5 Steps to Make the Perfect Green Smoothie

Starting your day with a green smoothie can help to regulate digestion, fight inflammation, assist in weight loss, and boost your immune system and energy level - lots of awesomeness in one drink!!  And that is why I am religious about my raw green smoothie or juice almost every morning. Read our blog, 4 Reasons to Make a Green Smoothie Part of Your Routine, to understand more about the health benefits of these awesome drinks. 

Not only are these drinks good for your health, they make excellent breakfasts that come together in a flash and anyone can learn how to make them - all you need is a blender and an open mind.  Green smoothies are an integral part of our 4 Week Detox Diet, on Sale Now Through Sunday 1/10!

In the meantime, follow these simple steps and you will be a green smoothie rockstar in no time!

5 Steps to Make the Perfect Green Smoothie:

1. Balance and rotate your greens.
   Too much of one thing is never a good thing - you should always strive for balance and moderation and that pertains to leafy green veggies as well. We recommend using a mixture of light and dark greens in each smoothie or overall in your week-long smoothie routine. You also want to mix it up to vary the types of greens you eat daily so you are not always using one kind of greens (like spinach). Spinach and chard both have high levels of oxalic acid which has been linked to the formation of kidney stones and can contribute to the blocked absorption of iron and calcium. On the other hand, kale and collards consumed raw in overabundance have been linked to suppressed thyroid function. Tossing in some light greens can help to neutralize oxalic acid and rotating the types of greens and combinations regularly will help make sure your body stays in the balanced zone.  The recipe below lists our recommendations for light and dark greens to choose from. 
   
   
2. Choose a base liquid.
   This is where you get to make a choice as to how creamy or "juice-like" you want your smoothie. A mostly water or coconut water based smoothie will be more like a thick juice in consistency. When you add something creamier like coconut milk or almond milk, your smoothie becomes a little creamy and thicker, kinda like a shake. For most of my smoothies, I prefer a mixture of coconut water and coconut milk, but I rotate in water-only based smoothies as well to change it up. 
   
   
3. Try frozen fruit and follow the 3:1 rule.
   Using frozen versus fresh fruit is the best way to help get that thicker, colder smoothie like consistency you are going for here. I like to peel my bananas at the begging of each week, then slice them in half and toss them in the freezer to pull out as needed. We also recommend following the 3:1 rule - use 3 parts greens to every 1 part fruit. It's super easy to blow this smoothie into a sugar packed, not so heathly breakfast by adding lots of fruit, so to keep your smoothie a HEALTHY, alkalizing smoothie use the 3:1 rule to keep yourself in check. If you are on antibiotics, have an autoimmune disease, or are battling bacterial, viral or fungal infections like candida or SIBO, we recommend following an even stricter protocol of no more than 1/4 cup of fruit per serving. 
   
   
4. Add and rotate superfood ingredients.
   Adding a bit of superfood deliciousness to each smoothie will help to add healthy fats and proteins that can work to stabilize blood sugar and energy levels and give you a boost of antioxidants. Add about 2 tablespoons of your choice of superfood ingredients like: ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, chia seeds, almonds, nut butters, avocado, cacao bits, etc.
   
   
5. Choose a protein powder that follows the 20/15/10 rule
   Including protein will help to keep you feeling fuller longer, but make sure to follow our 20/15/10 rule when choosing a protein powder to include in your smoothie.We recommend a protein powder that is low in carbohydrates & sugars and high in protein. You want 20 or more  grams of sugar, 15 or less grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of less of sugar per serving. Check out some other tips to help you pick a healthy protein powder & which ones we recommend on our blog, How to Choose a Protein Powder. 

Try our Perfect Green Smoothie recipe below with lots of options to customize to your preference. And don't be too concerned when your drink comes out a grey or weird color instead of green, depending on your ingredient choices, that can happen. My favorite combination uses spinach, romaine, pineapple, frozen banana, coconut milk, coconut water, ice, and hemp seeds. 

Perfect Green Smoothie (PRINT RECIPE)
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups dark leafy greens (options: kale, chard, or spinach)
1 cup light greens (options: romaine, celery, cucumber, leafy lettuce)
½ cup frozen fruit (options: pineapple, mango, berries, etc)
½ of a medium green,unripe banana, frozen (or substitute 1/2 ripe avocado for creamy texture and healthy fat)
1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice (hemp, coconut, or almond)*
½  cup ice cubes or frozen milk cubes
2 scoops/servings of protein powder of choice (following 15/15 rule)
2 tablespoons super food ingredient (hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, almond butter, raw walnuts, cacao powder) 

Directions:

1. If you have a high powdered blender, place all ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. If you don’t have a high powdered blender, start by blending only the greens and the liquid together first until that looks smooth, then add the frozen items, protein powder, and superfood and blend until smooth and combined.
2. Serve immediately and enjoy!

*We recommend non-dairy milk or just water in green smoothies for most people, because dairy can disrupt the digestion and nutrient absorption of raw greens.

Try some of our other green smoothie recipes:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Green Smoothie
Sneaky Green Smoothie
Spring Refresh Smoothie
Pumpkin Green
Mint Chip Smoothie

Sending you each health and joy!
~Billie & Jen