Do not limit these great recipes for just one meal time. Adopt them as your new daily vitamin drink. Serve them for some tasty holiday party flair. Serve them for any special occasion, or for a causal fun treat? Once you master these recipes, your guests are sure to be impressed by how sweet and flavorful these healthy smoothies can be.
The key to making a healthy green smoothie is to make your smoothie with about forty percent green vegetables. The blend of fruits and veggies will boost your body with a refreshing burst of nutrients and energy.
Blending Tips:
The consistency of your smoothie will depend upon the type of blender that you are using. If you are using a strong, high quality blender, you will be able to blend up almost anything in your smoothie. If you are using a below average blender, you might end up with a chunky smoothie. Therefore, please consider that fact that you might need some of your ingredients to be crushed or ground up before adding them into the blender. You might also need to peel the skins off some of the ingredients.
No matter what type of blender you have, it is always a good idea to cut up the fruits and veggies before adding them to the blender. There is no need to dice or slice. Just get things cut into big chunks as opposed to adding large, whole fruits and veggies.
You can gradually add things into the blender as you make your smoothie, or you can layer the ingredients. Here is the best order to add and layer your ingredients: liquids, dry and powder ingredients, leafy ingredients, fruit and veggies pieces, and ice cubes on the top. Putting the heavier ingredients on top will help to weigh down leafy ingredients into the blender blades. Then of course, you blend it until it is smooth.
It's long been understood that fruits and vegetables are some of the most nutrient rich sources that we, as humans, can consume. Many people have failed to find tasty ways to incorporate them into meals, especially when heat draws out the important vitamins and minerals. That's why juicing works perfectly. It gives us an opportunity to get a refreshing, and potent dose of these super foods in an easy to swallow drink.
For a long time, it was widely believed that juicing was only for detoxing and diets. In reality a zesty green drink can make an excellent snack or meal replacement that will leave you feeling revitalized and ready to take on the day. Here are fourteen recipes that do the trick.
Green Powerhouse
1 Bunch Kale
½ Cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
1/3 Fennel Bulb and Stalk
1 Green Apple
1 Fuji Apple
1 Pear
½ Lemon
1 Inch Ginger
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Stomach Soother
1 Small Head of Fennel
2 Stalks Celery
1 Handful of Mint
1 Bunch Flat Leaf Parsley
½ Green Apple
2 Small Lemons
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Fennel is a surprise ingredient that's popping up more and more in the culinary world. From cold salads to creamy sauces, its bold, licorice like flavor adds a zing to many a dish. However, its uses span far outside the world of taste, in fact its health benefits are rather startling. That's why it's becoming ever present in juicing recipes.
Above all it is a helpful digestive aid. In fact, many parts of the world serve fennel seed after a meal to aid in the process. Most of the essential oils found in fennel are enhance production of gastric juices, and simultaneously reduce stomach inflammation. These components can be a cure all for an upset stomach, helping with everything from flatulence to diarrhea. Additionally the presence of Cineol and Anetol, natural expectorants, make it ideal for relief from respiratory ailments.
Immune Booster
½ Cucumber
2 Stalks Celery
Handful of Spinach
1 Apple
½ Lemon
1 Inch Ginger
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Ultracool Green Drink
8 Kiwis
3 Green Apples
1/3 Cucumber
1 Piece of Fresh Ginger
Handful of Fresh Mint
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Healthy Lungs
1 Cucumber
1 Head Romaine Lettuce
1 large Handful of Parsley
2 Meyer Lemons
1 Apple
1 Inch Ginger
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Ginger is one of those ingredients that is centuries old and is both flavorful and powerful. It is a natural anti-inflammatory and has been shown to have dramatically impressive results in persons suffering from arthritis. Most importantly it is a powerful immune booster.
Zesty Afternoon Snack
3 Apples
1 Cucumber
1 Lemon
5 Kale Stalks
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Spinach with Pineapple and Cucumber
½ Pineapple
1 Cucumber
2 Bunches of Spinach
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Metabolism Booster
1 Cucumber
3 Stalks Celery
Handful of Fresh Mint
2 Kale Leaves
1 Peeled Lemon
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Ultragreen Wake Up
1 Pear
1 Cucumber
4 Stalks Celery
3 Sprigs Mint
4 Small Limes
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Afternoon Cooler
1 Apple
1 Pear
½ Cucumber
3 Kale Leaves
Handful Fresh Mint
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Cucumbers are full of B vitamins and electrolytes. It is ideal to reboot the body after a workout or even a rough night. They are full of dietary fiber and have a high water content making them a filling snack or the perfect complement to other nutrient rich ingredients in a green smoothie. The vegetable is also a dense source of silica, a substance whose properties are purported to improve joint health.
Stimulating Smoothie
1 Bunch Kale
Large Handful of Fresh Mint
2 Apples
1 Lemon Peeled
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Citrus Delight
4 Cups Spinach
1 Bunch Kale
2 Oranges
1 Cucumber
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Spring Green Super Shake
1 Green Apple
1 Navel Orange Peeled
1 Bunch Spinach
4 Swiss Chard Leaves
2 Kale Leaves
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Island Paradise
1 Mango
2 Handfuls of Wheatgrass
3 Handfuls Romaine Lettuce
1Cucumber
2 Pears
2 Handfuls Kale
Coconut Water
Blend all ingredients to combine.
Perhaps the most typically found ingredient in green juices, Kale is often referred to as the “Queen of Greens.” The low calorie, high fiber vegetable is packed with vitamins that make every bite a potent nutritional punch. Kale has more iron per calorie than beef, a heavy dose of Vitamins K, A, and C, is filled with antioxidants and calcium and works as a high functioning anti-inflammatory. All of these properties have been shown to fight against various cancers, promote bone health, and slow neuro-degenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s.
When juicing, it's important to remember that taste is what will keep you coming back for more, day in and day out. It's hard to keep up the habit when you're downing a glass of what tastes like an undressed salad. That's why so many recipes have a sweet and citrus kick.
The good news is, most of the fruits that make these juices taste great have exciting health benefits as well. Apples are full of fiber and help keep your day running smoothly. Citrus, like limes and lemons have regenerative properties that stimulate skin cell rejuvenation for a look that's consistently young and vibrant. Coconut water is full of electrolytes, plus the taste is a tropical delight!