step 3
The option for leafy greens is vast. You can use not only the standard selection found in any supermarket, such as spinach, kale, broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, bok choy, parsley, mint, arugula, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, savoy, cauliflower, or watercress. But also more exotic like dandelion, chard, collards greens, curly endive, dandelion, beetroot green, or mustard green.
However, if you are brand new to green smoothies, start with fresh baby spinach since it has the mildest flavor. Once you have a few green smoothies behind you, you can experiment with other greens with stronger flavors like dandelion, kale, chard, collards, or parsley. The “Magic” Ratio for green smoothies to taste the best is when you use 60% sweet fruit to 40% greens by volume.
Fats – Step 4, Optional
You can also add a pinch of healthy fat to your green smoothie, though it is optional. For example, you can use for it 1/4 of an avocado or some fresh young coconut to give your smoothie some heart-healthy fats. However, keep the fat content low, as too much fat and fruit in the same green smoothie might cause gas and bloat.
Blending – Step 5
When you add all ingredients, use the “Pulse” blender function until the ingredients are well mixed into a “sludge.” Doing this before adding the greens will make it easier for you and your blender. This step is unnecessary if you use a high-end blender like Vitamix or Blendtec.
After you mix it by pulsing, blend on the highest speed between 30–60 seconds or until all ingredients turns bright (or dark) green, and it is smooth as silk. If the mixture is too thick, add some extra liquid and blend for a few seconds to thin.
Are you looking for a better blender? Here are my blender recommendations for any budget.
Boost Your Green Smoothies…
If you want more nutrients to your green smoothies, try adding a quality protein powder, goji berries, raw cacao powder, chia seeds, maca root, and even sea vegetables. While these add-ons are optional, they each provide added benefits that make my green smoothies even better. Although green smoothies are super-nutritious, the following ingredients are essential for raw foodists, vegans, and vegetarians. In fact, even non-vegetarians will benefit from them as well.
Here are some of my favorite green smoothie boosters.
Protein Powder boosts the protein content of your green smoothie while making the blend more filling and satisfying.
Raw Cacao (Chocolate) Powder gives the green smoothies a healthy chocolate flavor. It also helps maintain focus and energy without the drawbacks of caffeinated coffee.
Chia Seeds are loaded with healthy omega-6s and omega-3s, calcium, and fiber, and chia seeds are a significant boost to your green smoothies.
Maca Root Powder is a root vegetable that is a great smoothie booster if you want to boost energy, stamina, and libido. It has a distinct butterscotch flavor that can be an acquired taste, but the benefits may be worth it. However, those with thyroid issues should be cautious with this supplement.
Matcha Green Tea Powder is grown and processed in a particular way to produce this smoothie booster’s rich flavor and health benefits. Studies show that matcha may help improve focus, reduce stress, and support weight loss. However, since it is green tea, it does contain caffeine.
Moringa Leaf Powder is a great way to boost your green smoothies’ calcium and iron content and may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
Hemp Seeds add a slightly nutty flavor to my green smoothies while providing omega-6s and omega-3s, and protein.
Turmeric has a variety of health benefits. It may help protect against certain cancers, has anti-inflammatory properties, and may reduce the severity of rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. In addition, it may protect against cardiovascular disease, lower fasting glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes, and benefit those suffering from a host of common chronic diseases. Add a little fat (coconut, almond milk, avocado, or chia seeds) to your smoothie to boost turmeric absorption. It is also recommended to add a dash of black pepper, which has been documented to dramatically improve the absorption of curcumin – the active ingredient in turmeric.
Dulse Flakes are an excellent source of iodine that supports vital thyroid function.
