My Daily Green Smoothie

Green smoothies for the whole family!

(Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Raw, Vegan)

I have a green smoothie every morning. It is my crutch, I am miserable without it.  I even have ways of having one when I travel and don't have a blender.  It is my main source of vitamins and nutrients to start the day, and usually keeps me full until about 11.   

This post is going to be short, I am not going to go on about the wonders of green smoothies, enough other blogs and articles do that... but I am going to share with you my 'standard' green smoothie base, which a few people have asked me about. and the extras I add for my own personal health as well as some things I add sometimes.

Green Smoothie Base:

• 1-4 cubes of frozen kale or spinach**
  
• 1 cup of other fruit - could be watermelon, mango, berries whatever we have to add some sweetness and vitamins - fresh or frozen
  
• 1 ripe banana - fresh or frozen** (you can omit if you do not like bananas!)
• Liquid - I use water kefir (if I don't have that, then kombucha or just water)

That is the base - that's it.  That makes a fabulous green smoothie and it is an ideal start to any day.  

Personally, I have a real need to pack in more to my smoothie - it is my first meal in the morning, and lasts me through to lunch most days.

Optional to add:

• 2-4 Tablespoons flax seeds
  
• 1 scoop green powder 
  
• 1 teaspoon bee pollen
  
• 1-2 Tablespoons liquid chlorophyll 
• 1 teaspoon matcha green tee powder I buy in Japan (not for the kids smoothies as I don't want them having the caffeine) 

I sometimes also add:

• some celery and/or carrots
• A bit of turmeric, when I remember
  
• A half lemon, when I remember
  
• some ginger, when I remember
• A ripe avocado, when I want something thicker and the extra good fats
• 1 Tablespoon raw cacao powder, when I want a treat
• 1 scoop acia berry powder, when I feel like it
  
• 1 teaspoon maca powder (not for the kids), for weeks I use it, then I don't
  
• 1 Tablespoon spirulina powder, when I feel like it
  
• 1 Tablespoon of coconut butter or coconut oil

For liquid I use water kefir, coconut water kefir or just water.  I've also been known to use some mild kombucha when I am out of kefir.

This all gets whizzed up in my blender - I have a Vitamix, but for years I just had random blenders - any blender works.

Let me repeat: any blender works.

Then I pour it into my blender bottle or glass camelback eddy, add some chia seeds, shake it up, and drink about 10+ minutes later after the chia seeds have soaked.

Usually I take it with me to go and drink it in the car on the way to driving the kids to school.  If I am staying at home then I just use two huge glass beer glasses (from a loooong time ago) and drink it from those.

Some helpful tips:
Have all the fruit/veggies you plan to put in, already washed and chopped up in the fridge or freezer
For any powders you might add, leave them on the counter next to the blender so they are at hand
For anything that comes from the fridge, leave it all on one side of one shelf, so you can easily see and grab them in the morning

** Notes:
Bananas - lots of people don't like bananas, either the taste or how they make the smoothie a bit thicker - it's okay! You don't have to use a banana, but you do need some fruit to balance the vegetables.  

Kale - I buy kale in bulk and freeze it into Frozen Kale 'muffins' 

Spinach - The UK shop Waitrose does perfect organic spinach cubes and they are sold at our local HK supermarket

But I don't always use frozen spinach!  I bought some stunning sweet potato leaves from Dragontail Farm and put 2 huge handfuls in my smoothie this morning instead of the frozen spinach - super good!  I also use their amazing carrot tops - yummmm!

Remember:
do what you can, 
where you can, 
with what you have. 

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