My blender arrived! YAY!!!
I took it for a spin this afternoon… I spent an hour in the grocery store picking up ingredients:
Fruits (bananas, oranges, mango, apples, pears, avocado, berries)
Vegetables (spinach, kale, basil)
Almond Milk
Ginger root
After signing up for the Simple Green Smoothies newsletter, I made one of the smoothies from Week One.
Meh.
It’s pretty and it was not terrible… but I don’t think I could do it again. I definitely definitely need something with more… flavor? Please help!
This was the smoothie: Apples, pears, banana, almond milk, and spinach.
I drank it. It was fine. But not amazing. (I chased it with a regular banana.) What am I missing? Any suggestions?
xoxo
PS I think I need to make a milkshake in the blender now 😉
I tried being a "smoothie" girl and got bored of hearing the dentist-like ear-shattering machinery every morning. i turned into a "juicing" girl. I like it better but honestly I gulp it down with my fingers pinching my nose.
Hi Carly! Congrats on your new blender. I make a berry, spinach and almond milk smoothie every morning with my Vitamix and I LOVE it! It's slightly sweet, filling and you can't taste the spinach at all! The link is below. Good luck!
http://www.savorhomeblog.com/2013/06/my-favorite-breakfast-smoothie.html
1 frozen banana, 1/4 c. greek yogurt (vanilla or plain), 2 T. peanut butter,a few ice cubes, a hefty handful of spinach leaves, and a splash of almond milk. I sometimes add a little protein powder if I know that I wont be eating anything else for awhile. Delicious!
I've noticed that the greens sometimes take away the sweetness from any berries you might add, try a packet of splenda or some fruit juice to make it fruitier.
My go-to is spinach, almond milk, two tea bags of pure peppermint tea (tear open the bags and toss in the leaves), and banana. It's amazing and has such a great fresh taste because of the peppermint!
Handful of spinach, some ice, a banana, some Greek yogurt, some frozen fruit (berries, mangos, pineapples) or if you have anything over ripe you can throw that in plus some flax seed and/or chia seeds and you have yourself a winner. Kale will make a strong taste if you are up for it, but it's great for you! You can throw in some coconut water, oats, coconut almond milk when you want to spice it up to.
Handful of spinach, some ice, a banana, some Greek yogurt, some frozen fruit (berries, mangos, pineapples) or if you have anything over ripe you can throw that in plus some flax seed and/or chia seeds and you have yourself a winner. Kale will make a strong taste if you are up for it, but it's great for you! You can throw in some coconut water, oats, coconut almond milk when you want to spice it up to.
My roommate just made a super tasty one with half a pear, spinach, a cup of grapes, a banana and greek yogurt! I'm trying that one later today and will have a blog post up 🙂
Nena
thenenja.com
blueberries and strawberries
I drink them every day. I have been for 4 years.
I have this recipe every morning: One medium to large banana, five or six strawberries, three big spoonfuls of vanilla or honey greek yogurt, one scoop of vanilla protein powder (totally optional), a splash of milk, and a handful of ice.
Smoothies are the best. My favorite blend is strawberry and pineapple. Super sweet and delicious.
Lauren
sideofsweetmint.blogspot.com
Try a ton of spinach, some celery, almond milk, chia seeds, a banana, and blend! Sometimes less ingredients is better. Also blend the spinach and almond milk first, then add the rest. This helps avoid chunking. Enjoy!
I love all my smoothies with honey and cinnamon in them!
I like the Jamba Juice copycat recipes. One of my favorites is some ice, half a banana, handful of strawberries, a bit low-fat froyo, and 8 oz of orange juice. So delish.
You should download Martha Stewart's whole living smoothie app! It has some awesome smoothie recipes
Always put a splash of orange juice in all of your smoothies. It helps to bring out a bit of sweetness in any smoothie that you make. Seriously, that is the secret. My best friend's mom told me a few years ago and I have never looked back.
My absolute favorite smoothie is a mix of kale, spinach, mango, pinapple, and agave nectar.
Sometimes adding a dash of vanilla helps! I used to add spinach to my smoothies and sometimes I felt like they didn't taste so great, so I need to read everyone else's suggestions too!
Don't give it up yet! You just have to find some combinations that you actually like. Try some berries, they mask the spinach a bit more. I also like to put some vanilla greek yogurt in my smoothies. For a "special treat," I like to add peanut butter to my smoothies – it's especially good if you have lots of banana in your smoothie!
My roommate and I make this smoothie ALL the time and LOVE it:
About 1 cup of strawberries
A few large spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt
A splash or two of milk
Ice cubes
And blend!
Just play around with the ingredients to get the right flavor and texture that you like. You can also sub the strawberries with another fruit of your choice, or add more!
Hope this helps 🙂
I love pineapple, banana, greek yogurt, spinach, and water– The pineapple covers up the grassy taste completely!
I love a good green smoothie! <3 I like banana in mine always!
Kallie @ But First, Coffee
I started out with super beginner smoothies: strawberry, banana, spinach, almond milk. Then started phasing out the almond milk replacing it with coconut water. Then added "yuckier" veggies and fruits that weren't as sweet like kale.
You get used to it and the effect on your energy is surprising. I'm down to one cup of coffee per day!
I get all of my smoothies from Nekter Juice Bar. That may just be a California place though! My favorite is the Popeye's Açai (Açai, banana, spinach, agave, nut milk), but honestly all of their smoothies are amazing! http://www.nekterjuicebar.com/mobilebrowseproduct.aspx?entitytype=Category&entityid=4
I like the strawberry and blueberry combo and sometimes I add a little vanilla ice cream too…I guess it kind of defeats the purpose a little bit, but it makes it taste so good!
Lauren,
http://atouchofsoutherngrace.blogspot.com/
I find mango, pineapple and peaches best mask the taste of the spinach/kale. I also like the texture the avocado gives to a smoothie.
Most of the time, green is an unappealing color (especially for drinks)! However, I am partial to fruit, so I will try this one.
Your Friend, Jess
I usually add a little splash of 100% maple syrup or pure local honey to my green smoothies. Gives it a little more sweetness without adding anything super horrible.
Next time you're craving a milkshake….THE best thing ever is a blended frozen banana. Nothing else. A food processor whips it up really nicely but if you add a little almond milk it should work in a blender too. (And then you can put it in the freezer or ice cream maker for a little bit) Of course you can also add in a little cocoa (or raw cacao) powder! 🙂
Make a double chocolate chip frapp. I make those all the time in my blender and they are delicious!! It's super quick and easy to make so you should definitely try it. 🙂
I swear by the Kimberly Snyder Glowing Green Smoothie, spinach, romaine lettuce, lemon juice, banana, pear and apple and then whatever extra fruit you wish. Peach, blueberries or strawberries make it really nice and sweet.
Use a pineapple base 🙂
Mix water, spinach, frozen pineapple, 1/2 of a frozen banana and frozen mango together. The great thing about this recipe is that you can adjust the measurements to your liking- just make sure you use enough water! It also keeps wonderfully in the fridge overnight. I usually add some chia seeds or ground flax to boost the nutrient content as well.
I drink a green smoothie nearly every morning. I do one half frozen banana, big handful spinach, 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk and 1 scoop Jay Robb vanilla whey protein powder. (Option to add 1/2 cup 0% greek yogurt of your choice.) Add ice cubes and splash of water as needed.
Make sure you use frozen fruit (especially the banana) and put in more banana than greens, this will make it sweeter. It also takes awhile for your taste buds to really crave and enjoy all the flavors.:)
Evolution Fresh Essential Greens Juice, Avocado (Half), frozen mango, pineapple, and banana. It'll be amazing. Trust me.
I always add some type of berries to my smoothie which help add some extra flavor (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries). Also sometimes I add a splash or orange juice. Make sure you put ice in your smoothie as well, because warm ones are gross.
-Alex
http://www.monstermisa.blogspot.com/
Hmm green smoothies are always interesting.. at least you got your 5 a day in!
aclassystateofgrace.blogspot.com
When I drink green smoothies, I put in a small amount of vanilla extract….it may defeat the purpose of drinking a green smoothie but just a small amount really brings out the taste of all the vegetables! Also, I use the light vanilla flavored almond milk sometimes as opposed to the plain. That might help!
Hi Carly,
I love smoothies and make one every morning. Though I am trying to change my recipe, I am a creature of habit and make the same one every morning! I use 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1 banana, ice and a handful of kale. I also add a table spoon of protein powder which believe it not makes a big difference. It changes the consistency. I recommend Vega Energizing Smoothie Choc-A-Lot. I buy mine at Whole Foods. Good Luck with the smoothies and thanks for writing such a great blog!
Heather
whoops. I also add 1/2 cup almond milk.
whoops. I also add 1/2 cup almond milk.
Just saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs. Maybe you'd like it! http://www.carriebradshawlied.com/2013/09/morning-green-juice.html
i'm a green smoothie junky! my favorite recipe is VERY vanilla-y
1 scoop french vanillla Vega One pea protein
1 frozen banana (freeze in chunks)
several handfuls of spinach
1c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
definitely not fruity, but doesn't have a TON of sugar like some other recipes where you load it up with fruit to make it taste sweeter.
Check out the Green Monster Smoothie -similar to above but is great tasting (few ingrediant swaps and you will be well on your way!!). I also am making a pumpkin one right now from Pinterest that is really good. Pumpkin, plain, vanilla, or honey yogurt, milk (could use any type), cinnamon, nutmeg, flaxseed, ice, and banana. YUM!
ADD PINEAPPLES FOR MORE FLAVOR! It definitely adds flavor with that natural sugars that it carries! You will love it! Let me know how it goes!
Abigail xx
[email protected]
Here's my two favorite green smoothies, one sweet and one healthy: http://thenenja.com/2013/09/30/green-smoothie-recipes/
Nena
thenenja.com
the answer to what you are missing is definitely nut butter! almond butter or peanut butter. it adds extra protein and with a banana it tastes so good!
I love this smoothie:
peanut butter (1Tbs), 1 banana, honey (mixed with an equal part of water for easier blending), a handful of spinach, around a cup almond milk, and ice! So yummy!
I have a mocha smoothie that I love that was way easier to put down and helped me get my caffine fix every morning. Chocolate protein powder, vanilla unsweetened almond milk, ice, one cup of coffee and chocolate covered expresso beans if you wanted to go chip style.
Or Peanut Butter Smoothies are a can't fail option. Peanut butter, banana, vanilla protein powder, vanilla unsweetened almond milk, ice. This is usually my post workout drink.
xo Elisabeth
Headbands & Bagels
I love smoothies! I make them at least 5/7 days of the week. With my experience, using apples and pears together with almond milk always turns out way to bland, even if I used sweetener. The key I found the most helpful was picking either pear or apple to get the fiber and I feel like it makes mine much more dense. If your wanting to go the green route, using 100% pure juices is a life saver. I either use organic 100% pineapple juice, or juicy juice ( I know so kid like, but it adds that pop and makes it extra sweet). My 2 favorites: 1) its usually juice around 1/2 cup, 1/2 apple, frozen strawberries peaches and a big handful of kale, 2) juice, fresh pineapple,1/2 apple, frozen blueberries, frozen peaches, big handful of kale and 1 TBSP of NutriBullet SuperFood powder. It's the superfood powder(made from ground up chia, goji powder, cacao and maca) that makes the taste of the kale bearable because I do NOT like chunky salad-y smoothies. Sometimes I also add Green Tea Matcha powder and almond milk if it needs more liquid, or ice to offset the water-y ness. Tonight I made a delicious dessert smoothie! It was 1/2 cup dark chocolate almond milk, 1/3 frozen blueberries, 1/2 avocado and some ice. It was like eating ice cream! Sooooo creamy and a little sweet. Another thing to sweeten any of your smoothies are dates, it adds this sweetness like nothing else! Can't wait to see what others you try.
I just got a blender too in the hopes of making green smoothies for my girls and me! I’m loving the comments, lots of new things to try!
I drink green smoothie recipes every morning, just add water, spinach, frozen pineapple, 1/2 of a frozen banana and frozen mango together.Trust me. It'll be amazing. http://greendrinkers.com/
I've never done a green smoothie, but when I do green juices I use apples, green grapes, kiwi, pineapple, spinach and/or kale. Green grapes and Pineapples do the trick!
It seems that the drink in bottle is pretty green.How it is prepared can you share the whole recipe as well?
Thanks
Finn Felton
Kopi Luwak
LOVE doing this. I did it today.. and yesterday. It’s great. I toss in some greek yogurt and some protein powder too.The health benefits of green smoothies is that they can be made by introducing diverse fresh fruits and fresh green vegetables in accordance with individual choice. This eliminates occurrence of any kind of food allergic reaction that could occur as a result of any drink product. If you are having smoothies on regular vasis you can check your health symptoms yourself for more clearity…
My favorite go to smoothie has frozen banana, chocolate almond milk (or vanilla almond milk and cocoa or chocolate protein powder), spinach or kale. If I need a pick me up then I add some coffee and if I want it to be more of a meal replacement I add protein powder and ground flax seed.
i found this recipe on another blog, but this is my absolute favorite smoothie, it tastes so good!
http://iowagirleats.com/2012/01/04/my-top-secret-diet-weapon/
You got tons of responses and different varieties to choose from! HOWEVER, a good fix to ANY smoothie that you make that has the possibility to turn out bland, add a handful of dried cranberries. It makes the smoothie sweeter and much more favorable without adding Splenda or other sugar subs. TIP- add them at the beginning of the blending process along with your greens to ensure you won't get chunks of cranberry in your straw
Oh! And enjoy! 🙂
I love green smoothies! There really isn't a better way to start the day. this one sounds fabulous!
New Zealand Green Kiwi fruit website
You're missing lime juice and ginger!
Side note: freeze the banana. Amazing difference in texture. Then try this:
Greek yogurt, frozen banana, 2 handfuls spinach, 1/2 pear, small handful any berries, squirt of lime juice, generous pinch of ginger!