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Healthy Eating Tip: Add Greens to Smoothies

by 19

When I recently posted my Almond Berry Banana Yogurt Smoothie recipe, FitSugar reader andrennabird had a brilliant idea — add greens to your smoothies. It's a great way to get more nutritious leafy greens into your diet, without even tasting them. The sweet fruit and creamy yogurt hide the earthy flavor, and since you blend the greens up, there's no chewing involved.

I like adding spinach, but you can also try kale, arugula, or sprouts. Just add a few cups of greens to your favorite smoothie recipe, and sip away. Experiment with combinations to see which taste the best, and if you've come up with any delicious concoctions, please share them below.

Source: Getty
FoodGreensHealthy Eating TipSmoothies

19 Comments

I notice that a lot of you guys use spinach, would romaine lettuce work well too?
cg130 cg130
I've never tried this...might be good...
Spectra Spectra
I don't usually drink smoothies, but this is a great idea, especially if you don't get enough vegetables in your diet normally.
lilxmissxmolly lilxmissxmolly
My morning smoothie ALWAYS has greens (but if you're making a smoothie for one, a few CUPS will make it CURAZY green). 1 frozen banana, .5 cup frozen fruit (blueberries, strawberries, mango), .75 cups unsweetened soymilk, .5 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 cup spinach. SO DELICIOUS (but it did take me a little bit of time to get used to the texture)
poptart princess poptart princess
i've been using spinach for years . frozen broccoli can sometimes be a little bitter if you mix it in a drink that doesn't have a banana in it, but otherwise it's pretty good.
hotdog44 hotdog44
I always do this! I love being able to get a serving of veggies in the AM. I usually do frozen banana, spinach, mango, and a couple of berries because if you add too many berries the color is brown instead of green. I'm interested in trying the broccoli. Just last week I was out of spinach so I used carrots instead and it look so pretty and tasted great.
ellenp1214 ellenp1214
i make a green smoothie just about everyday. i've tried a lot of different combos, but the one i have stuck with the longest is this: 1 c almond or hemp milk 1 c water 1/2 c pumpkin puree 2+ c greens (i like spinach and wheat grass-- but please, no arugula!!) 5-10 ice cubes 1 tsp vanilla extract pumpkin pie spice to taste stevia extract or agave it's so thick, delicious, filling and vegan!
dnice dnice
There's a whole website on making green monsters (aka green smoothies)... http://greenmonstermovement.com/
raeofsunshine raeofsunshine
For a handy blender... I use the Hamilton Beach Single Serve Blender with Travel Lid. I got mine from a local bigbox (yuck, I know) for $15. Blend, twist off, and go...no clean up, no wasted smoothie! Perfect for one!
vtsang vtsang
I've never thought of adding greens to a smoothie. I am on a search to buy a good blender, any advice? Cheers!
carbizkate carbizkate
I have been doing this for a while. It's a convenient and easy way to get in extra servings of vegetables. I like to make an extra-large smoothie in the morning and divide it into a few smaller containers to drink throughout the day. One favorite is 4 C fresh spinach, 1 C water, 1/2-1 C fat free Greek yogurt, 1 banana, 2 T milled flaxseed, a little honey, and 1-2 C frozen fruit. I know it sounds like a LOT, but over the course of an entire day it keeps me from overeating or snacking and gets all my fruits and veggies in!
dunnonuttin dunnonuttin
I usually add spinach and spirulina... but I love the frozen broccoli idea.. I'm gonna try that.
mdappel mdappel
I love green shakes! Great way to sneak in those phytochemicals... I make mine with: -a few handfuls of spinach (I buy a few bags of fresh spinach each week for salads and smoothies) - 1 banana (like raeofsunshine I cut them up and throw them in the freezer when bananas are on sale or getting ripe) - 1 T. ground flaxseed -handful or two of frozen blueberries and whatever fruit I have around (keeps it interesting!) lately I've been adding blueberries and frozen watermelon. Tasty! - If it needs more liquid, I add filtered water instead of milk or almond milk to save calories (when calorie counting, every one counts!) Enjoy!
LilSquirt1217 LilSquirt1217
My current favorite smoothie recipe is: about 2 handfuls of spinach, tablespoon of ground flax, 1 banana, 1 cup vanilla soymilk, tablespoon of peanut butter, and about 4 ice cubes. SO good!
bluepuppybites bluepuppybites
Squash would be another veggie that would blend nicely with a smoothie as long as it was already cooked and pureed.
Nelly M Nelly M
I think spinach has a great taste :D
frozen broccoli instead of ice is good too--keeps it colds and adds in vitamins and fiber!
raeofsunshine raeofsunshine
Here's my little secret: Right as bananas are at their peak I cut them and freeze them for my daily smoothie. My favorite blend consists of: 1 c packed leaf spinach 1/2 frozen banana 1/2 c blueberries/blackberries/strawberries (whatever is around) Fill with lite Soymilk (adds a little more sweetness than milk) Blend, blend, blend! I use the frozen fruit and soy milk to avoid the extra sugar that comes with juices or yogurt!
mbmcneese mbmcneese
Try adding half an avocado instead of the yogurt. It will make it thick and creamy and you won't even notice the taste.
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