Green Smoothies

[tmacd]

Just wondering about the longevity of these things......how long after you make them do they need to be consumed in order to get the benefits from them. Also, does anyone have any ideas on what to use as a portable blender so I don't have to lug my vitamix around when I travel......which I do often.......thanks

[gillmoli]

I have similar questions,

If we make them in the morning, do they need to be refrigerated until we drink them or if they are nicely sealed from air, would they be fine without refrigeration?

Also, who's found the best recipe for a green smoothie? I'll be making one this week and haven't found one yet that looks good. Any suggestions?

~Lissa

[gillmoli]

Well....:o

I just looked at the main website and found Victoria Boutenko's book...I guess that's exactly what I need to get! Ooops!

Thanks,

~Lissa

[Res]

I'm pretty sure you need to drink them right away. Or maybe that's just me. It's bad enough....Uh, I mean, they're great right away, but besides vitamin breakdown I don't know what else might break down. :eek:

I just love being helpful. :p

[lovejones596]

Howdy all - I've made a couple of smoothies and can't say I love either of them. Not much for the consistancy of them. I tried a banana, strawberry and romaine. Ehh! then I tried a peach/spinach - I put some apple in it in hopes it would sweeten it some. Ehh!

Would juicing give you the same effect? I had a carrot/spinach combo that was good.

Those are my 2 cents.

Elisa

[gillmoli]

Thank you, Elisa and Res!

Once again, you've given excellent input! I think I'll be apt to drink it right away too...if it doesn't taste that great to begin with, I can't imagine how it would be several hours later :( ! Yuck.

I'm guessing more apples are key in making it taste better. I'll give that a shot.

Thanks!

~Lissa

[Res]

Apparently we're unanimous on this green smoothie topic :rolleyes:
I'm still trying though. :)

[sopheetsa]

yea-- me too-- unanimous w u :).... Boutenko says to keep adding fruit--to taste-- er hum. i haven't gone back yet--still prefer my salad as a salad. oh well. waiting for my life to stabilize (ie get back to work) before I try again. interested to hear of any successful experiments! ;)

[Res]

Not sure if I've posted this or not, and I don't remember where I got it. Obviously Raw Family something... Anyway, a few of these sound do-able. I let you know when I get to that point. Oh, and this article says you can refrigerate the Smoothie for up to 24 hours. So there's that. :)

Love,
~Res

Green Smoothie Recipes

Victoria writes in her newsletter: “Some of my favorite greens to add to smoothies are parsley, spinach, celery, kale and romaine lettuce. My favorite fruits are pears, peaches, nectarines, bananas, mangoes and apples. Strawberries and raspberries taste superb in green smoothies, when combined with ripe bananas.”

My note: the best water to use in smoothies is alkaline water from the Jupiter Melody or Microlite at eatsprouts.com/water. Also quickly rinse your greens under the Melody’s acid outlet if they’re store-bought, to kill pathogenic microbes.

Preferably don’t rinse any greens you pick yourself, they have healthy microbes, like the ones making Vitamin B12. Fresh-picked greens from the soil are a good source of B12. Cows get their B12 (present in their raw milk) from eating green grass.

Here’s delicious fruit-green combos from Victoria.
My note: I leave the water out because I seldom drink with meals – water dilutes our digestive juices. I also tend to use less fruit, about 30% fruit and 70% greens, because fruit sugars lead to teeth sensitivities, they eat away at the enamel.

Greens are the perfect food for building strong bones and teeth – nearly every animal on earth has discovered that, except the big cats and polar bears!

Recipes from Victoria's newsletter, email victoria@rawfamily.com:
• 2 large mangos, 1 bunch parsley, water
• 6 peaches, 2 handfuls spinach leaves, water
• 2 mangos, 1 handful wild weeds (e.g. lambs quarters, stinging nettles, purslane), water
• 1 cup strawberries, 2 bananas, 1/2 bunch romaine lettuce, water
• 4 apples, 1/2 lemon juiced, 4-5 leaves kale, water
• 4 very ripe kiwis, 1 ripe banana, 3 stalks celery, water
• 4 ripe pears, 4-5 leaves kale, 1/2 bunch mint, water
• 10 finger-bananas, 2 handfuls of spinach leaves, water
• 3 bosch pears, 1 handful raspberries, 4-5 leaves kale, water

Raw Family's favorite Green Smoothie:
• 1/2 pound fresh lamb's quarters, or 1/2 bunch fresh dinosaur kale, 2 ripe mangoes, 2 very ripe bananas, 1 quart water. Blend thoroughly in a Vita-Mix blender. Yields 1/2 a gallon of delicious smoothie. Will keep for 24 hours in the fridge or cooler, stored in a glass container.

[jwithamac]

Hi,

I've found that a couple of things make the green smoothies more palatable: frozen fruit (I like Trader Joe's frozen fruit but for purists, you can freeze your own) or a few cubes of ice; and/or the juice of a lime and/or lemon. Warm green smoothies are no fun and the citrus accentuates and balances the sweetness of the fruit.

Sometimes I'll also use cucumber instead of sweet fruit and add some stevia to help balance blood sugar levels. :)

[gillmoli]

Well...I found one that I like.

I opened my new Omega Juicer this weekend and gave it a go. I used 1/4 of a bunch of spinach, 2 gala apples, and 1/4 head of cabbage...sounds weird, but for whatever reason, it was delicious! I don't mind spinach so much, so it didn't bother me, and the apples were just sweet enough to make it a well rounded drink.

Maybe that will work for some of you out there.

Good luck!

~Lissa

[Res]

Hey anything is worth a try! :) I just found out that 1 ounce of cabbage is the 2nd best in preventing cancer. The Vitamix guy cuts 1 oz of cabbage and mixes it in with the most amazing things.

The #1 thing for preventing cancer is garlic. Garlic is *magic* and I love it.

Thanks again for bringing us hope regarding Green Smoothies. lol :D

Love,
~Res

[lovejones596]

Hey all - I was just wondering. Is the purpose of a green smoothie the fiber? (since you are using a blender) or is it for the nutrients? I juice carrots every morning. I have added spinach, celery, romaine and/or cucumbers to my carrot juice (and a wedge of apple for sweetness). Is that considered green enough? When I juice them they taste great. When I use the blender it taste horid!

Still moving forward - weight keeps coming off slowly. It's really nice looking at the scale and seeing 10 lbs lower than before the cleanse. People have started commenting on how good I look. It keeps me motivated to keep eating predominately raw. :D

Have a great day!
Elisa

[momoftwo477]

I discovered a good green recipe too. Juice 4 stalks of celery, then blend the juice with a banana and a couple cups of cut up papaya. It's kinda thick, like you can eat it with a spoon, but so, so good.

[Res]

Oh Nice! :D Anything to help em go down. Yeah, as soon as you said "warm" I got this feeling in my throat and had to think about something else. ;)

I like the idea of the lemon & cucumber. Perhaps I'll give that a try.

Thanks for the input! I'll let you know how it goes down...OH, I know something about it that really gags me...it's way too "frothy" too much air (I use a vitamix but I've used a blender too with the same results). Perhaps if I let it sit a bit...dunno.

Thanks again!

[momoftwo477]

Here's another easy one.

4 stalks of celery
1 apple.

Run it through the juicer. It's really good and not thick at all.

[sopheetsa]

My boy friend says: "that stuff is so thick & weird you can hang it on the wall!"

But seriously -- I just made my first green smoothie in a long while (after several traumatic experiments)--and I think it's a keeper (at least i hope I like it long enough to drink it instead of keeping it in the fridge ;).)

Here's the recipe-- but use it imaginatively-- that is: experiment-- do what you like! oh and--- sorry it's not completely raw, I added prune juice and organic vanilla soy milk. modify to choice. i think part of what really makes it is the mint leaves. (Hey they're GREEN!) btw-- you're sure right about cabbage being a cancer fighter Res!-- and-- I like the idea of simplicity, but this one isn't simple,-- let's say i was cleaning out the fridge...(I get my food from a farm on a weekly basis...) OK-- no more dawdling here it is:

radish tops (those are the greens), as well as: fennel bottoms (ie not leaves), mint & spear mint leaves, carrots, mango, a bit of lemon zest, a white apple, vanilla soy milk (eden soy extra), PRUNE juice, raw tahini, raw unhulled sesame seeds. (all done in the vitamix--yes, lovejones596-- fiber is part of the idea here...and I'm impressed with your keeping the weight off post cleanse!)

DELICIOUS! think I'll go get another cup! :)
--

post script: i just gave some to my mom--- and-- she said-- (I translate from the Greek) "That was good!" (licking her lips...) if that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is-- my mom's hard to please-- esp w this "new world" stuff...

PPS: I neglected to mention: I am also washing raw organic chocolate down with it-- this website is a must see: www.rawlifeline.com

--- I think I won't wait to drink it tomorrow--gonna down near 2 quarts today!

[lovejones596]

Hey all

I've got the book "green for life" by boutenko and it talks about how the vitamix "liquifies" it contents... even blocks of wood... OK vitamix people, I am very interested in the vitamix, but not willing to shell out almost $500 and my first born to get one. The way she describes it makes me think that with a vitamix, texture isn't really a problem. Does it REALLY "liquify" the greens? I've made smoothies with my blender, and the texture is worse than the taste.

I'm trying to convince my husband to eat predominately raw and would love to buy the vitamix, but he won't go for the price. (I did say that he would be able to make his own peanut butter with it (He LOVES peanut butter!). But I might need more amo.

Is it truly worth the money? and for those of you who have bought 2, were you able to buy them somewhere cheaper?

Thanks,
Elisa

[Res]

This one is good: I actually like it:

Handful or bunch of spinach
2 mango's
1 peach

Blend. :)

[lovejones596]

OK! I took the plunge and got a Vita-mix! Very cool machine. This morning I attempted to make a green smoothie. oooh the consistancy, granted it's better than my blender but.... uuuuugh. I guess I'll have to get used to it. maybe add more fruit. I figure if it's sweet it would be more palitable.

I did create with it zucchini hummus. That was VERY tastie (you can use a food processor for that)

1 zucchini peeled
2 T tahini (or 1/2 cup sesame seeds and 1 T olive oil)
2 T lemon juice
2 t garlic
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t salt


I think that's it (I'm going from memory)

cheers,
Elisa

[Res]

Hi Elisa!!! :D

You took the plunge! hahaha Way to go! :)

Yeah, the texture gets to me too...I kind of like Soph's boyfriends idea about using it to plaster walls. ;)

I did find one that I like prettymuchsortakindahateit; ;)

Bunch of spinach
2 mango's
1 peach

Nice to see you!!

Love,
~Res

[lovejones596]

Ok, I have a theory... This morning I made a smoothie with some greens in it (spinach, green cabbage and a carrot) There was a lot of fruit and I put ice in it. It was good. Really good. My problem with yesterday's smoothie was the texture and well, it was at room temperature. Has anyone tried a green smoothie with ice? My theory is that when the smoothie is cold and the ice is crushed it fools the brain into thinking its a dessert and you can actually drink it without gaging.

I'm going to try it tomorrow with one of the other recipes and see if it actually works. It would be great to hear what other outcomes there are.

Happy blending :)

Elisa

[Res]

I usually put either cold or frozen fruit into my green smoothie but I've done it room temp and you're really on to something. It's much nicer cold.... it's completely gaggie room temp. blech...:o

[lisa_pe]

My husband doesn't like the thickness of the green smoothies either. He finds that if he drinks it through a straw helps.
I also like to use watermelon and fresh sqeezed oj instead of water and it is sometimes not as thick. I also think that using some frozen fruit helps also.
Lisa

[Res]

Hi Lisa! :)

I think it was Kira who mentioned Watermelon juice. I *love* watermelon but hadn't thought of juicing it. I think you're onto something there with adding it to the green smoothie. :) Still, the "green" color gets to me for some reason.

I did make a pretty good green smoothie with blueberries. It turned an INTENSE dark purple color. Besides looking cool 8) it tasted good too!

Thanks for the info, every bit of it helps!

Love,
~Res

[thatmelissachick]

Olah ~
I have discovered instead of water to liquidate the smoothies, using fresh squeezed orange juice juice or coconut water greatly improves the taste. This is true even if you add a huge amount of spring mix with a harsh arugula taste. A piece of celery really zings it up also. Experiment and feel your body love you!
Love, Melissa :)

[bayareababe]

hi all....... cantaloupe makes a killer juice :)

[mtmouse]

Okay, I dove into the green smoothie arena this morning--and I think I've got it!
:)

First of all, I took Grey's (I think?) concept that a green smoothie is a fruit smoothie with greens added (rather than a mess of mashed greens with fruit trying to disguise their taste, LOL).

Then, I thought about the "plaster your walls" texture problem that people seemed to have.

Then I thought about human nature. :D I think everyone was probably adding their greens last, to something already thick, and they just didn't have the chance to get thoroughly blended up. Or maybe the ratio of green to other things was too high.

Anyway, I think the problem is technique, not ingredients. Here's what I did:

First I put a half-cup of water in my blender. Then I added my greens (in this case, a huge collard leaf, without the stem). I blended the heck out of that thing, until the mixture was fairly smooth and the collard was in tiny pieces. Now that I've done it, I know that next time I could use a little less water or add another collard leaf. But I wanted to start small, ya know? The important thing here is to have just enough water to get the stuff to actually blend up.

Anyway, once the green part was liquefied, it was then easy to add the rest of the smoothie ingredients I wanted. In my case, given what was in the house, that was a little milk (remember, I follow BTD and dairy is actually beneficial for me), a banana, 2 Tbsp of rice protein powder, 1 Tbsp of psyllium husks, and frozen peaches and berries. I sweetened it with Stevia Plus and a little agave. It was delicious! Thick and creamy, definitely drinkable.

So, like I say, I think it's the technique that's important--get those greens thoroughly liquefied, and then add the rest to your taste and thickness desired.

Green lemoneezers unite! 8) :p

[Res]

I STAND corrected! 8) Give it to Kathy, she'll drink it! Hey Mikey! ;)

Love,
~Res

[mtmouse]

And another huge success! I tell you, I'm a green smoothie convert!

Today I tried again, and this time I used twice as much green stuff, this time lacinato kale. (I don't like the bitey kale, but this stuff is delicious.)

I did what I did before: blended it thoroughly in 1/2 cup of water first. Then I added all my other stuff, which today also included some Bolthouse Farms berry juice that I found in the fridge. Let's see, there was a banana, and some frozen fruit and several other things--basically your kitchen sink generic smoothie, LOL.

Well, it looked like pond scum :D --but it tasted heavenly! I even licked the blender, LOL!

I tell you--don't give up on green smoothies. They can be divine!

http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/eatdrink055.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)

[sopheetsa]

hey-- it's always good to hear about a success story! hurray mtmouse! I myself am a "convert" although I don't make 'em "by the book..."http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif

[mtmouse]

I sure don't make 'em by any book, that's for sure! LOL

I just know what I like ...

:)

[HealthyBiz]

Tis the season!

I stowed a bag of cranberries in the freezer and pulled out a handful today to throw into my smoothie today. Yum! It was a bit tart, so I added a few dates. Very nice. I'm still enjoying my beets and garlic in my smoothies. Oh, oh ... and I tried Kale. Thanks for steering me back in that direction, Kathy, not bad!:)

Just one tip ... if you're new to working with beets, be sure to wear red or dark clothes. White isn't a good idea! Take it from one who knows from experience.;)

[mtmouse]

LOL, HealthyBiz!

I haven't tried cranberries yet, but I put beets in every day now. Today I also put in fresh pineapple, and that was yummy. Today there was also green cabbage, spinach, and broccoli. And strawberries, blueberries, and peaches. :D Just your basic kitchen-sink pink smoothie!

And I still haven't figured out a recipe for raw eggplant, but I've thrown it into my smoothies and it was fine too!

[sopheetsa]

OK, this isn't exactly on topic-- but um, emboldened by your using beets in smoothies mtmouse I chopped up a raw beet and put it in my salad today. i didn't handle beets very well in juices and that's why i've hesitated putting them in my smoothies. i seemed to stomach it just fine in my salad-- and it was quite pretty too. when you cook 'em or juice them, you don't get to realize they have an interesting "marble" like appearance, and you don't even have to worry about staining your clothes.

oh and HealthyBiz, I've put dates, figs and even dried goji berries in smoothies-- but I still feel squeamish about the garlic (I know I mentioned it.... but nowadays... i can't)-- altho it's easy enough to put it in my salad! go figure.

[mtmouse]

Soph,

Did you see my beet-carrot salad recipe in the Lemonhead Recipe Box?

Basically, it's just grated raw beet and grated raw carrot (sometimes I add grated apple), and an oil-and-vinegar (or sometimes just straight lemon juice). Sometimes I add parsley, too.

It's a beautiful salad (though if you don't eat it all in one sitting, the carrots all turn red before the next time!) and it sits really well for me.

Give it a try!

[ninab64]

hello, all

i've been reading Victoria Boutenko's book Green for Life, and am really excited to try adding greens to my fruit smoothies. glad i did a search for 'green smoothie' here, all of your suggestions are great.

this is how i've made mine:

in my Vita Mix, i put 4-5 leaves of kale with the stems, about 2 cups whole strawberries wih the tops on (i just picked the ones that were starting to "go"), 1 banana, 1 valencia orange, peel removed, and a small piece of ginger (size of a pea)

i put the strawberries in first, then kale, banana and orange, and just blended the whole thing smooth. after it was blended, and i tasted it (enjoyable) i added a bit more ginger and a good handful of ice cubes.

pretty much the same ideas you all have had, and the texture was very similar to other smoothies i've made.

have you green smoothie drinkers noticed any of the benefits she speaks of in her book? i have been very interested in consuming my raw and green foods since coming off the cleanse. the only non-raw i've had has been the soups i've made in my vita mix, and it's made me wonder if that's been the cause of some extra gas and extra weight (up about 3# from my low)

:)

[vip]

Hey all

I've got the book "green for life" by boutenko and it talks about how the vitamix "liquifies" it contents... even blocks of wood... OK vitamix people, I am very interested in the vitamix, but not willing to shell out almost $500 and my first born to get one. The way she describes it makes me think that with a vitamix, texture isn't really a problem. Does it REALLY "liquify" the greens? I've made smoothies with my blender, and the texture is worse than the taste.

I'm trying to convince my husband to eat predominately raw and would love to buy the vitamix, but he won't go for the price. (I did say that he would be able to make his own peanut butter with it (He LOVES peanut butter!). But I might need more amo.

Is it truly worth the money? and for those of you who have bought 2, were you able to buy them somewhere cheaper?

Thanks,
Elisa

I bought an Oster Fusion blender and I make green smoothies daily in it. It grinds up everything I've put in it. I've had it about 6 months now and have had no problems at all. I bought it at Target for about $55. It has a smoothie setting on it, that reverses blade direction about 4 times during the blending. I really like this blender and would buy it again in a heartbeat.

[Res]

vip: Thanks for letting us know about this blender. The price sounds right and it sounds like it's doing a great job! :)

Love,
~Res

[ninab64]

Green Smoothie side-effects: is this just because i'm still relatively new to raw, and this is something everyone kinda goes through, or do the smoothies tend to give you bloating and gas? i've now been able to determine that they are the cause of my discomfort during the day, about 2 hours after i finish one, for about 6-8 hours. i thought at first it was because i was using collards, but i have used kale and then chard, but keep getting the same results. i started out just putting one leaf in, and have been increasing the amount over the days/weeks.

any thoughts?

[ninab64]

i seem to still be having issues with the smoothies. does anyone have insight on this? also, i tried using some almond milk that i made in the vitamix, but didn't strain -- maybe a cup's worth -- and that gave me the worst physical symptoms i've ever had, LOL!

i love getting my greens in, but perhaps they're not playing well with the fruits. maybe what i need is a green soup smoothie in the mornings, with vegs and greens?

[Res]

Nina: The only thing that comes to mind is "allergy". But I have no idea. Are you mixing everything with water?

Spinach is pretty easy to digest - or maybe you need to just eat the greens in salads for a while.

Sorry to hear about the trouble you're having.

*hug*

Love,
~Res

[ninab64]

hey, Res.

i've been using spinach lately. used it when i had troubles.... today, i added no fruit. now, i'm just waiting to see what will happen. yep i add water at times, but with all the fruit, if it's a shake-like consistency, i don't thin it out. was wondering if the vitamix does things to the greens that change how i can handle it. i've been eating a leafy greens salad pretty much every day, but my distress seems to start before i've had the salad, so i'm discounting that.

trial and error, eh?

also, i've noticed that my elimination isn't very consistent, surprising to me since i only eat fruit and veg and greens. nothing much dehydrated at all.

the other thing i've noticed is that if i do eat cooked food, i feel crappy if i eat meat and other things. if i eat only meat, or only other cooked foods, i don't feel so bad. and the other side effect of this is the scale drops a pound or 2 right after. kinda opposite of what i would expect.

anyway, if anyone else has experienced things similar i would appreciate hearing from you. i want to be able to enjoy my smoothies!

[jShizz]

Has anyone tried the green superfood mix from the MC store? If so, how is it and what do you mix it with?

[Lin]

I'm not too good with posting recipes but I'm going to try one anyway!!
I've been drinking green smoothies for breakfast since a couple of days after I broke my cleanse.

I've mostly been adding in whatever fruits and veggies I have on hand. I also don't measure my ingredients! If you're going to be around a lot of people and don't want garlic breath, just leave it out!!:D :D :D I happen to really love garlic and think it tastes great in a green smoothie!
I also cut up everything in small pieces because it processes faster.

Even though this is a green smoothie you'd never know it because it comes out a beautiful red color!! That's because I put a raw beet in it!!!

Lin's Concoction

In a Vita-Mix add:

1 cup cold water
1 Banana
Fresh Pineapple chucks/juice (about 1-1 1/2 cups)
1 raw Beet and the Beet Greens
Mung Bean Sprouts (about 1/2 - 1 cup)
A handful of Spinach Leaves
1 large Romaine Lettuce Leaf
2 Bokchoy Leaves
1 stalk of Celery
1 clove of Garlic
Red Bell Pepper (about 1/4 of it)
4 soaked Dates
2 soaked Prunes

Process on high until smooth

1 cup Ice (I added this at the end of the processing to make it colder)


It's fun to experiment. I've made a different one each morning this week!! Some have tasted better than others, but that's the fun of doing this. I would love to make this a daily habit. Most green smoothies if they have a lot of greens in them, won't taste very sweet. Sometimes it takes a while to get used to the taste, but when you do, it's great!! These freshly made smoothies make you feel healthy and vibrant.

[Terrys]

Here's my recipe for a green smoothie that my husband and I have been drinking every morning for 3 plus years now.

Fill the vitamix with : 1 cucumber (peeled) and the rest filled with spinach.
add 1/2 to1/4 of an avocado, it makes it creamy. Add 2T psyllium fiber or not

Then, we juice one whole bunch of celery and 1 or two carrots and pour that over the spinach and stuff and blend it.

It's good. We went through a long thorough cleanse on this plus giving up meat and dairy. we even take the blender on vacations.

Terrys

[Peter Glickman]

Has anyone tried the green superfood mix from the MC store? If so, how is it and what do you mix it with?

Hi jShizz, :)

I can answer that easily because I don't put anything in our store that I don't personally try and use. These greens taste good. They have a slightly chocolate taste, but mix well in our morning green smoothies. I will sometimes just mix it straight with water if I'm in a hurry. I notice they improve my eliminations from 1 or 2 a day to sometimes 3.

We also have kids' greens which are actually chocolate flavored and my 8 year old grandson is the taste tester for that. He likes his so much in French vanilla yogurt that he sometimes makes it himself! (We're temporarily out of the kids' greens, but should have them in stock by Halloween. :o)

Hope this helps,
Peter 8)

[Sunnyshine]

Hi Everyone!
I started reading Boutenko's 12 Steps to Raw Food last week and it is very helpful and inspirational in my raw food endeavour. I started on the green smoothies 3 days ago and man am I feeling FANTASTIC! :D Call me crazy, but I love the green smoothies! I bought 4 different bunches of greens and loads of fruit to experiement. So far my favorite green is Swiss chard because it is so mild. The first day I put a whole head of chard in my blender! I was questioning my own sanity!! The green kale was a bit strong and I had to add 3 bananas and a pear to make it tasty, but it was! This morning it's 1/2 bunch of spinach, 1 banana and 1 pint of strawberries...mmmmmm :p
I highly recommend using frozen bananas--or whatever fruit you prefer. It makes the smoothie thicker and colder, which is nice. I don't have a Vitamix, but realize that I probably should invest in one before I completely burn-out my blender.
I love knowing that I've consumed 5-6 servings of fruits and veggies before 9am! And that it keeps me satisfied until lunch--no more mid-morning dried fruit and nut snack!

[Sunnyshine]

Okay, I guess I'm a little too excited about these green smoothies, but I just have to share more...
I eat a fair amount of greens anyways and eat a salad everyday. I figured I'd get a little sick of the greens once I started on the smoothies, but that it would be okay if i didn't eat as many salads because I'd get my greens in the smoothies, right? Well, I am craving everything green! For instance, yesterday:
Breakfast: GS w/kale, bananas, & pears
Lunch: Green bell pepper stuffed with avacado, tomato, lime, and sprouts
Dinner: Salad w/ romaine, endive, fennel, and mushrooms
Look at all that green! :D

[nanay]

Hey sunnyshine!

i love your list! so inspirational! i'm loving green soups too!

nanay

[mtmouse]

Ever since Peter's reminder to rotate our greens, I've been taking it to heart. I'd been using almost all baby spinach for my salads and putting it in our green smoothies, too. Occasionally I would throw in fresh or frozen chopped collards instead.

Well, the last time I was buying frozen collards (at Safeway), I noticed that they also sold packages of frozen turnip greens and mustard greens too. So I got some bags of all of them and have been rotating them through our morning smoothies. They're all really good!

It might not be as good as fresh, but I find it much harder to rotate greens fresh, because they often turn yellow before I get to them. So the frozen allows me a lot more flexibility, especially in the winter.

The other nice thing about doing this is that, being frozen, they help chill the smoothie, which I always think is better.

And now I'm buying different kinds of lettuce and having them in addition to spinach in our salads (and sometimes our smoothies, too). So that was a nice reminder. Thanks, Peter!

[ninab64]

Kathy: i've used those bags of prewashed collards, kale and mustard greens, they are very convenient and lots less work for me. the mustard greens are so spicy, i find if i add a small amount of ginger to the smoothie, it really helps balance out the flavors and makes the spiciness more pleasant.

[promisebox]

I freeze bananas. They make smoothies thick and cold and extra yummy! I freeze all the fruit I put into my smoothies. I just slice them up and keep them in freezer zip loc bag and throw in a handful of a few different kinds. I always add a banana as it makes the smoothie have a nice consistency.

[mtmouse]

I freeze bananas, too, but I usually put fresh ones into my smoothies. I make the frozen ones into "ice cream" sundaes with Sim's fantastic chocolate sauce (which I've now morphed into my own version, LOL). But one way or another, bananas are really a staple for me!

[Res]

;) I saw "Green Smoothies & mtmouse" so I had to take a peek.

buying frozen collards This is a really good idea actually - frozen fruits and vegetables are often more on the "ripe" side as opposed to food picked green and forced to ripen en route... The frozen stuff "can't" ripen frozen so they have to pick it ripe. Another good one Kathy. :)

[NewDirection]

I've decided to move my green smoothie obsession over to the appropriate
thread... though I've become so comfortable in the other one. :rolleyes: lol

I'll admit I chickened out today and went back to my "sure thing". I used
spinach again cauuuse - well I'm a wimp and wasn't up for two days in a row
of choking down 6 or 7 cups of sludge.

Todays smoothie has -

6 tightly packed cups of spinach
1 banana
1 WONDERFULLY tart apple
1 cup strawberries
fresh oj

It is so good. Seriously. I am trying so hard to not chug it all down in one
sitting. It is also a very very pretty color of green. Nice and bright - not
at all sewer sludge brown green like before lol.

I really wish I could contain my excitement about these.
Unfortunately for you, I can't, so you'll be seeing a lot more of me. :D

Btw - I have mustard greens and red dandelion greens in the fridge that
I am REALLY afraid to try... any suggestions? I also have some pears
I'm looking to add but don't know how to let the flavor stand out - it
certainly won't in o.j. Thanks in advance...

Have a lovely day!

[mtmouse]

NewDirection,

It's about time we had someone around here who appreciated green smoothies! (I'm looking at you, Res!) :p :p :p

I've been using mustard greens in mine (alternating with collards and turnip greens), and they're delicious. I think your dandelion greens might be somewhat bitter, so I'd start slow with those and see what you think.

As for getting the pear to stand out, good luck! :D I've been choosing to eat mine straight, with almond butter. If we cut one open and it's not ripe, it goes into the smoothie.

And as far as adding to make things taste better, you can always split your batch in half so it'll fit in the VM again. And, halfway through your sewer sludge, you could add some beet! You don't have to consider every batch a final result.

But I'd also suggest nixing the OJ. Since you've got a VM, why waste fiber? Use the whole orange, and just add more water. I personally like to eat oranges, though, so I never put them in our smoothies. I rely on apple, pear, banana, frozen berries, frozen organic peaches and/or mangos for the fruit part of the smoothies. But I do usually add agave for sweetening, and I usually throw in a bit of vanilla bean, too.

But I can tell you're having a great time, so keep it up! And keep sharing and one of these days maybe Res will decide to stop turning up her nose to good ol' sewer sludge!

:D:D:D:D:D:D

[NewDirection]

That's quite amusing! This morning a cut a pear for my son and it was
bruised and over ripe so I set it aside and used it in my smoothie - then
come check in and you've just said exactly that! :)

So - I've created grapefruit - but way less sweet - and not grapefruit :p.

I did use my dandelion greens this morning - the whole bunch. Much
like the chard day I have uber goo. This stuff is dark brown and - well -
jiggly. So to create a brown jiggly semi crunchy (from the pear) not so
tasty "grapefruit" smoothie combine -

1.5 cups oj
The juice of two medium lemons
1 cups strawberries
1 over ripe pear
6 cups (one bunch) dandelion greens

Let me clarify here - I am not advising anyone try this in hopes of a tastey
smoothie. But it really does taste like grapefruit - so try it if you are bored lol.

Thank you again for all the advice. Tomorrow is Mustard Greens so now that
I know I shouldn't be afraid of them I will go to the store and pick out some
yummy fruits to play with.

Btw - everyone in my family is drinking green smoothies. Even my ultra SAD
better half. He chokes them down with a smile on his face - even asks for
more to be a good example to the kids ha ha. My sons love them and ask
for them when they get out of school.

All is well so far in Smoothie land.... ;)

[NewDirection]

I have made some hideous creations in my green travels...
and slurped them all down no matter how bad.

What I made today was pure evil and needs to be vanquished
back to where it came from. :eek:

When you open the blender lid -
and your eyes start burning? Run. Fast.

The replacement spinach smoothie I made is lovely though!

[mtmouse]

NewDirection,

You are funny! You poor thing. But did I lead you down that garden path? If so, I apologize obsequiously! :) The mustard greens I use--and love--are frozen chopped. Did you use fresh? I wonder if that makes a difference. Also, I use a big handful (maybe 1 cup?) for about a quart of smoothie.

But mustard would be a little bitey, so I don't think burning eyes should be an immediate stop sign. :) After all, when I use dried Thai chilis in DH's stirfries, I often cough and my eyes water just from handling them. But they're great! :D

Anyway, sorry for your hard-learned lesson! Next time you try something new, start slow, LOL!

[rain]

Hi NewDirection: When I was doing my MC earlier this month, I occasionally peeked in here, and laughed at your smoothie escapades!:D. I admire your courage and creativity.

I ended my MC 12 days ago, and have been exploring this new world of raw with excitement. I've managed to start most days with a smoothie. Today, I munched on some nutburgers and a few other raw, nutty things (which left me still hungry:confused:) before finally pushing myself out into the rain to pick smoothie greens from my garden. I just drank the smoothie, and it's more satisfying than the nuts! It's amazing how far-off the beliefs I've been fed about nutrition are from the reality of what my body is telling me it needs.

The smoothie I just had is my fav so far (I'd like to maybe put in more greens, but my garden is kinda sparse right now):

2 cups water
a handful of spinach
1 very large and very ripe kiwi
1/2 banana

I want to learn about edible weeds (which, I've read, have more nutrients than our pampered garden veggies...plus they're free!:D). So far, I know 2 weeds that are growing here now and are potential salad/smoothie material: dandelions and chickweed. I'm waiting for my courage! (One warning: don't eat weeds that grow on main city streets; they're covered with tar and other nasties from car exhaust.)

[mtmouse]

I want to learn about edible weeds (which, I've read, have more nutrients than our pampered garden veggies...plus they're free!:D). So far, I know 2 weeds that are growing here now and are potential salad/smoothie material: dandelions and chickweed. I'm waiting for my courage! (One warning: don't eat weeds that grow on main city streets; they're covered with tar and other nasties from car exhaust.)

Hi Rain,

One weed you should definitely check out is lamb's quarter, or pigweed. It's in the mint family, so it grows with each pair of leaves at right angles to the next. It's very prolific and has (as you say) more protein and vitamin A (and probably other things, but those are what I remember) than spinach!

Go Green Smoothies!!!!

[rain]

Hi Rain,

One weed you should definitely check out is lamb's quarter, or pigweed. It's in the mint family, so it grows with each pair of leaves at right angles to the next. It's very prolific and has (as you say) more protein and vitamin A (and probably other things, but those are what I remember) than spinach!

Go Green Smoothies!!!!

Thanks, mtmouse!:) I forgot about lamb's quarter. Plus it's very prolific?...yay! What more could one want from a green?! I do have some other summer weeds in my garden that I eat, like pursulane and orach. I've probably seen lamb's quarter without knowing what it is (I've just heard the name). I think I'll have to wait for summer to see it in my locale, though. I'm gonna find me a good resource book with lotsa pics! :)

[theplatypus]

I just made my first green smoothie and its surprisingly not bad.

Spinach
banana
apple
red cabbage
Apple Cider Vinegar
Maca

[theplatypus]

How much is a meal for one of these things?

[Bonnienonnie]

My husband and I have been having two green smoothies a day for a year now. Adding avocado really makes a difference - the result is noticeably creamier. We use the large avocados - about 1/4 per full Vitamix container (that's 1/8 per person per smoothie) Yummie, and so good for you :)
We use liquid stevia (clear and flavors) for sweetening to taste in addition to fresh fruit.
Another green we use alot that I have not seen mentioned here is Italian Parsley - very mild, nearly tasteless, but nutritious.

[mtmouse]

Bonnienonnie,

Parsley sounds like a great idea! I certainly wouldn't have thought it "almost tasteless", though! I'll have to give it a try. I'll have it to look forward to after my next MC!

[Marina Mermaid]

Hello Everyone,

If you don't already have Victoria Boutenko's book, Green For Life, it's a must have.

Rain - Have you done an internet search on foraging for wild weeds and joining nature walks, where a guide shows you edible weeds? I'm sure there are some in your neck of the woods. I've been meaning to do this in my area, as I'm unfamiliar with weeds, except for the dandelion I buy at my co-op. Hopefully there are some non-polluted areas left in L.A!

During the summer I like to cut up a watermelon into roughly 2-inch cubes and freeze it. Then I use a few frozen chunks with spinach or red leaf lettuce in the Vita Mix. Sometimes I'll add a little cucumber to it too. Refreshing and yummy!

Also, when my bananas start to brown, I peel them, cut them into chunks, and freeze them as well. (Don't make the mistake of freezing them with the peel still on!)

One of my favorite smoothie combos is beet, carrot, granny smith apple, parsley, and ginger. Has an interesting taste with a kick. I've found bonnienonnie to be correct too - adding avocado definitely makes a creamier smoothie.

Theplatypus - in response to your question, I usually make about 4 cups worth in the morning as "breakfast," but I suppose whatever amount fills you up and satisfies you until your next meal.

It's fun to read about everyone's smoothie experiments, and knowing I'm not the only one who's made less-than-tasty combos. Keep posting, it's nice to hear about others living the same way I'm choosing to live, as most of my family and friends think I'm crazy or have joined some sort of cult for wanting to eat this way. :rolleyes:

[rain]

Marina Mermaid: Yes, going on nature walks with a guide is how I've been imagining I'll learn about edible weeds. I live in a fairly big city as well, and am resigned to the assumption that eating anything that grows here may also mean consuming some pollutants (I'll just eat the ones that grow as far away from pollution sources as I can get to). But I can't think of any healthier alternatives, other than living in the country and eating local.

I heard recently that the rainwater where I live is too toxic to drink. And, in my beginning internet readings about wild edibles, I read something about weeds having a special affinity for absorbing toxins (even ones released one kilometer away). And I wonder how many "weeds" will go extinct in this century, due to global warming. So my excitement about learning about edible weeds is tinged with sadness. :( But that doesn't lessen my desire to learn and cleanse...maybe it feels even more important. I'm happy that forums as supportive as this one exist, and that cleansing and raw food have become popular.

Thanks for the great watermelon idea! Since freezing affects the texture of some things, I'm reluctant to freeze when I don't know how it will turn out. I've never bought the whole (less expensive than cut!) summer watermelons because I'm just buying for me. Now I will! :) And, being new to this, I've just recently tentatively figured out that I think it might be better to freeze my bananas without the peel. Now it's obvious, after reading your post and trying to imagine what on earth I'd do with a frozen unpeeled banana, LOL!

I have some blueberries that I froze 3 or 4 years ago that must be very dead by now, but they're finally getting used now that I'm making smoothies. I throw a small handful of them in with some red kale and a few other fruits (today, it was half a mango and a banana), and they turn it into a nice shade of purple.

[Res]

Oh no the Green Smoothie thread is ALIVE! :eek: Just kidding sort of. ;)

I was looking through Boutenko's book for recipes and nothing really seemd to grab me. I need to incorporate green smoothies into my diet for the next 4 weeks so thank you for your suggestions. :)

Love,
~Res

[NewDirection]

Okay...

Where was the life in this thread when I was - you know - eating??? :confused:

Just keep talking so I'll have lots of reading material when I "come back".

Oh yeah, Rain - So glad to have been a source of amusement for you!
Driven by your comment I went back and read my old posts... ha ha - indeed
pretty amusing! :D

[Marina Mermaid]

I've found that for me personally, I've used Boutenko's recipes as a guide, since I'm not crazy about some of the fruit in certain recipes, or the "savory" recipes, as I'm not really interested in a green smoothie without fruit. :eek:

I'll use recipes as ideas, but eventually figure out my own. After a few experiences making "sludge," due to my excitement and putting waaay too much into the blender, I realized that smoothies turn out more tasty when I put no more than 5 ingredients in them. I usually do a more "common" leafy green like red leaf or spinach, something that the "old" me would have eaten in a salad. Then I'll use something "weirder" or more exotic (to me)like kale, mustard green, collard, chard, etc. Then I have to throw in some fruit so it's not so damn bitter, bananas and/or apples are a staple, or berries, or orange. Then I throw in a small amount of any of the following: maca, spirulina, kelp powder, ginger, cayenne, etc. to top it off.

I've just ordered some E3 Live, after trying it at a local raw cafe. Perhaps I'll experiment with throwing a shot into a smoothie.

[Res]

Sounds good: I'm kind of torn between cleansing and immersing myself in green smoothies. I'm working out a few health issues and it's detox vs nourishment and I'm not sure which will win as yet.

I'm in agreement with you regarding Boutenko's smoothie recipes but I'm really glad she included them in the book because they do act as a "guideline" as what to do.

I bought a baby bok choy because it was so darned healthy looking and they also had organic dandelion greens. So I think I'll play with it and see what I can come up with.

We had a Mr Mango affair going on in the 30 day challenge thread and now he's back with me again. ;) He does wonders in a green smoothie. :)

Love,
~Res

[rawjustine]

I like my green smoothies :)
I freeze my bananas cut into pieces then add frozen grapes or frozen berries 1 cup of water,and handfull of whatever lettuce is on hand maby some parsley or celery.It is yum nice & cold,just right for an Aussie summer :D

[Res]

Yeah well we're freezing our butts off here in the states. :p ;)

Actually I really like the simplicity of your green smoothie and think I'll try something similar when I get home. :) Thanks!

Love,
~Res (not down unda)

[Lin]

I too, love green smoothies and started drinking them a lot after the cleanse that I finished in Sept. '07.

I bought V. Boutentko's Green for Life and really enjoyed reading it and highly recommend it. But, as some of you have stated, some of the smoothie recipes just don't quite do it for me either, even though I'm glad they're in the book. It gives me something to go by. So far, my favorite one in the book is the raspberry dream one but it tastes more like the pears that are in it than the raspberries. My DS loves this one too.

For me, the best single ingredient in a good smoothie is to put a piece of raw ginger in it. I made the blueberry pudding smoothie in the book this morning, and it still needed something, so I added a piece of ginger and that did it for me.

[Sunnyshine]

So happy to be back in the green smoothie business! I plan to make one in the morning, as I'm just coming off an MC now. I fell in love with them after my last MC in October.

I too experiment most of the time with whatever I have on hand and love the convenience and texture you get with frozen fruit. But I haven't had any luck with frozen blueberries. I read that many of you like them, but when I've tried them I get brownish sludge :eek: What's the secret? How much do you put in? Are you using frozen or fresh blueberries? Has anyone noticed them not mixing well with certain greens? I can't remember which greens I tried them with, but I know the only other fruit was bananas.

So if anyone could enlighten me I'd appreciate it!

[Meedis]

I've been looking into green smoothies myself. I will definitely read this thread with interest...:)

I took my blood pressure earlier and it was 121/72...and that's five days post cleanse...:D I've been munching on sunflower seeds and bought pumpkin seeds earlier to munch on. I can't help but think that may be helping the cause. Woo hoo!

[kjszyszkowski]

I love the green smoothies. I finished my first MC (14 day) five days ago and the green smoothies have been my stable diet ever since.

I am feeling a little lost as to what I am going to do next. I have lived my 33 years on the SAD diet but now I seem to be scared to go back to it. I make my husband and kids their meals with the intent to join them and I end up drinking a green smoothie instead. It is hard to give up what you have always known but even scarier to go back knowing what I know now.

I have been so excited about the green smoothies that I have been making them for my whole family and gushing about all the healing properties they have.

I think I am just having a problem committing to a raw food life. I am procrastinating from my decision by eating only green smoothies. Can I do this forever?

[Meedis]

To answer your question quickly kjszyszkowski, I say no. I feel you though on the nervousness you feel about getting back to what you've known, knowing what you know. Okay...that last sentence was a bit weird...:rolleyes:.

Are green smoothies all you're consuming now? Nothing else? I'm thinking you'd need some additional foods in diet to get your protein needs met.

As far as going RAW, I'd suggest not going 100% right away. That may be a bit overwhelming, especially if you haven't eaten raw prior. I'd say just do little things...for example the green smoothies is a definite start towards raw. Maybe incorporate a few salads here and there. Have some pasta and a lean meat or fish...stuff like that. The point is you're having a bit of both worlds and if you want to eventually transition more into the raw world, it may not be as daunting a task.

It's just one approach.

[kjszyszkowski]

Thanks for the response.

Sorry the last sentence was unclear. All I have been eating is green smoothies since the cleanse and was wondering if a person could survive that way. There is lots of protein in the greens, so I don't think that is a concern at all.

Anyways, I know I have to add more to my diet eventually, but for right now, I am content with the smoothies while I do some more research. I feel great and look wonderful (if I do say so myself)!

Cheers!

[Meedis]

In theory a person could probably survive that way (just as we can survive on the lemonade diet), but I know myself after a while I wouldn't be able to keep it up and would crave variety. But it's cool that you've found something that works for you. Here's hoping for a smooth transition whichever direction you decide to go.

[Lin]

I'll thow my 2 cents worth in!!
In the cleanse that I did last summer, I had green smoothies for the most part for a week when I was done cleansing. I just started adding in whole raw veggies and fruits first and then proceeded on to to other foods a couple of weeks later.

I completely understand about you not wanting to lose the good feeling that you now have and none of us ever want to gain back the weight that we lost. However, if you just go right back to eating the SAD, you'll end up right where you started. It's inevitable.

It takes a lot of planning and educating yourself to make a complete diet change. Don't feel pressured to do this all at once if you're not ready. You could try following a plant based diet at first. I've been following the McDougall Program for the past 5 + yrs. and I love it. I don't eat any animal products. I do eat some of my food cooked though. At this point in my life, this is working perfectly for me. Some days I eat more raw foods than others. Sometimes I'll decide in the morning, to eat raw all day. Most days I want at least something cooked like some oatmeal, some soup or some brown rice for examples.

The key is to find what will work well for you and for your family. My family didn't want to have anything to do with changing their diets at first, but after they saw the remarkable transition in me, they all changed their minds over time. None of them still eat as strictly as I do, but my DH and DD are now vegetarians and my DS only eats a tiny bit of meat when he goes out on the weekend. I now buy no animal products at all when I grocery shop and it's wonderful.

[Gypsy Jo]

Ok, Ok I know that we're suppose to be talking green healthy smoothies ..but just reading everyone's posts I now have a hankering for one of my favorite smoothies (I call them blender drinks) So here is what I am about to have
Take one-half banana out of freezer (I freeze them with out the peel, broken in half in a ziploc bag)
put in bender with one big teaspoon of (smooth) peanut butter (actually I use crunchy but you might not like the texture)
add 'about' a cup or so of chocolte soy milk (I use presidents choice)
blend and enjoy
Let's go make one right now.....

[kjszyszkowski]

Thanks Lin and Meedis for the input. At least I know I am not weird in wanting to keep drinking the smoothies.

I have decided to stay raw until I come across something that I actually want to eat that isn't. So far most cooked food turns me off.

Cheers!

[antonine2]

Hi all : this is great. I have been drinking green smoothie for a time now.
I have practically tried all the above smoothies. I have added coconut water and the coconut meat it is soo good. I also use beets with the greens, ok ..:)so it does not look green because the beets color is stronger but it does have greens, at times I add collard greens, chard and kale.
I have found out a little vanilla extrat and cinnamon give it a kick:D

[Ken67]

What kind of a blender are you using to make the green smoothies??

[reneerenee]

I've been drinking a green smoothie for lunch every weekday since my last cleanse in Sept 2007, that is with lemonade as breakfast and a "normal" vegan dinner, usually with a glass or two of wine. This has allowed me to maintain my weight loss from the cleanse.

Now, this is my basic recipe which I find very good:
Blend:
3/4 c frozen blueberries
3/4 c frozen raspberries
1 banana
a handful of spinach, arugula, kale, any dark green
1 capful orange blossom water (Indian or middle eastern grocery)
1 t spirulina
1 t maca
any extra fruit I might have, optional (pear, apple, mango, pineapple etc)
water to blend, about a cup
(spoonful maple syrup or agave nectar if needed for taste)

Can't get boyfriend to even try a taste! But I like.

[Lin]

Ken67, I use a Vita-Mix Blender. You have to have a powerful blender in order to process greens smoothly. The Vita-Mix is a fantastic machine. It's expensive, but once you get one, you'll see why. Most people who have them say that they last for years and years. Mine is only a year old and so far it's working just like it did the first time that I used it. I use it almost every day.

[Lin]

reneerenee, your smoothie sounds good. I may try it minus the orange blossom water (can't do oranges- allergic) sometime.

It's always nice to find more smoothie recipes.

I had to laugh when you said your boyfriend won't even taste it!! My DH calls my smoothies pond scum and I don't think that you could pay him to taste one!!! LOL!!! The way I figure it, .... it's their loss and our gain! :D
My 20 y.o. DD won't drink green smoothies either, but she likes fruit smoothies. On the other hand, my 16 y.o. DS loves green smoothies and will drink anything that I make him!! At least I have somebody to share with!! :)

[Meedis]

I made an interesting green smoothie this morning. It wasn't as good as the first one I made but it wasn't so repulsive that I couldn't drink it all. In fact, I actually liked the consistency of it.

Anyway here's the ingredients I used:

1 1/2 cups of spinach
1/2 an avocado
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cup of coconut juice
1/2 cup of OJ

So I blended all these ingredients together initially....then I added:
juice of 1 lime
1 granny smith apple
1/2 of a pineapple

I blended those all together and voila...:)

[Lin]

I made this smoothie this morning for breakfast and I thought it was great..... very creamy. My 16 y.o. DS loved it too. This one makes a full 8 cups, so if you don't have anyone to share it with, you may be doing a lot of drinking throughout the day!! :D


Lin’s Tropical Surprise Green Smoothie

In a Vita-Mix blender add:

½ Pineapple
1 Avocado
2 stalks Celery
large handful of Spinach leaves
1” piece of raw Ginger
optional: ¼ to 1/3 cup of raw Agave nectar or sweetener to taste if desired
Water and Ice Cubes to fill the Vita-Mix to 8 cups

Blend on high until smooth.

[Res]

Yum you Two!! Those sound GREAT! Keep em coming! :D

Love,
~Res

[rain]

Lin, I felt inspired by your recipe, and so today's breakfast smoothie was:

1/4 pineapple
1 over-ripe persimmon
1/2 mango
2-3 handfuls of salad greens
1-2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 large kale leaf
2 1/2 - 3 cups water

I don't think I'll need to eat again till suppertime!

Since deciding to go raw and buying whole pineapples (instead of the canned ones), I've discovered I looove pineapple! I hadn't realized how much better it is fresh (and I found a place where they're 2 for $5). Besides the 1/4 I put in my smoothie today, I ate about another 1/4 of the one I cut open and had to stop myself from eating even more. Yummm :) !

Persimmons have me confused. I just found out that Fuyu persimmons are supposed to be eaten like apples (including the skin) when they're still hard, and they have some dark, flat seeds that are roughly dime-sized. There's another persimmon I like alot that has no seeds (just little spaces that show up as pretty lines when the fruit is cut into crosswise slices). It tastes very yummy soft (and the one I bought took a long time to get soft). But they look the same before they're cut open. I'll have to ask some questions next time I'm at the produce store.

This is off-topic from smoothies, but there's another fruit I've recently discovered that I love: longan fruit. They're similar to lychees, about quarter-to-dime-sized (but round). When you peel off the hard, thin shell, there's a white, transluscent, juicy, very sweet, slightly spicy flesh...mmmm! (Don't eat the black seed in the middle).

Whole coconut will be my next adventure. So far, I've been kind of afraid of them: the price, discerning which ones are really young (and are they all raw?), and it sounding like it takes something close to a machete or a power tool to get them open. I haven't been doing any woodworking recently, so maybe I could clean up my power drill and consider it a kitchen appliance (I'm kinda clumsy, so it seems safer than a cleaver! :eek:). Now that I'm visualizing it, it seems my skillsaw would do a better job that the drill, though...but that would be overkill :rolleyes:.

I just googled longan, and discovered that (according to David Wolfe) Durian fruit "provides more concentrated healthful energy in food form than any other product the world affords - to keep the body vigorous and tireless; the mind alert with faculties undimmed; the spirit youthful...contains high levels of tryptophan...is a strong blood cleaner..." (and more!). I've heard this fruit is quite stinky, but now I'll have to try mixing it into a smoothie...later! I've been hearing of lots of "superfoods" I want to experiment with in smoothies, like maca, spirulina, wild greens...

[Meedis]

I made yet another interesting green smoothie this morning. This one was definitely more veggie tasting, mainly because of the asparagus.

Anyway here's the ingredients I used:

1 1/2 cups of spinach
10 stalks of asparagus (left out part of the bottoms...though I just read now they're the most nutritious part...do'h...:) )
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 cup of pomegranite/cranberry juice

As before, I blended all these ingredients together....once done then I added:
2 bananas
1/2 of a pineapple

It wasn't too bad...though I may add a bit of lime to it next time since there wasn't anything that bought tartness to the table.

[Raw4Life]

Hi All,

Yeh, green smoothies can taste kind of, well, green!
What I do that has helped me a lot is to juice the greens first and then gently blend them into my pre-made fruit smoothie. I don't even taste the greens! It's very energizing! (I use wheatgrass, kale, chard, collard, or spinach)

Also, there are powdered greens on the market, so if you're just starting or maybe in a hurry, you can just make a quick fruit smoothie and then add a TBL or two of the powdered greens to it.

Hope this helps! Have a great day!

[RJK]

Just a quick note in favor of Green Smoothies.
I love them and have had one a day for over 4 months now. Some are tough to get down if I make them too thick but I drink them anyways since I feel so many great changes from all the fruit, leafy greens and fiber.

As for how long to let them sit before drinking, I don't really think it matters. There is going to be some good nutrition in them no matter what. I would suggest drinking them right away to get the highest nutrient content but if your smoothie sits in the fridge for a day or two and is still enjoyable to you, I say drink it up. It isn't going to hurt ya!

When you blend green smoothies up day after day, you will first find the tasty recipes that work for you, then you will start to crave the greens because of the amazing changes that happen to you and it won't matter as much what they taste like.

Enjoy!

[rain]

I've been drinking 3 - 4 cups of green smoothie for breakfast every day for several weeks now. It's so satisfying (but light). But I came to a startling realization a few days ago...I've been starting to not like them! :eek: Not good, because I definitely want to keep drinking them!

I was starting to not like the combination of sweet and green tastes. My taste buds weren't fooled..they knew there was something green with that fruit! So I cut back on the amount of fruit I was using to about the equivalent of one large piece of fruit (the smallest amount that was palatable to me), and actually liked it better! I still have a sweet tooth, but prefer to satisfy it with other foods.

I was making my smoothies with room-temperature water and fruit. Changing that to cold water from the fridge has helped some. I'll also try freezing the bananas. But I may not use bananas for awhile, since I've also decided to change the fruit I use (I have a bad habit of falling into the rut of always using the same ingredients, and then suddenly getting sick of what I've been eating!). Yesterday morning, i tried mango. peach, and orange with kale...a nice change. I've also bought a cantaloupe to try.

I've also found some chickweed for my smoothies. It's sweet and mild! It would be great in a salad as well.

[yomama]

New to the green smoothies, but here is a good one I made this morning.. I only have a cuisinart, so I think using the frozen helps blend it up really well.

I took 2 cups of frozen spinach and blended it with 1 cup of raw almond milk.
Then added 1 frozen banana, and 1.5 tbsp of flax seeds, blended that until smooth.
Put in 9 strawberries with greens and let that blend for about 1 minute.
Pour and enjoy.
It was really good, I drank it too fast! :D

Josie

[soontobeclean]

I read in Peter's last newsletter about a green smoothie challenge, but I've since deleted it. Does anyone have the dates and the requirements? Thank you. :)

MC1 - 8 days 5/08
MC2 - planning 10 days 11/08

[Malia]

Hi. Just finished day 10 of my first cleanse and read green for life. I'm thinking green smoothies is the new frontier....

I understand the vitamix is the best blender to use. But can a person get by for a while with a cuisinart?

[NewDirection]

Today I throw my hat into the ring for mother of the year...

"Can we have a green smoothie for dessert tonight?" - Son 1
"With lots and lots of spinach?" - Son 2


That's right. My children are mutants. And I'm damn proud.
:D

[kjszyszkowski]

I wish! That totally rocks!

My daughter drinks a little of mine every time I make one, but my son is still resistant to try very often. I guess at 2 1/2 and 4 yrs they are still in the picky phase of childhood eating.

[kjszyszkowski]

Hi. Just finished day 10 of my first cleanse and read green for life. I'm thinking green smoothies is the new frontier....

I understand the vitamix is the best blender to use. But can a person get by for a while with a cuisinart?

My whole family (sister, mom, nephew, sister-in-law, in-laws etc) all get buy with a cheaper blender. I have a vitamix and recommend it highly, but you can get by for awhile without it. I find it hard to go back to the cheaper version when I am visiting relatives as the Vitamix makes smoothies so much creamier! It makes you appreciate coming home!

[NewDirection]

Vita-mix is a fantastic company & blender. I've used them both professionally (years ago running a
smoothie shop) and personally. I highly recommend the investment.

Save your pennies! :D

[davidturner]

hello friends

I'm pretty sure you need to drink them right away. Or maybe that's just me. It's bad enough....Uh, I mean, they're great right away, but besides vitamin breakdown I don't know what else might break down.

[kelly4given]

green smoothies are great!!! add some fresh or frozen berries to your greens to hide the unappealing color. :D

[Res]

Right about now I'd welcome a cup of that toxic green spackle. ;)