Green Smoothie

One of my favorite ways to eat vegetables is to drink them!

Smoothies are so versatile. You can mix anything you want and create a nearly endless variety of flavors. I often find myself wanting to combine everything - strawberries, bananas, blueberries, yogurt, oranges, mangoes. I have to remind myself that I can always make another smoothy later.

I've found that keeping it simple makes the best tasting smoothy. Greens, one (maybe two) kind of fruit, a healthy fat, and a liquid. Too many ingredients ends up muddying the flavor.

In this recipe, I combine mixed greens (baby spinach, baby lettuce & baby arugula), frozen berries and half of a banana for a little extra smoothness. I add flax seed oil for a shot of healthy omega-3s, and some protein powder.

Add Some Protein

I need to find ways to add more protein to my diet, and I love protein powders as a means to do so. I look for organic versions with as few fillers as possible. What's a filler? Basically, if I can't pronounce it, and it has more letters than the English alphabet, I call it a filler. I like whey and plant proteins. If I'm just using milk or water and a powder, I go for chocolate whey.

For smoothies, I prefer as neutral-tasting a protein powder as possible. I love chocolate whey protein, but I don't like it mixed with fruit and greens. Vanilla whey pairs well with a strawberry-banana smoothy.

For this green drink I use a pea & quinoa protein powder. It's organic, soy- and dairy-free. One serving is 3 tablespoons, which adds a little bit of a nutty flavor to the smoothy.

I found this at my local Walmart. It was on clearance, so it's likely being discontinued (as per the usual, when I find something I like.)

No, I'm not getting paid to promote this brand. I just use it and like it; and I like to share good products when I find them.